Spring 2011

AWARD WINNING MAGAZINE

UP CLOSE AND

PERSONAL Scotland’s amazing seabird cities

A journey across wild Rannoch Moor

LIFE ON THE OPEN ROAD

A classic cycle through the Outer Hebrides

MESSING ABOUT IN BOATS Exploring the nooks and crannies of the Argyll coast

PLUS: Scotland’s best small mountains • Loch Lomond’s capercaillie • Win a trip to St Kilda

www.scotoutdoors.com

Spring 2011 £3.80

MOOR THAN MEETS THE EYE

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WELCOME

A word from the editor

annoch Moor is a place that divides opinion. For many, their first taste of the moor is when driving north from Bridge of Orchy, the road climbing steadily until it reaches a vast, lochan-studded plateau, guarded by distant mountains on all sides. Some see it as a bleak expanse of nothing and quickly speed on towards Glen Coe; for others, however, there is something about the wild landscape of heather, bog and burn that invites further investigation.

And that’s exactly what we do in this issue, as James Carron follows in the footsteps of a party of railway surveyors who crossed the moor in 1889 (and nearly paid with their lives) to get his own feel for this hostile, but special place.

Elsewhere, we ask Munro-baggers to set aside height for a moment and sample some of Scotland’s very best smaller mountains; head to the magical Outer Hebrides for a classic cycle journey; set sail from the Firth of Clyde on a traditional wooden ketch; and highlight some of Scotland’s world-class seabird colonies.

Talking of seabirds (and special) this issue’s competition offers the chance to visit St Kilda – one of a few places in the world with dual UNESCO World Heritage status for both its natural and cultural significance. See page 19 for more.

It’s a busy issue for what has been a busy start to the year for the Scotland Outdoors team. We won another PPA Award (very happy) and I became a Dad for the first time (even happier). Now if I could only get some sleep …

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Enjoy the issue Richard Rowe Editor, Scotland Outdoors Welcome Morv. This one’s for you.

Lew ewis

WINNER Best small publishing company magazine PPA Scotland Awards 2009, 2010

Harr rris

EXPLORE LOR RE THE OUTER HEBRIDES From p43 43

North Uist

Scotland Outdoors online South Uist st

You can find our website at www.scotoutdoors.com Look out for special online features and sign up for our e-newsletter to receive regular updates

Barra Rannoch Moor p26

Tentsmuir Point p6

Loch Lomond p60

Join us on Facebook and tell your friends! www.tinyurl.com/somagfb

You can also follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/scotoutdoors

Firth of Clyde p54 PHOTOGRAPHY: COVER: GANNET PREENING, BASS ROCK, LAURIE CAMPBELL ABOVE LEFT: END OF THE DAY AT LEVERBURGH, HARRIS, PAUL KIRKWOOD

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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CONTENTS

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Contributors

James Carron

Paul Kirkwood

Never happier than when exploring the Scottish hills, James Carron takes to the wild expanse of Rannoch Moor and delves into the history of this most brooding and atmospheric expanse of land.

Miles of moor, page 26

After years of dreaming about it, inveterate cyclist Paul Kirkwood finally gets the opportunity to pedal the length of the Outer Hebrides.

He finds the trip every bit as satisfying as he had imagined.

Two wheels good, page 44

CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPHY: JAMES CARRON; KIRSTIE SHIRRA; CLEARWATER PADDLING; GATLIFF HEBRIDEAN HOSTELS TRUST; LORNE GILL/SNH; MARK HAMBLIN/2020VISION; ROB ROY CHALLENGE

Kirstie Shirra

Jenny Rogers

Not one to adopt the list-ticking approach to climbing mountains, Kirstie Shirra has become a champion of Scotland’s smaller hills – those that don’t quite reach the magical Munro mark, but nonetheless have much to offer the walker.

Beyond the Munros, page 34

The islands of Loch Lomond are home to an unusual population of capercaillie, although there is a fear that they might not survive for much longer. Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park ranger Jenny Rogers looks at ongoing conservation efforts.

Out on a limb, page 60

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The Scotland Outdoors team Editor: Richard Rowe t 01721 729876 e richard@scotoutdoors.com Associate Editor: Ida Maspero t 0131 538 0348 e ida@scotoutdoors.com Copy Editor: Ruth Noble Editorial Board: Nick Williams, Chris Surgenor, Charlotte Manwaring, Andy Ross Advertising sales: Alison Fraser t 0141 946 8708 e alison@scotoutdoors.com Design & Production: CMYK Design e production@scotoutdoors.com w cmyk-design.co.uk

copies at high-quality accommodation providers; Green Tourism Business Scheme and Wild Scotland members; leading wildlife and adventure travel companies; activity and visitor centres; outdoor retailers and other specialist suppliers. For a full list of stockists see: www.scotoutdoors.com ISSN 1757-224X All contents © Big Bend Publishing (2010) This magazine is printed on Claro Silk, which is FSCcertified and produced using ECF pulp.

Subscriptions: Please contact subscriptions@scotoutdoors.com Printing: J Thomson Colour Printers Published by: Big Bend Publishing, 16 Rosetta Road, Peebles, Borders EH45 8JU, Scotland Scotland Outdoors is published quarterly. It is available by subscription and through in-room

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Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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FEATURES PORTRAIT

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Miles of moor

Vast, elemental and other-worldly, Rannoch Moor is one of Scotland’s last truly wild places. For some it is a place of desolation, but for James Carron it is a landscape to be treasured – and respected

ADVENTURE Beyond the Munros

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Never mind the Munros, there is plenty of adventure to be had below 3,000 feet. Kirstie Shirra champions the cause of some of Scotland’s tantalising smaller peaks

EXPERIENCE Ship shape

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Setting off from the Firth of Clyde, Ida Maspero and family enjoy a relaxing – and educational – cruise on the elegant St Hilda

EXPLORE OUTER HEBRIDES

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Two wheels good

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Road less travelled

Paul Kirkwood finally realises his dream of cycling the length of the Outer Hebrides – a perfect way to get under the skin of this remarkable chain of islands

WILDLIFE AND ECOLOGY Out on a limb

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The islands of Loch Lomond are home to Scotland’s most unusual – and critically endangered – population of capercaillie, as Jenny Rogers explains

Blessed with a rich cultural history and astonishing natural beauty, the Outer Hebrides are a place to explore at leisure – with plenty of options for getting to know each island

Scotland Outdoors would like to thank VisitScotland.com for the kind assistance with this issue's Explore section Visit our website for additional online features submitted by readers www.scotoutdoors.com

REGULARS

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Reader adventurers Reader photographs of wild getaways

Big picture Tentsmuir National Nature Reserve, Fife

2020Vision In the first of a series of reports charting the 2020VISION communication project, Niall Benvie examines why we should all care about the restoration of our uplands

News Outdoor news from around Scotland

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Competition

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Outdoor innovations

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Outdoor passions

Top five…

Seabird colonies Scotland is renowned internationally for its array of seabird colonies. Here are five of the best

Events Get active with our round-up of outdoorsy events

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Win a trip to magical St Kilda

Board & lodging Andy Ross checks in for a very different experience of a favourite haunt

A glance at some of the most innovative new products

Ali Denny works for Venture Scotland, an Edinburgh-based charity that harnesses the power of the outdoors to help troubled young people make a lasting, positive change to their lives

Outdoor skills Al Gilmour from Glenmore Lodge highlights the joys of mountain bike touring

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OUTDOOR • ADVENTURERS

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CHECK OUT OUR SELECTION OF THE BEST READER PICTURES SUBMITTED IN RECENT MONTHS

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Who done it?

