Shortly after buying Mar Lodge Estate in the late 1990’s, the National Trust for Scotland set about removing the bulldozed Land-Rover track which was a very visible scar up Beinn a’ Bhuird. The NTS ecology team have recently been out monitoring the re-vegetation which has followed the ground-breaking restoration work. These fixed point photos show that the re-vegetation is progressing nicely and you can see a huge difference between 2002 and 2016, which has greatly reduced the visual impact on the landscape.
Mountaineering Scotland Winter Safety talks
Mountaineering Scotland (formerly the MCofS) will again be hosting a series of safety evenings this winter. Heather Morning, Mountaineering Scotland’s Safety Advisor, will share her beautiful photography, videos, personal anecdotes and adventures, while discussing essential skills for winter navigation, avalanche awareness, route choice, equipment, mountain weather and much more. With a lifetime’s experience in the mountains, Heather has been a professional mountaineer for 25 years and was a member of Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team for 16 years. These entertaining and informative evenings will be held on the following dates and locations. Whilst free, you need to book a place, the…
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Dundee Mountain Film Festival tickets on sale
This month sees the return of the UK’s longest continuous running mountain film festival. The Dundee Mountain Film Festival will take place from 24 – 26 November and will be showcasing an international programme of speakers, as well as award winning films and exhibitions. The Festival will kick off on Thursday evening at Discovery Point with a talk by Jamie Andrew, accomplished and inspiring Scottish amputee mountaineer. Other speakers include Andy Kirkpatrick, Felicity Ashton and Greg Boswell and these sessions will be held at the Bonar Hall, Dundee, DD1 4HN. The full programme and ticket prices/booking can be found on…
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Forestry work diverts West Highland Way near Fort William
The West Highland Way near Fort William will be closed for Forestry Commission Scotland harvesting and path upgrade work between 1st November 2016 and 1st April 2017. The section affected is between Lunn Da-Bhra and Glen Nevis, with a diversion down the quiet Blarmachfoldach single-track road to Fort William. The diversion is 7.5km long, slightly shorter than the official route. Forestry Commission Scotland is asking people not not to attempt to pass through work site and to use the signed diversion. The machine operators are working in areas with poor visibility, particularly during darker winter days. The work will be…
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Posted in Access issues, News
The Season of the Witch
All Hallows Eve is almost upon us, so it’s time for another seasonal excursion into Scottish mythology. David Lintern braves the cold, twice. Right at the very end of Glen Lyon, there’s a little shrine called the Tigh Nam Bodach, meaning the house of the father, or old man. And before we go any further, the name Lyon is reckoned to be a corruption of Lugdunum, after Lugh, the Celtic sun god, a character significant in the first chapter in this story, linked at the foot of the page. But we’ve heard enough from the men. Today it’s the turn…
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Steall Path reopens Saturday 29 October
Steall Path in Glen Nevis will reopen on Saturday 29 October following a major landslide. The most dangerous loose rock and trees above Steall path have been cleared or stabilised and the path will be open again from Saturday 29th October. The John Muir Trust now have a path team on the ground until 18 November repairing the damage to the path. The Trust says that there may be short delays as and when the path team are moving or positioning rocks and asks walkers to follow all safety instructions and the advice of the path team.
Posted in Access issues, News
Report finds slow growth for red kites in Northern Scotland
Reintroduced red kite numbers are on the rise throughout much of Scotland, with at least 283 pairs in 2015, but a new Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) report has found the population in the North Scotland continues to grow more slowly than other reintroduced populations. The report updates earlier work and suggests that illegal killing is still considered to be the main reason red kite numbers are not higher in North Scotland. The report, commissioned by SNH and carried out by RSPB’s Centre for Conservation Science, found that, although not at risk of decline, the red kite population in North Scotland…
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Posted in Nature
Mike Tomkies – An Appreciation
I WAS saddened to hear of the death of the wildlife writer and naturalist Mike Tomkies, a man who penned some of the most riveting accounts of living in the natural world alongside golden eagles, wildcats and pine martens. He was a man who more or less shunned society so that he could live as close to his wild subjects as possible. Mike had been the Hollywood correspondent of The Times and had interviewed and befriended cinema personalities like Ava Gardner, John Wayne, Dean Martin, Elvis Presley, Peter O’Toole and Sean Connery but the showbiz life eventually soured and he…
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Peebles call for adventure filmakers
Following the success of its 2016 Outdoor Shorts competition in January, which saw a record number of entrants, the Peebles Outdoor Film Festival is once again inviting short film submissions for its 2017 festival competition. Ahead of the next festival (27-29 January 2017), film-makers of all ages are invited to submit outdoor-themed films, either documentary or fictional work, of no more than five minutes duration that demonstrate creativity, originality and story-telling skill. Films can detail a particular adventure, journey, sport, personal experience, or be a portrait of a particular person or place. All must capture the magic and natural beauty…
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Trust concerned as Scottish Government approves first wind turbines on wild land
The John Muir Trust has expressed concern over today’s decision by Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse to consent the application for the Creag Riabhach wind farm at Altnaharra estate near Lairg in Sutherland. The development will mean the construction of 22 turbines, up to 125 metres high – roughly the height of Scotland’s tallest structure, the Glasgow Tower – in north west Sutherland. Five of the turbines will fall within the boundary of Wild Land Area 37 (Foinaven-Ben Hee). Stuart Brooks, Chief Executive of the John Muir Trust said: “Naturally, we are very disappointed and concerned. This is the first such…
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Posted in Nature