walkhighlands

CowalFest dates announced

The organisers of this year’s Cowal-based walking and outdoor festival have announced it will run from Friday 6th October to Sunday 15th October. The Festival will feature more than thirty walks graded from gentle strolls to challenging day trails. CowalFest organisers say that the walks, which are facilitated by knowledgeable volunteers and take place amid the stunning scenery, are a perfect introduction to this often-overlooked area of Scotland. This year’s CowalFest will include walks aimed at those interested in wildlife or photography, families will be well catered for and evening events will include a ceilidh. A special feature this year

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Posted in News

New bothy for Glen Kinglas

The Mountain Bothy Association has announed the opening of a new bothy in Glen Kinglas. Among the mountains that can be climbed from it are the Munros Beinn Ime, Ben Vorlich, Beinn Narnain and Ben Vane as well as Corbetts such as the Cobbler, Beinn Luibhean and Binnein an Fhidhleir. Neil Stewart from the MBA said, “Thanks to the efforts of 50 volunteers over a 3 week period, the building known as Abyssinia in Glen Kinglas in Argyll has been converted into a bothy and is now available for use. We are extremely grateful to Strone estate for allowing us

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Posted in Access issues, News

Shooting the Breeze – Eve Russell interview

David Lintern catches up with a wildlife photographer and graphic artist living and working in the north. Where are you based and why? I live on the Black Isle, just North of Inverness, with stunning views of the Fyrish monument and Ben Wyvis. I work as a freelance Graphic Designer and photographer, alongside a part-time job with the Royal Mail. I’m here for the wildlife and the landscape. Do you have a favourite place at the moment to visit and take photos? Recently I’ve been keeping things local for a few dog photography shoots. More usually I spend a lot

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Photography

The Bone Caves of Inchnadamph

It’s wonderful when a place surprises you, when something you think might just make an interesting diversion actually turns out to be something extraordinary, something revelatory. Perhaps even something profound. The Bone Caves of Inchnadamph were somewhere I’d driven past innumerable times on my way to somewhere else, most likely to Kinlochbervie, the Assynt coast or some great big lump of Coigach rock. I’d certainly been aware of them both as a notable geological feature and as an important site in Scotland’s ecological history, but for some reason I’d never actually stopped to visit them until March this year. The

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Posted in Features, Magazine

Waterfall – the voice of the mountains

THE trail climbed steeply out of the creek’s gully to follow a crest that paralleled the edge of the cliffs. Soon, it gently dropped down to the clear waters of Yosemite Creek where white granite slabs sloped down to the lip of Upper Yosemite Falls. The stream flowed gently over the smooth slabs before suddenly gathering itself to plunge over the lip of this sheer cliff to become the 1,430 foot Yosemite Falls, one of the longest waterfalls in the world. Earlier in the day I had stood at the bottom of the falls, full of admiration for John Muir

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Posted in Features, Magazine

Nevis volunteers clean up the Ben to celebrate 3 Peaks Partnership

A team of volunteers and staff from the Friends of Nevis, John Muir Trust and Nevis Landscape Partnership have taken part in a triple path maintenance and clean-up operation that have taken place over the past few weeks on each of the highest peaks in Scotland, England and Wales. The work parties were held to celebrate the Three Peaks Partnership, run by the organisations that  manage Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. The Partnership  provides information and advice to those undertaking the Three Peaks Challenge. Every year, 30-40,000 people seek to complete the Challenge by reaching the three summits in a

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Posted in News

Trust urges public to help Northwest Highlands Geopark close funding gap

The John Muir Trust is calling on its members, supporters and the wider public to help safeguard the future of a major UNESCO site which brings geologists, students, rock climbers, hillwalkers and other visitors from all over the world to the North West Highlands. The North West Highlands Geopark won its coveted UNESCO status in 2015, a designation estimated to be worth £8.7 million a year to UK economy through its seven UNESCO Global Geoparks. The North West Highlands Geopark brings in tourism revenue and project funding directly into scattered local communities who live in the area. The Geopark has

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Posted in Nature

Environment charities call for new approach ahead of Holyrood debate on deer

In advance of a Holyrood debate on deer management, a coalition of environmental charities is urging the Scottish Government to move forward towards a modernised system that will help deliver national targets on biodiversity, climate change and woodland expansion. The Scottish Parliament debate – on Tuesday 2 May at 2pm – follows over four years of intense scrutiny of the current arrangements by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) and the cross-party Holyrood committees responsible for the environment – the Environment Climate Change and Land Reform Committee (ECCLR) – and its predecessor committee.   The most recent report, published on April 7

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Posted in Nature

100,000th member joins Walkhighlands

After passing it’s tenth birthday, the Walkhighlands community has now reached the milestone of 100,000 members. To celebrate the occasion we ran a competition on the forum for people to guess exactly when the 100,000th member would join. The closest guess – just – was Sunset tripper who wins a bottle of single malt whisky. Founded in 2006, Walkhighlands is the busiest walking site in the UK and far and away the busiest outdoors website in Scotland. The site aims to encourage the enjoyment of walking through providing the best information source and social network for walkers in Scotland. Registration

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Posted in News, Walkhighlands news

Our pick: Walks from the NC500, Part 2

This is the second part of our pick of walks from the NC500 road-trip route around the North of Scotland. The first half can be read here. Glencanisp circuit, Lochinver The NC500 continues northwards from Ledmore junction, passing the atmospheric ruins of Ardvreck Castle before turning onto the A837 to head for Lochinver. From here the remarkable outline of Suilven dominates the landscape; there’s a great circular walk here starting up the River Inver that gives views not just of Suilven but of Quinag and Canisp too. Handa Island From Lochinver the NC500 takes the switchback B869 road, passing a

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Posted in Features, Magazine, Our picks


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You should always carry a backup means of navigation and not rely on a single phone, app or map. Walking can be dangerous and is done entirely at your own risk. Information is provided free of charge; it is every walker's responsibility to check it and to navigate safely.