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1 Razor clams on beach, Ellen Rolfe 2 Fishing bothy and harbour, Cruden Bay, Stewart Paul 3 Bowmont Forest, Kelso, Liz Parkes 4 Just hanging out, Peebles, Louise Lloyd 5 Snow crystals, Lewis Donnachie 6 The Heads of Ayr and southern tip of Arran, Scott Shepherd 7 Snow blind in the Pentlands, Danny Scott 8 Crested tit, Loch Garten, Jacqui Herrington

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PLEASE KEEP THE PICTURES COMING:

Show us what you get up to and we will publish the best pictures in our next issue. Just tell us where you are and what you are doing.

Email your high-resolution images to: adventures@scotoutdoors.com

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Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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WaterAid

Corbett Challenge

2011

Conquer a mountain for WaterAid! Saturday 11 June

Photo: Andy Bagworth

Take up WaterAid’s Corbett Challenge! We aim to have a team of walkers at the summit of all 312 peaks between 2,500-3,000 feet in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland between 11am and 3pm on Saturday 11 June.

It’s free to enter – you just need a team of four to seven people, each person committed to raising over £100 to help us achieve our £300,000 target.

www.wateraidcorbettchallenge.org corbettchallenge@wateraid.org 020 7793 2232 WaterAid transforms lives by improving access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation in the world’s poorest communities.

WaterAid Corbett Challenge 2011, WaterAid, 47-49 Durham Street, London SE11 5JD Registered charity numbers 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland)

Media partner for the Corbett Challenge 2011.

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BIG PICTURE •

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Shifting sands PHOTOGRAPH: PHOTO-AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHY SOLUTIONS

Tentsmuir Point, Fife Tentsmuir Point in north east Fife is one of the largest areas of embryonic land in the UK – a place of dynamic change that is being constantly sculpted by sea, wind and sand.

Standing at the edge of the sea today, it is hard to imagine that the foreshore once stood close to Morton Lochs, more than two miles inland. The extent of this coastal realignment is clearly demonstrated by more recent history: a line of concrete anti-tank blocks now sits high and dry having been erected during World War II at what was once the high tide line.

Today, Tentsmuir is managed as a National Nature Reserve by Scottish Natural Heritage and is known for the precious flora and fauna that live within the dune system. The changing hues of the seasons are reflected in the grasses, mosses, lichens and heather. Spring, of course, is a time of reawakening; the yellows fade and fresh greens emerge in the grasses and creeping willow, all coloured with violets, lady’s smock, sorrel and, later, the spectacular northern marsh orchid and rare coral root orchid.

At sea, large rafts of eider and many other water ducks bob about, while white-tailed sea eagles and ospreys glide overhead on lucky days. The large grey and common seal populations – the latter preparing to pup – haul out and laze the days away. Visitors at this time of year will hear the call of skylark, stonechat and willow warblers and spy emerging orange tip, small copper, peacock and elusive green hairstreak butterflies.

Tentsmuir is a perfect place to recharge the batteries – somewhere to come for a bracing walk or just to lie still in the dunes and listen to the call of seals on the wind.

TOM CUNNINGHAM, RESERVE MANAGER

Facilities Numerous trails through the adjacent forest and onto the beach start from the Forest Enterprise car park at Kinshaldy (the most popular access point). Leaflets and maps are available from the visitor shelter hub, while trails are waymarked by fingerposts. There are also interpretation panels and structures at both Tentsmuir Point and Morton Lochs (where bird watchers can make use of four hides).

Getting there Tentsmuir Point is 1.5 miles east of Tayport or 1.2 miles north of the Forest Enterprise car park at Kinshaldy, off the B945 Tayport/Leuchars road. It is one of more than 50 National Nature Reserves around Scotland.

All are free and open year-round. www.nnr-scotland.org.uk

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2020 VISION • UPLANDS

More than just hills WHAT USE ARE UPLANDS AND WHY SHOULD WE CARE ABOUT THEIR RESTORATION? 2020VISION PHOTO-TEAM MEMBER NIALL BENVIE TRAVELS TO COIGACH AND ASSYNT TO MEET A RANGE OF PEOPLE WITH A CLEAR VISION OF THE IMPORTANCE OF OUR UPLAND ENVIRONMENTS

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK HAMBLIN/2020VISION; NIALL BENVIE/2020VISION; PETER CAIRNS/2020VISION

he dramatic hills around us are inselbergs,” explains Highland Regional Council’s Senior Ranger Andy Summers from his base at the Assynt Visitor Centre in Lochinver. “Over many millions of years, the land all around eroded down to leave them standing proud above a wet, rolling plain.”

The mountains he refers to – famous names such as Suilven, Quinag, Stac Pollaidh and Canisp – are among the most impressive in Scotland.

But this area wasn’t always just about mountains. It was also about people. This particularly rugged part of Sutherland once supported a community several thousand strong in what was a largely self-sufficient economy centred on black cattle. But with the surge in demand for wool during the Napoleonic Wars, people were ‘cleared’ off the land to make way for sheep and moved to the coast to turn their hand to fishing.

However, the herring boom that initially sustained them was short-lived and many people, faced with few options, moved away or emigrated.

The ‘leakage’ of young people from the area continues to this day and is something that greatly concerns Mark Lazzeri, Development Officer of the Assynt Foundation – the community organisation that oversaw the landmark buy-out of the 44,400-acre Glencanisp and Drumrunie Estates in 2005.

The Foundation is now working to build a

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sustainable future for the land, as well as the people and wildlife that live on it. As Lazzeri explains, the landscape dimension of such an area is of equal importance to the natural resources it yields, or the opportunity to explore different land management initiatives.

“We look at the assets in the area, how skills and resources can be pooled and then inject a dose of imagination,” he says. “The economy here is precarious but the community and the setting we live in is inspiring.”

This means exploring ideas that some may find controversial. For instance, it could be

that uplands can be a place for wind turbines – particularly if the financial benefits remain in the local community. “It’s not really fair for people who may visit for only a few days each year to complain about whatever sustainable activities a community undertakes to support itself,” reasons Lazzeri.

