For the price of a bobble hat – can you help?

Posted on March 8, 2018 by Paul Webster

This weekend sees the launch of a major appeal to raise £100,000 to tackle erosion and restore footpaths on two of Scotland’s favourite Munros. With hundreds of thousands of people enjoying walking and climbing in Scotland’s mountains every year, campaigners hope to hit their target over the next eight months by encouraging the nation’s hillwalkers to donate small – whether that be the value of a new pair of hiking socks or a new bobble hat. Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) are jointly leading the Scottish part of this UK-wide campaign which will support one…

Posted in Access issues, Magazine, Nature, News, Walkhighlands news

A Lancastrian’s North West Legacy

Posted on March 7, 2018 by Cameron McNeish

Cameron McNeish remembers Richard Gilbert, author and mountaineer I’M at the age, unfortunately, when I attend more funerals than weddings and conversations with contemporaries commonly start with “Have you heard about…” Sometime the news of the death of someone you didn’t actually know can have an effect on you and that was certainly the case when I read of the passing of Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. I immediately thought of the late Chris Brasher who had been one of Bannister’s pacemakers in that epic race in 1953 and the effect…

Posted in Features, Magazine, News

Walkhighlands’ Paul wins Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year

Posted on March 6, 2018 by Helen Webster

Walkhighlands founder Paul Webster has been announced as this year’s winner of the prestigious Scottish Landscape Photographer of the Year Award. Based in the Cairngorms National Park, Paul beat off strong competition from thousands of entries submitted by photographers from across the globe to win the prestigious title. His winning portfolio comprised of 3 magnificently evocative images shot in the mountain ranges of the Lochaber Geopark and Glen Affric with his Fujifilm digital camera. They included ‘Dreams and Nightmares’, a shot of light breaking through to light up Aonach Eagach whilst two ravens circled overhead; ‘The Mamores’, capturing the mists…

Posted in Magazine, News, Photography, Walkhighlands news

Our Picks: The Seven Hills of Edinburgh

Posted on March 3, 2018 by Paul Webster

Like Rome, Edinburgh is said to be built on seven hills – though it’s not hard to come up with a few more if you know the city well. Nonetheless the seven has stuck, and there’s even an annual race to climb them all, a combination of hill-running, road-running and urban orienteering. The winners get round in an amazing 1 hour 40 minutes. For most of the rest of us, it’s enough to climb the hills as a series of walks, all of them being featured on Walkhighlands routes within the city. Castle Rock Perhaps the most photographed of them…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks

Review: Black Diamond Revolt headtorch

Posted on March 1, 2018 by Helen Webster

RRP: £45 Weight: 100g (including batteries) Headtorches have improved in leaps and bounds in the last few years and now come with an array of different light settings and features. I’ve been testing Black Diamond’s updated ReVolt on my weekly night runs, a couple of short night walks and an impromtu hill descent as darkness fell. Having been used to a basic Lenser headtorch with one light and two options for adjusting the brightness and field, I was a bit flummoxed by the options on the ReVolt. It features a main triple-power LED which comes on when you click the…

Posted in Accessories, Gear reviews, Magazine

Carnoch bridge on Cape Wrath Trail has been removed

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Paul Webster

In January we updated our Cape Wrath Trail route description to reflect that Carnoch Bridge near Sourlies had been condemned as unsafe to cross. The river is frequently impossible to cross in spate conditions. The bridge has now been completely removed. There are plans to replace it later in the year, but this is likely to not be for around 6 months. Walkers intending to complete the Cape Wrath Trail during the main season this year should take account of this in their plans.

Posted in Access issues, News

Daylight again

Posted on February 22, 2018 by Karen Thorburn

The sun shone as the ferry pulled away from Uig pier. A health and safety announcement crackled over the tannoy system in English and Gaelic. Car alarms sounded from the vehicle deck as the vessel gently rocked to the starboard side, sweeping out of the bay. The rugged profile of the Trotternish ridge was revealed and, in the distance, the magnificent peaks of the Cuillin came into view. I meandered around the passenger deck with my parents, watching Skye gradually recede into the distance and catching glimpses of puffins skimming above the water surface. We made our way indoors and…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Line up announced for Braemar Mountain Festival

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Helen Webster

Organisers of the Braemar Mountain Festival today revealed they have doubled the number of events and venues following the huge success of the inaugural event last year. The four-day celebration of the mountains in winter will take place from Thursday 1st – Sunday 4th March 2018 at Braemar, located in the heart of the Cairngorms National Park. New events for 2018’s expanded programme include mountain bike skill sessions, film making classes with award winning adventure film producer Chris Prescott and a special series of talks and films highlighting the feats of inspirational women in adventure sports. The Braemar Mountain Festival…

Posted in News

The Sparrowhawk PR Problem

Posted on February 16, 2018 by Ben Dolphin

Last week, as I was sat at home, I heard a loud but unfamiliar squawk outside followed by alarm calls from smaller birds. When I looked out the window I saw a starling on the ground, motionless under the tight grip of yellow talons. It was a sparrowhawk, the first I’d seen at home in two years… and I was ecstatic! They’re actually one of our more common birds of prey but for most of us they remain elusive on account of their stealthy hunting strategy. They are fast and manoeuvrable but, like a cheetah, their chase can’t be sustained…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Nature

Mountain experts warn against magnets in clothing

Posted on February 15, 2018 by Helen Webster

Mountain safety experts have warned against a worrying trend in the outdoor clothing market. Magnetic closures on gloves and jackets are being marketed as the modern alternative to Velcro or poppers. But magnets are well-known for deflecting compass needles, and there is already evidence that this may have been the cause of a recent Mountain Rescue call-out. Heather Morning, Mountain Safety Adviser for Mountaineering Scotland, said: “We have reviewed the circumstances of a recent incident in the mountains east of Glen Shee, which involved hundreds of hours of rescue personnel hours and police time. “A group of walkers were caught…

Posted in News