Photographing Scotland – new book and competition

Posted on December 9, 2017 by Helen Webster

Dougie Cunningham, a 40-year old professional photographer and hill walker, has spent the last five years travelling around Scotland, researching, visiting, photographing and writing about the most beautiful places in Scotland for his book, Photographing Scotland published this week by fotoVUE at £27.95. At Walkhighlands we’ve an extract below, the chance to win one of three copies of Dougie’s book, and a discount code – WANDER – you can enter to get 20% off all fotoVUE books at their own website, with free shipping until the end of the year. This 592-page photo-location guidebook – featuring over 800 inspirational photographs…

Posted in Magazine, Photography

Gear review: Berghaus Ghlas softshell jacket

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £100 Weight: 525g Sizes: Small to XXL Softshell jackets are generally much more breathable than hard shell waterproofs, providing some warmth and wind resistance whilst also fending off light showers. This means you can leave your waterproof jacket in your rucksack ready to put on over the top when the rain really arrives, and wear your more comfortable soft shell for the rest of the time. The Berghaus Ghlas jacket fulfils this function admirably. With a fleecy fabric on the inside and a smooth outer, the jacket is a little stiffer and more substantial than some softshells but…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets

Review: Alt-Berg Tethera Boots

Posted on December 6, 2017 by Helen Webster

RRP: £199.99 Weight: 626g (per boot, size 5.5 wide) Fed up with wet cold feet and having long been a lightweight footwear devotee, I returned to all-leather heavier 3 season boots about 4 years ago and haven’t looked back. I still prefer the comfort of fabric shoes and boots in dry or warm conditions but with so many Scottish hillwalks featuring lengthy bog trots or wet and cold weather, the lightweight options – even if combined with waterproof socks – weren’t keeping my feet warm. To keep the chilblains at bay I opted for Alt-Berg’s Tethera boot. This is no…

Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews, Magazine

Discovering Aviemore

Posted on December 5, 2017 by Fiona Russell

In the 25 years that I have been visiting Aviemore, the size of the Scottish Highlands town and the volume of people that stroll the streets has vastly increased. Some might say that this has been to the detriment of the attractiveness of the settlement, located in the naturally beautiful Cairngorms National Park. Certainly, the modern housing estates that sprawl to the north of Aviemore do it few architectural favours and the pubs, cafés, restaurants and shops are often full to bursting with visitors. But I like the busy, yet relaxed and friendly, atmosphere of the outdoors town. It is…

Posted in Features, Magazine

Cairn of the Watch

Posted on December 4, 2017 by David Lintern

Keep ’em peeled! A few thoughts on access and conservation to finish off the year, from David Lintern. At the beginning of the year, I asked “what have the mountains ever done for us“. I wanted to round out the year by asking the same question in reverse. Of course, many hillfolk do an amazing amount – volunteering to provide access for those who find access difficult, path maintenance, conservation work parties, or donating money if time is tight, but I’ll wager more of us don’t do as much as we’d like to… and some of us don’t do much…

Posted in Access issues, Features, Magazine, Nature

Bumper year for Hen Harrier project

Posted on November 29, 2017 by Helen Webster

As part of efforts to conserve hen harriers, 21 estates across Scotland have now joined the Heads Up for Harriers project in 2017. This year has seen a bumper number of 37 young successfully fledging from nests located on 7 of the 21 participating estates. This is the highest number of fledged birds ever for the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime Scotland (PAW) Scotland project, led by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). As in previous years, estates have agreed to have cameras installed on their land to monitor nesting hen harriers and help determine reasons affecting survival. A total of…

Posted in Nature

Clachaig Winter Lectures set for February

Posted on November 26, 2017 by Helen Webster

The Clachaig Inn in Glencoe will again be hosting its Winter Mountain Safety Lectures in February. Usually attracting a lively gathering of hill walkers, climbers and skiers and hill-goers the evenings will run each Tuesday in February 2018. These evenings have run every year since 1985, and are intended to provide a last minute reminder of some of the preparations and skills to have to hand before venturing into the Scottish winter hills. The events are free and the Inn aims to raise £2000 in total by having a weekly draw with some great prizes donated by the sponsors.

Posted in News

Review: Mammut Broad Peak IN Hooded Jacket

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Paul Webster

Recommended Price: £240 (widely available for less) Weight: 460g The Broad Peak IN Hooded Jacket from Mammut provides lightweight down insulation with a very small packsize. The jacket contains 125g of down – 10% of it goose down – but the high fill power of 750 cuin means that the Broad Peak provides a high level of insulation. The outer fabric is windproof Pertex Microlight with a water repellent finish, ensuring the jacket can be worn as an outer layer in dry conditions as well as as a mid layer. I’ve found very little down leakage through the outer, a…

Posted in Gear reviews, Jackets, Magazine

Review: Women’s Keen Terradora Waterproof boot

Posted on November 25, 2017 by Helen Webster

Recommended Price: £120 Weight (per boot): 363g This is a lightweight fabric mid-height boot with a waterproof membrane specifically designed for women. I’ve been testing it on a wide variety of walks and all-day Munro hikes over the last few months. Founded in 2003 by Martin Keen who wanted a comfortable sandal that would protect his toes whilst sailing, the US company has grown into a footwear giant and is known amongst walkers for its high protective rands, wide toe-box and comfortable fit. This women’s Terradora model moves a little from that original image with the focus on a lightweight,…

Posted in Footwear, Gear reviews

Mountain hare photography

Posted on November 23, 2017 by James Roddie

With the winter season having truly arrived, award-winning photographer James Roddie shares his tips on how to photograph mountain hares. Mountain hares are arguably one of the most beautiful sights you can see in the Scottish hills. They are true icons of the Highlands – turning white in the winter and living their lives in some of the coldest and harshest environments in the UK. Britain’s only native hare, they can only be seen in the Scottish uplands and in a small area of the English Peak District. In recent years they’ve become a very popular subject for photographers and…

Posted in Features, Magazine, Photography