And there are plenty of other initiatives that can be considered, he believes. “Why, for example, does Britain import thousands of tonnes of hazel thatching spars from Poland each year when we could be producing these ourselves? Hazel grows naturally in this area.”

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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Coigac igach & Assynt

Ullapool Ullap

For the time being, economic opportunities remain limited, but Lazzeri has seen a growing trend of locals returning to settle in the area having worked away for a number of years. “Home working via the internet is as possible here as anywhere else,” he adds. But the reality is that in Assynt, as in any other wild area, people will only care for the land in the long term if they have a stake in it. “With our industrial history, most people in Britain have long since ceased to be landowners. That creates a different attitude towards the land. Here, we are showing what can happen when that ownership is reinstated.”

LIVING LANDSCAPE The Assynt Foundation is one of five major landowners participating in the Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape project, an initiative designed to reconnect and restore fragmented and damaged habitats over a 600 sq km area.

This is nature conservation on a landscape scale. But it is also about creating the opportunities that will keep local people living and working there.

One participant, the John Muir Trust, which owns the nearby Quinag Estate, has a particularly strong sense of why such upland restoration is so important. “Of course, uplands keep huge amounts of carbon out of the atmosphere and produce resources such as venison but on a more basic level they are places of potential,” argues Don O’Driscoll, John Muir Trust Wildland Ranger. “Once you build on a piece of land, there is no going back.

We simply don’t know what our children and grandchildren will need of the land in future

www.scotoutdoors.com

and what they will Upland wonders: seek from it. So it (clockwise from opposite makes sense to top): view from Coigach towards An Teallach; Scots keep it as it is and pine saplings; improve it.” schoolchildren Sadie and But what does PJ planting trees at ‘improvement’ Lochinver Primary School; mean? “In my view, young Scots pine trees on the Little Assynt Estate; this often means view over Loch Lurgainn increasing the tree and Ben More Coigach cover closer to its natural extent,” he says. “Trees prevent run off and erosion, make minerals in these poor soils available to other plants and animals, boost biodiversity and provide shelter belts.”

For O’Driscoll, ignorance is the biggest barrier to understanding the value of our uplands. “People have to be part of the picture – stakeholders that value these places and benefit from them. But it’s a two-way street: we also have a duty of care to the land and the other creatures that live here.”

This part of Sutherland is certainly a good place for people to challenge themselves, be it through work, play or just getting close to some of the wildlife that lives here. “If you think you’re not remotely interested in birds, sit in a hide a few yards from a wild golden eagle as it tears into a carcass and see if you still feel the same,” suggests O’Driscoll.

The uplands, then, are anything but remote wasteland. Centuries of abusive management have greatly reduced their biological richness and economic prosperity but with imagination and cooperation, people – and wildlife – will slowly begin to return to somewhere fit to live in. g

About 2020VISION

This is the first in a series of articles following photographers on assignment for 2020VISION – an ambitious new communication project that aims to demonstrate what a wilder Britain could look like and how people would benefit from it.

The first Scottish assignment saw members of the photo-team explore Coigach and Assynt, north of Ullapool, as they investigated the ecosystem services provided by mountain landscapes. “I can’t think of a better place to begin,” said photographer Mark Hamblin.

“The natural landscape surrounding Coigach and Assynt is truly stunning and despite areas where evidence of habitat fragmentation and degradation are clearly visible, there are still remnants of an upland ecosystem functioning at its best here. The goal for the 2020VISION team on this assignment is to visually communicate the ecological, social and economic potential in restoring the broken bits of this spectacular environment.”

For much more on the project, including how to get involved, visit www.2020V.org

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Join the big spring clean

PHOTOGRAPH: MARK HAMBLIN/2020VISION

OUTDOOR • NEWS

SCOTLAND’S BIGGEST annual litter pick celebrates its fifth birthday this year by running for an extra four weeks. Traditionally held in April, this year’s National Spring Clean runs from 14 March to 16 May. Since the first campaign in 2007, almost 200,000 people have taken part in more than 3,000 events over the month of April. Donna Hegarty, Programme Manager for Keep Scotland Tidy said, “Without the commitment of the volunteers who take part in National Spring Clean every year, Scotland would definitely be a dirtier place”. Volunteers and event organisers can register online to receive their free clean up kit. www.keepscotlandtidy.org/springclean

My cover shot, Laurie Campbell GANNET PREENING, BASS ROCK, EAST LOTHIAN Photographed on Bass Rock on a calm sunny evening in September, this gannet is engaged in a bit of preening behaviour. With well-grown young in most nests and the lengthy breeding season coming to an end, I could sympathise with this bird for taking a little time off to maintain its plumage before nightfall. Waiting and watching quietly with my camera and long lens on a tripod about six metres away, I obtained a little job satisfaction from knowing that the bird was behaving naturally and that it was undisturbed by my presence. www.lauriecampbell.com

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Corehead reaches planting milestone ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION is progressing apace at Corehead Farm near Moffat, thanks to the muscle power of an army of enthusiastic volunteers. By February this year, over 50,000 trees had been planted at the site, which includes the scenic landmark known as the Devil’s Beef Tub. Borders Forest Trust bought Corehead last year after an extensive fundraising drive. “As the full programme of ecological restoration rolls out, volunteers will also play a key role in monitoring changes,” said spokesperson Louisa Finch. A full programme of volunteering opportunities for 2011 is available on the website. www.bordersforesttrust.org

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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Calling all Scottish cyclists

2020VISION underway EARLIER THIS YEAR, some of the UK’s top nature photographers visited the remote mountains of Coigach and Assynt as part of 2020VISION, an ambitious two-year project hoping to inspire greater awareness of the UK’s ecosystems through stunning imagery.

This was the first assignment in Scotland for the 2020VISION team, led

by Peter Cairns, a regular contributor to Scotland Outdoors.

Mark Hamblin, 2020VISION photographer, commented: “The natural landscape of Coigach and Assynt is truly stunning; it really is a photographer’s dream. The goal for the 2020VISION team is to capture this landscape and visually communicate why we must do more to protect and restore the natural environment here and across the UK.” Scotland Outdoors is a media partner for 2020Vision (see page 8 for more). www.2020v.org

ORGANISERS OF THE Scottish Bike Show in April expect more than 10,000 visitors to head to the SECC in Glasgow for what will be the first ever consumer event geared specifically to cycling in all its forms in Scotland. The event will showcase a variety of Scottish and international brands, including a host of bike manufacturers, retailers and distributors covering mountain biking, road racing and leisure cycling.

Visitors can also expect plenty of action-packed features, including cycle test tracks and BMX stunt demos, while the Fort William Mountain Bike World Cup will bring its giant World Cup screen to show off some of the best mountain bike action from the past nine years of elite racing at Fort William. Tickets are on sale now. www.thescottishbikeshow.com

Lottery boost

PHOTOGRAPH: HLF/RSPB SCOTLAND

THE REINTRODUCTION of the sea eagle to Scotland’s east coast was given an additional boost at the end of last year with £235,900 in funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). The award, for RSPB Scotland’s ‘Seeviews’ (Sea Eagle Education, Viewing, Intepretation and Engagement within Scotland) project, will go towards public education initiatives, and training of community volunteers to take on the monitoring and guardianship of the birds.

Mountain woodland, or montane scrub, was another beneficiary of the HLF funding round, with £500,000 awarded to Highland Birchwoods to restore large areas of this dwarf woodland habitat found on the treeline at higher altitudes, and of which very little remains in Scotland. The funds will go towards planting 500,000 trees at three sites, as well as an adult education programme and volunteer training.

www.scotoutdoors.com

Focus on forests THIS YEAR is the United Nations’ International Year of Forests (IYF), declared to raise awareness of the conservation and sustainable management of all the world’s forests.

Around Scotland and the rest of the UK, conservation and woodland restoration bodies are taking up the baton with activities, events and initiatives designed to encourage a greater appreciation and enjoyment of native woodlands.

The Woodland Trust is inviting people to add their photos and comments to its new website www.visitwoods.org.uk, which showcases nearly all accessible woodlands in Scotland and the rest of the UK. The site offers searchable maps and information needed to plan a day out in the woods, plus an interactive facility for visitors to share their ratings,

comments and photos.

Meanwhile, Trees for Life, the conservation charity synonymous with efforts to restore Scotland’s Caledonian pine woods, opens new visitor facilities at its Dundreggan Estate in Glen Moriston in May. The charity, which runs an extensive volunteering programme, has pledged to plant 100,000 trees in 2011 and will this year mark the planting of its one-millionth tree.

Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) is coordinating the Year of Forests in Scotland. A wide range of public events are being staged by various organisations and groups, and FCS has made available grants to assist communities and others with their IYF project or event. See the Facebook page for details of events. www.tinyurl.com/iyofs11

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OUTDOOR • NEWS

Funky digs A NEW, independent website aims to take some of the chance out of searching for cottage accommodation in the Highlands. Compiled

by Scottish tourism expert Jason Clark, Cool Cottages Scotland promises to offer a totally subjective selection of fun, beautiful or particularly unusual locations to stay.

Clark says the guide has provided an opportunity to share his knowledge and love of his home country, backed up by the essential details and practical information that can make the difference between a good holiday and a great one. “Trying to find a cottage online can be a bit of a lottery,” he said. “All the cottages on this site have been visited by me, my family or friends and we think they are superb.”

The website, which has exploring the outdoors at its heart, is arranged in simple categories such as Romantic Runaways, Family Fun and Wild Escapes. A typical entry that would really appeal to kids is The Drey (pictured above) – a cottage on stilts near Laggan that offers a real squirrel’s eye view of the surrounding area. www.coolcottagesscotland.com

First aid skills FIFE-BASED Collective Training now offers the new ITC Certificate in Outdoor First Aid course – the first and only one of its kind to be accredited by the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Recognised UK-wide, the course can be tailored specifically to particular working environments, making it equally relevant for outdoor instructors, forestry workers or anyone who works in the outdoors. As one of several ITC Training Providers based around the UK, Collective Training will deliver a number of the new courses throughout 2011. www.collectivetraining.co.uk www.itcfirstaid.org.uk

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Park and ride WATER BUSES will once again ply the waters of Loch Lomond after a successful trial period last year. In February, work began to upgrade piers and pontoons at Luss, Tarbet, Balamaha, Balloch, Inveruglas and Inchcailloch with a view to reintroducing water-based transport routes that were popular in Victorian times.

Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority hopes water buses will

improve community and tourism links across the loch, cut down on road use and reduce carbon emissions. More than 5,000 passengers used the water bus service during a six-week pilot in summer last year.

Park Authority CEO Fiona Logan said: “The pilot proved there is demand not only for new methods of transport, but new experiences for visitors to the National Park.

As a result, we are investing heavily in the upgrade of many of our piers and pontoons around Loch Lomond to help facilitate waterbased tourism.” www.lochlomond-trossachs.org

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

PHOTOGRAPH: SYHA HOSTELLING SCOTLAND

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Cold closes castle CARBISDALE CASTLE hostel in Sutherland will be closed for repair until the summer after the extreme winter weather caused serious damage to the Grade B listed building. The castle, built for the Dowager Duchess of Sutherland in 1906, is SYHA Hostelling Scotland’s flagship and one of its most popular hostels.

Extensive repairs are being made in the west wing, site of the kitchen and event areas, after rainwater downpipes froze during cold spells, causing seepage and severe damage to the castle’s ornate plasterwork. Hostelling Scotland hopes to reopen it in time for the main summer season. www.syha.org.uk

DORNIE LODGES Year-round luxury accommodation overlooking Loch Long for 2 to 22 people in Dornie, Skye & Lochalsh

www.dornie-lodges.co.uk e: info@dornie-lodges.co.uk t: 01738 587899

Scotland

Explore your forests!

Come in and enjoy!

You’ll find special events, wildlife, archaeology, great views, picnic sites and much more in the national forests of Scotland.

Explore miles of walking trails in stunning surroundings.

Discover the tranquility or adrenaline of our woodland bike trails.

We have all-ability trails suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs.

Dogs are welcome everywhere.

Long way round AN IT DESIGNER from Surrey, Andreas Gschwari (pictured above), is walking around the entire UK coastline over the next year to raise funds for conservation charity Trees for Life, which works to restore the Caledonian Forest in the Scottish Highlands. The 34-year-old, originally from the Austrian Alps, set off from Brighton in early February on the 4,600 mile hike which will take him around the entire mainland and several outlying islands.

www.scotoutdoors.com

Gschwari said: “The idea for the walk just popped into my head!

Bringing together my love for the outdoors and this magnificent country with promoting conservation and raising money for Trees for Life’s brilliant work is a perfect combination. And I’ll be able to drastically reduce my carbon footprint for a year!”

Gschwari is documenting his progress on his website. www.walking-for-trees.org.uk

For more information on your forests, or to request an ‘Events guide’ visit our website or call 0845 367 3787

www.forestry.gov.uk/scotland

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TOP FIVE • SEABIRD COLONIES

Seabird central SCOTLAND IS RENOWNED INTERNATIONALLY FOR ITS ARRAY OF SEABIRD COLONIES – PLACES OF HIGH DRAMA, GREAT BEAUTY AND AN APPEAL THAT EXTENDS BEYOND JUST BIRD WATCHING. HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST TO VISIT THIS YEAR PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURIE CAMPBELL; LORNE GILL/SNH; RICHARD ROWE

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Bass Rock, East Lothian

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A famous landmark just off the East Lothian coast at North Berwick, Bass Rock (top left) is home to around 150,000 gannets, making it the largest single island gannet colony in the world. The birds nest here in such numbers that Bass Rock gleams almost snowwhite on a sunny day. These elegant, goose-sized birds – resident from January to October – make for compulsive viewing whether seen interacting with each other at the nest or plungediving from great heights when fishing.

Tucked away down a single-track road, this unheralded RSPB reserve offers a wonderful seabird experience – with the added benefit of glorious views over the North Sea. The birds are easily enjoyed from a path that runs along the top of deeply indented cliffs that plunge 65 metres into the sea. This is a great place to spot the vertical hierarchy found at many seabird colonies: shags and eider ducks at the base of the cliffs, a small number of puffins in the grassy banks at the top and thousands of noisy guillemots (top right), razorbills and kittiwakes in between.

GETTING THERE Boat trips around Bass Rock are available from the Scottish Seabird Centre. Even more special are the exclusive landing trips that enable visitors to see and photograph the gannets at remarkably close quarters. www.seabird.org/boat-trips.asp

2

GETTING THERE 3 miles south of Stonehaven off the A92, signposted for Crawton. www.rspb.org.uk/reserves

5

Isle of May, Fife

The Firth of Forth is blessed with not one but two world-class seabird colonies, with the Scottish Natural Heritage-managed Isle of May (middle left), just off the Fife coast at Anstruther, ideal for a family wildlife trip. In a good year, this tiny island teems with almost a quarter of a million seabirds, including tens of thousands of puffins – for many, the main attraction. Close encounters are all but guaranteed.

GETTING THERE

Sailings from Anstruther or by fast RIB from North Berwick. www.isleofmayferry.com www.seabird.org/boat-trips.asp www.nnr-scotland.org.uk

3

Noss, Shetland

It’s a fair trek north to Noss (above) in Shetland, but few of the wildlife enthusiasts and photographers that flock here each year come away disappointed. Lying off the coast of Bressay, this Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) reserve slopes gradually up from its western edge

to end in sheer sandstone cliffs that are home to around 100,000 seabirds, covering a dozen species from guillemots to gannets.

GETTING THERE Visitors must first take the ferry to Bressay from Lerwick before jumping on an SNH inflatable for the short hop to Noss. www.nnr-scotland.org.uk www.seabirds-and-seals.com

Essentials

Alternatives

May, June and July are generally the best months to experience Scotland’s seabird cities, after which time many species of seabird head back out to sea.

Need more ideas? Then try St Abb’s Head, Berwickshire; Treshnish Isles, off Mull; Noup Cliffs, Westray (pictured); Sumburgh Head, Shetland mainland; Hermaness, Unst, Shetland; or – if feeling really adventurous – St Kilda (see our competition on page 19).

14

Fowlsheugh, near Stonehaven

Handa Island, Sutherland

Grand upland scenery, soaring cliffs and a rousing colony of seabirds make Handa Island (middle right) one of Scotland’s finest wildlife experiences. Managed by the Scottish Wildlife Trust, Handa has geology to thank for its appeal to seabirds: unlike the hard Lewisian gneiss on the mainland, the island is comprised of Torridonian sandstone – a soft rock that weathers perfectly to provide ledges for thousands of nesting birds. A walk on Handa is one to be savoured not just for the wildlife but also the views up and down the coast.

GETTING THERE The Handa Ferry (pedestrians only) shuttles back and forth from Tarbet on demand (April–September, Monday–Saturday). www.swt.org.uk

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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OUTDOOR • EVENTS

Inspirations - what’s caught our eye for the months ahead • Rather carried away with the sailing theme of one feature in this issue (see page 54), we couldn’t help noticing the range of adventures available through The Polar Front, which this year is offering trips that explore the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland (pictured), as well as Norway’s Lofoten Islands and beyond. There is still space on a short tour of some of the eastern isles of Shetland running from 27-30 May. www.thepolarfront.com • Walk Deeside has revealed its line-up of trips for the year, with highlights including a strenuous expedition to the ‘Rough Bounds’ of Knoydart and an even tougher trek to tackle the formidable Fisherfield Six in Wester Ross.

www.walkdeeside.com • Discover true relaxation on SYHA Hostelling Scotland’s new Torridon Tai Chi break in October – an innovative addition to its range of hostel-based activity breaks. The break offers a five-day retreat during which time guests will learn this ancient Chinese practice with expert instruction from Douglas Hardie. All ages and physical abilities welcome. www.hostellingscotland.com

PHOTOGRAPH: GREAT NORTH PHOTOGRAPHY

2-3 April

28 April-2 May

Outdoor Pursuits Scotland, Royal Highland Centre

Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival A celebration of Scotland’s national drink with a range of whisky-inspired events from tastings to distillery tours and exploring old illicit stills tucked away in the hills.

The food’s not bad either.

A major new event organised by The Scotsman, Outdoor Pursuits Scotland pulls together a wide range of activities and interests in a show that should fire the whole family up for exploring the outdoors in 2011. Scotland Outdoors will have a stand at the event, too – come and say hi.

www.spiritofspeyside.com

30 April-1 May

www.scottishoutdoorpursuits.com PHOTOGRAPH: ANGUS BREMNER

6, 8 & 9 April

16-17 April

John Beatty’s Wild Vision

The Scottish Bike Show, SECC, Glasgow

Come and hear acclaimed nature, travel and adventure photographer John Beatty tell of remarkable assignments in recent years from capturing ferocious volcanic eruptions in Iceland to the wonders of the Galapagos Islands. Inspiring stuff. Dates in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen. www.speakersfromtheedge.com/node/270

Easdale RIB Rendezvous, Near Oban Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB) owners are invited to join Sea.fari Oban and local RIBsters to explore the waters around Easdale and Colonsay. A great chance to explore the nooks and crannies of some of the lesser-known islands of the Inner Hebrides. www.easdaleRIBrendezvous.org.uk

11-12 June Caledonian Challenge

10 April Ecofusion, Inverleith Park, Edinburgh Head to Inverleith Park for a multi-cultural celebration of Scotland’s diversity of people and places. This free, family-friendly event aims to encourage people of all ages and from all backgrounds to make the most of Scotland’s outdoor spaces and cultural heritage. www.feva-scotland.org/ecofusion

16

PHOTOGRAPH: ANDY MCCLANDISH

Avid riders in Scotland now have their own dedicated cycling event following the launch of the Scottish Bike Show – a major new exhibition designed to showcase the very best of Scottish cycling in all its forms. www.thescottishbikeshow.com

Now in its 15th year, the Caledonian Challenge is a 54-mile, 24-hour team challenge that sees participants trek through the Highlands from Gairlochy along the Great Glen and West Highland Way to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park. According to the organisers, the event is equivalent of a double marathon and two ascents of Ben Nevis.

What are you waiting for? www.caledonianchallenge.com

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

14-15_EVENTS_SO_SPRING11_Layout 2 copy 4 28/02/2011 13:01 Page 17

• Look out for Inverness-based Lightstalkers Scotland (pictured), a new outdoor photography operation that offers a range of workshops and photo experiences throughout the Highlands. According to owner Glen Campbell, who recently returned to Scotland following a stint offering a similar venture in Australia, Lightstalkers caters for everyone from advanced enthusiasts to complete beginners and photo-hungry tourists.

www.lightstalkersscotland.com • We may be into spring, but that doesn’t mean that winter climbing needs to end. The Ice Factor in Kinlochleven offers a range of weekend and week-long residential winter skills and climbing courses in and around Glencoe and Lochaber. The courses run until the end of April. www.icefactor.co.uk • Yet more nautical adventures are available aboard the Lizzie May – a traditional wooden pilot cutter with an enticing schedule for 2011.

Choose from day trips and weekend taster voyages in the Firth of Clyde or longer explorations along the West Coast.

www.clydeclassicsailing.com

PHOTOGRAPH: LIGHTSTALKERS SCOTLAND

11 June

18 June

25-26 June

WaterAid Corbett Challenge

Martin Currie Rob Roy Challenge

Mountain Aid’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, Schiehallion

Covering 55 miles of the Rob Roy Way, teams or individuals walk 16 miles from Loch Lomond through the Trossachs to Callendar, where they switch to bikes for a 39-mile cycle to Kenmore – all in 8-12 hours. For those with any energy left, there is a sumptuous feast and party to round off the day. This year’s event will raise money for the NSPCC, Sightsavers and Alzheimer Scotland.

A UK-wide event that aims to put a team of walkers on the summit of every one of the UK’s 312 Corbetts (including all 221 of the Scottish Corbetts) between the hours of 11am and 3pm on 11 June. The charity hopes to raise £300,000 for its work to provide safe water and sanitation in some of the world’s poorest countries. www.wateraidcorbettchallenge.org

www.robroychallenge.com

Want to see sunrise from a mountain summit while dressed as a fairy AND raise money for a good cause? Then join Mountain Aid to celebrate midsummer on the summit of Schiehallion (the ‘Fairy Hill’) and raise funds for the charity’s efforts to help injured hillgoers, promote mountain safety and support Scotland’s mountain rescue teams. There will even be a prize for the best dressed male and female fairy. www.mountainaid.org.uk

11-19 June TweedLove, Peebles Billed as ‘a week of bike riding and good times in the Tweed Valley’ this year’s TweedLove cycling festival will begin in style with the Glentress Seven – a new, seven-hour endurance mountain bike event at the Glentress trail centre. Other events include a new evening criterium-style road event in Peebles and various free guided rides including a monster two-dayer over the hills around the valley. www.tweedlove.com

www.scotoutdoors.com

PHOTOGRAPH: TWEEDLOVE

17

ads_Layout 2 copy 4 28/02/2011 12:46 Page 18

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WALKING THE SKYE LINE Savour epic landscapes on the Misty Isle

THE ICE

IS RIGHT Learn to love the winter hills

And don’t forget, a subscription also makes a fantastic gift for outdoorsy friends and family

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The extraordinary life of the Atlantic salmon

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Leading the charge for women’s snowboarding

PLUS: Explore Deeside • Great Glen Yurts • Win a winter skills course in Torridon

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A descent of the River Spey by open canoe

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19_COMP_SPRING11_Layout 2 copy 4 28/02/2011 13:02 Page 19

WIN a trip to magical St Kilda

SCOTLAND OUTDOORS SPRING COMPETITION Thrusting out of the Atlantic some 50 miles west of Harris, St Kilda’s breathtakingly wild landscape, rich cultural history and abundant wildlife have long fascinated explorers and naturalists. Once the most remote community in Britain, the archipelago is a dual UNESCO World Heritage Site listed both for its natural environment and cultural significance.

More than a million seabirds nest here each year, with the outlying island of Boreray and neighbouring stacks home to the world’s largest colony of gannets. St Kilda’s equally fascinating human history can be explored on the main island of Hirta where the original village, with its neat street of cottages complete with church, school and feather store, has been carefully preserved by the National Trust for Scotland.

There is also a museum with an exhibition of St Kildan life up to the poignant evacuation of the last islanders in 1930.

And now you can visit this remarkable place for yourself.

Scotland Outdoors has teamed up with Kilda Cruises to offer readers the chance to win a day trip to St Kilda.

The winner of this prize, along with a friend, will spend an adventurous day exploring the St Kilda archipelago. On arrival at the main island of Hirta, you will be free to explore at your leisure. Spending time in the village is a must, as is hiking high into the interior for dramatic ocean views. On the return leg, you will tour the coastline, cruising to the neighbouring island of Boreray and past the jagged sea stacks of Stac Lee and Stac an Armin before heading home to Harris.

Based in the Isle of Harris, Kilda Cruises offers fast, comfortable trips onboard the Orca 11 – a vessel purpose-built for cruises to St Kilda and other difficult-to-access islands. Your skipper, Angus Campbell, has fished these waters for many years and is a knowledgeable and experienced guide.

To assist with initial travel to the Outer Hebrides, Caledonian MacBrayne is offering complimentary ferry tickets for two people and their vehicle.

HOW TO ENTER To enter, see this page or visit www.kildacruises.co.uk to find the answer to the following question: When were the last islanders evacuated from St Kilda?

Please send the answer together with your name, address and telephone number in an email headed ‘Scotland Outdoors competition’ to competition@scotoutdoors.com

PRIZE DETAILS The prize is for a day trip to St Kilda for the winner and a friend with Kilda Cruises, plus ferry tickets for two people and their vehicle courtesy of Caledonian MacBrayne. The ferry tickets cover return travel to the Outer Hebrides from Oban, Ullapool or Skye (although onward travel to Harris will be at the winner’s expense). The closing date for this competition is 30 April 2011 with the winner notified shortly afterwards by email. The prize must be taken by the end of August 2011 (or later by arrangement with Kilda Cruises). Trips are weather dependent and usually run from Leverburgh, Harris. For more information on Kilda Cruises, visit www.kildacruises.co.uk

GETTING THERE Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk) operates ferry services to 24 destinations, from Arran in the south to Lewis in the north, with each island offering a unique outdoor experience. This fantastic prize would be ideal for incorporating into a longer trip to the Outer Hebrides.

For full terms and conditions, visit www.scotoutdoors.com/competition

PHOTOGRAPHY:

20_BOARD&LODGING_SPRING11_Layout 2 copy 4 28/02/2011 13:03 Page 20

BOARD & LODGING • MAINS OF TAYMOUTH, KENMORE

Home comforts (clockwise from top left): the imposing main building; the lounge and one of the bedrooms at Archway Cottage; the nearby Courtyard brasserie; horsing around in Loch Tay

Main attraction ANDY ROSS CHECKS IN TO MAINS OF TAYMOUTH FOR A VERY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE OF A FAVOURITE HAUNT

A

PHOTOGRAPHY: MAINS OF TAYMOUTH

LWAYS ONE of my favourite villages in Scotland, I have been visiting Kenmore, at the eastern end of Loch Tay, since my mid-teens. Now that I’m pushing 40, the village seems little changed from my earliest visit, with its historic bridge, neat main street and striking church just as I remember them.

The village itself dates back to the 1500s, but the dramatic view up the loch towards Ben Lawers is timeless.

But some things have changed for this latest visit. Back in my youth, the reason for regular trips to this charming corner of Perthshire was white water kayaking. Kenmore was the start of a descent of the River Tay which ended at the fearsome (for me) Grandtully rapids several miles downstream.

As a teenager, arriving at Kenmore by minibus early in the morning, there was always a hint of trepidation knowing that a damp wetsuit and a cold river were waiting to greet me. Dial on a couple of decades and this time we arrive by car on a snowy Friday evening in the midst of a satisfyingly chilly winter. Any thoughts of damp wetsuits are instantly banished as we are greeted warmly by staff at Mains of Taymouth, a family-owned estate on the edge of the village that offers an attractive cluster of self-catering accommodation.

The lights of Archway Cottage provide a welcoming glow as we push open the gate to the small front garden and step into our home for the weekend. Part of a converted stables courtyard, our cottage is cosy and inviting – even more so when we light the wood-burning stove already set for our arrival in the lounge.

In addition to the lounge, the cottage has two bedrooms, two bathrooms and an extremely well-appointed kitchen. All in all, it’s a thoughtfully restored period building with pleasing modern touches. Several of the

20

other cottages available even offer a hot tub or sauna, providing a perfect remedy for aching muscles after a day exploring the area.

Outside, as well as the enclosed garden to the front, there is a barbeque patio by a wishing well in the courtyard to the rear, although with snow lying heavy on the ground we have no plans for al fresco dining.

What is so great about this part of Scotland is the diversity of the landscape and the sheer variety of activities available. I have had some great times here: a snowy ascent and walk along the Tarmachan Ridge high above Loch Tay being a stand-out from recent years. But whether you get up onto the tops or not, the views are special and can be enjoyed whatever you are doing – be it sailing, canoeing, mountain biking, fishing, horse riding or just a round of golf. All are on offer either on site, or nearby.

And if you feel like a day free from outdoor pursuits, there is as much choice again. Whisky fans can head to Dewar’s World of Whisky in nearby Aberfeldy, while a different experience altogether can be enjoyed at the Scottish Crannog Centre on Loch Tay where you can sample life inside a reconstructed Iron Age loch-dwelling.

Of similar vintage is the 5,000-year-old yew tree in the churchyard at Fortingall – believed to be the oldest living tree in Europe. And while in Fortingall, it would be a shame not to push on a little further and explore hidden Glen Lyon.

Maybe, though, a trip to a place like Kenmore is as much about unwinding with a relaxing lunch in one of the restaurants in the village. And when even that seems like too much effort, there is always the option of sitting tight in the cottage and just curling up next to the stove. g

Mains of Taymouth Previously the home farm for neighbouring Taymouth Castle, Mains of Taymouth offers a range of accommodation that sleeps from two to twelve people – perfect whether planning a romantic getaway or a larger gathering (although stag and hen dos are a no-go).

Prices for Archway Cottage start at £700.00 for the week (Saturday to Saturday). www.taymouth.co.uk

In the area Ben Lawers Tackle the highest peak on a long ridge that contains five Munros. A serious walk at any time of year. www.walkhighlands.co.uk

Scottish Crannog Centre Sample life inside a reconstructed Iron Age loch-dwelling. www.crannog.co.uk

Fortingall The pretty village of Fortingall is well worth a visit for its famous yew tree and as a gateway to Glen Lyon. www.tinyurl.com/softngl

Dewar’s World of Whisky Just six miles down the road in Aberfeldy, this is a must-visit for whisky lovers. www.dewars.com

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

ads_Layout 2 copy 4 28/02/2011 12:46 Page 21

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22_PRODUCTS_SPRING11_Innovations Spread v2 copy 28/02/2011 13:04 Page 22

OUTDOOR • INNOVATIONS

FROM TASTY SNACKS TO ‘BAREFOOT’ SHOES, HERE’S OUR PICK OF SOME OF THE MOST INTERESTING NEW OUTDOOR PRODUCTS If you would like to submit details on innovative new products or send samples for testing, please contact the Scotland Outdoors team at products@scotoutdoors.com

HotWool polo base layer, Aclima

Trail running shoe, Karrimor

Smart, comfortable and incredibly warm, this unisex base layer from Aclima is suitable for all but the coldest of days. Made from terry wool – a blend of merino wool and technical fibres that helps trap body heat – the garment is much thicker and more durable than most base layers.

We tested the 230g version – it’s also available in super-warm 400g – and made the mistake of wearing a mid-layer on top when hill running on what we thought was a pretty chilly day. The extra layer soon came off and we happily continued with just the base layer keeping the wind and cold at bay.

The HotWool range also includes a men’s jacket with hood, a unisex long john and balaclava.

Part of Karrimor’s Elite collection, the Recover eVent trail running shoe is clearly designed for top performance, with eVent fabric for waterproofing and breathability, a durable upper made of synthetic nubuck and mesh, plus a super grippy sole.

We found the shoe a little heavier than some of the other trail running shoes we are used to, but that extra weight translated into a

reassuring sturdiness when covering very rough ground. Serious fast and light trail runners might balk at a product that some walkers might use as an approach shoe, but our none-too-competitive tester found it more than suitable for the job.

SRP: £85.00 www.karrimor.com

OS mapping app, Outdoors GB An app that brings OS mapping to iPhone users, OutDoors GB is a perfect tool for helping walkers and cyclists navigate around the British countryside.

The app itself provides 1:1m maps, 1:250k maps (GB road atlas), plus a fully functional search database, although the premium 1:50k Landranger and 1:25k Explorer OS maps must be purchased separately. Even so, it still works out cheaper than buying each of the print versions of the maps, particularly as the download comes with a lifetime licence. The maps are then stored inphone, so they are always available regardless of signal.

The real fun comes with the ability to download walks and cycles from a database of 100,000 routes, as well as create your own routes, adding points of interest as you go.

SRP: £56.00 www.nordicoutdoor.co.uk

On-the-go snacks, Tunch Foods Most outdoor retailers stock a range of energy bars designed to keep you wellfuelled while on the go but, be honest, how many actually taste very nice?

Thought so. It was a lovely surprise then when we received a sample pack of snack bars from Scottish company Tunch Foods that not only looked appealing, but also tasted delicious.

Not so much ‘bars’ as moist, chunky biscuits, each ‘Pack Tunch’ is made of 100% fruit, nuts and cereal with no added nasties. They are available in three flavours – apple and cinnamon (our favourite), pineapple and coconut, and lemon and lime.

Available at Glenshee Ski Resort, health food stores and online, we hope to see these clever little snacks in many more locations soon.

SRP: £1.79 for app (maps extra, from £9.95 per region) www.outdoorsgps.com

SRP: 99p (sold individually) www.tunchfoods.com

Five Finger KSO, Vibram Now I’ve worn some pretty strange things on my feet – a Duran Duran-inspired sortie into pixie boots in the late 1980s comes to mind – but nothing quite compares to these peculiarlooking numbers. The ‘Five Finger’ shoes are designed to provide the freedom of walking barefoot with the protection and grip of a Vibram sole.

Originally conceived as a barefoot alternative for climbing and watersports, the range has now expanded to include shoes designed for everything from yoga to running and trekking.

22

Being as close as possible to walking barefoot, the shoes are meant to mirror the flex points of the foot, so promoting a more natural gait and better posture.

All well and good, but I must confess to having found it a struggle getting my head round the concept. Even with the enclosed instructions – another first for a pair of shoes – it takes a bit of huffing and puffing to get each foot securely fitted: the shoes rather assume a certain length and shape of toe,

and that they will actually reach into each individual toe pocket.

Once on, however, the shoes are comfortable, but this tester wouldn’t want to do anything much more strenuous in them than kayaking. The price is also a little eye-watering.

SRP: from £95.00 www.vibramfivefingers.com (available from Cotswold Outdoor)

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

ads_Layout 2 copy 4 28/02/2011 12:46 Page 23

Restaurant with bedrooms at the heart of the Cairngorms.

The Cross

at Kingussie

Find out more www.thecross.co.uk 01540 661166

Kintail Lodge Hotel

P r i n c e ’s H o u s e H o t e l & r e s ta u r a n t

“Felt instantly at home amongst friends, rare hospitality!”

Spectacular location on the shores of Loch Duich, six miles south of Eilean Donan Castle. Twelve well-appointed bedrooms with gorgeous views and plenty of local wildlife.

Bunkhouse accommodation also available.

Lunches and suppers served daily in the Kintail Bar using the best of local produce with an emphasis on seafood. Our intimate Conservatory Restaurant, with glorious views over the loch, is open each evening for dinner, bookings preferable.

Kintail Lodge Hotel, Glenshiel, Kyle, Ross-shire IV40 8HL 01599 511275 e. reception@kintaillodgehotel.co.uk w. www.kintaillodgehotel.co.uk

We are a family-run, 3-star hotel set in the beautiful West Highlands, small enough to offer personal service. To us, hospitality is about comfort, warmth, friendly people and a relaxed pace.

But when it comes to food, we get serious. We serve some of the best seafood around, alongside local venison, Scottish beef and lamb, locally-grown vegetables and seasonal fruit.

A fine wine list, Scottish bottled ales and malt whiskies, too.

The Prince’s House Hotel Glenfinnan, Inverness-shire PH37 4LT Tel: 01397 722 246 • Fax: 01397 722 323 Email: princeshouse@glenfinnan.co.uk www.glenfinnan.co.uk

ART BY ADRIAN McMURCHIE

Award winning cooking, top wine list and warm welcome.

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OUTDOOR • PASSIONS

Ali Denny Director, Venture Scotland ALI DENNY WORKS FOR VENTURE SCOTLAND, AN EDINBURGH-BASED CHARITY THAT HARNESSES THE POWER OF THE OUTDOORS TO HELP TROUBLED YOUNG PEOPLE MAKE PHOTOGRAPHY: VENTURE SCOTLAND A LASTING, POSITIVE CHANGE TO THEIR LIVES What does Venture Scotland do exactly?

We offer opportunities for disadvantaged young people for whom other interventions have not worked or have not been able to access such support.

At its core, our programme offers personal development, using the outdoors as a vehicle to engage young people.

Who participates in your programme?

Our participants are aged between 16–30 and all face challenges in their lives. It could be that they have been in care and have come out and are now homeless; some have misused drugs or alcohol; while others have mental health problems or are carers themselves, looking after siblings or parents.

We help them to discover their potential.

How many young people do you work with?

We work with around 100 young people each year.

Not all complete the full 12-month programme on offer; sometimes it’s just a short contact – maybe just a weekend – while others stay the whole year.

It’s up to them whether they take up the challenges we set them. We keep choice at the heart of what we do.

What is it that you teach participants?

The backgrounds [of participants] are broad and their problems are varied, but we find an effective way to focus on crucial things such as confidence and self-esteem. We equip them with new skills and help them rediscover old ones.

How important are actual outdoor activities in this?

Our programme includes learning practical skills such as navigation, hill walking and canoeing, but we also work on the softer skills such as leadership and communication. Quite a few of our participants go on to work in the outdoors, but all enjoy the learning and the group development.

What is it about the wild and the outdoors that is so stimulating for participants?

We put people into an environment that is challenging, but one in which they can still feel safe and secure. It’s about moving away from the negative influences experienced in their home communities.

Much of your residential work takes place at a bothy in Glen Etive. Why does that work so well?

There is simplicity about life at the bothy – they can ship a lot of their baggage. For some, it can be nerve-wracking to start with, with fear manifesting itself in many different ways. But our staff are very competent and experienced professionals and work

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towards making all our young people feel comfortable and safe in the bothy environment. People don’t learn if they are worried or nervous.

What is the bothy like?

The building sleeps up to 20 people and has a woodburning stove, piped water from the burn and a flushing toilet. We pay a nominal rent [to the local estate] for exclusive use and in return maintain and develop the bothy and site. Having exclusive use has enabled us to incorporate bothy development into the programme and create a real sense of ownership. It’s also fantastic for conservation activities.

Venturing out (clockwise from right): first aid training; outdoor games; gorge walking; team building in Glen Etive

Tell me about the volunteers who work with you and the value they bring We are unique amongst contemporary organisations in our emphasis on volunteers. We have over 150 volunteers who come from all walks of life: they range from lawyers and accountants to people who work in outdoor activities and conservation. While some have done youth work before, most have no formal qualifications for this kind of work other than a love of the outdoors.

What personal attributes do staff and volunteers need for this kind of work?

Passion, patience, a love of the outdoors and, of course, a desire to work with young people. It’s hard work when you are cold, it’s dark, wet and you want your supper – we need people who can remain enthusiastic through such challenges.

What drew you to the job?

The ethos is similar to that of Raleigh International where I worked previously in Chile. I’ve experienced at first hand just how powerful and positive the outdoor environment can be for young people.

What do you find most satisfying about the work?

Every six months we have an awards evening where participants who have completed our programme give a presentation about what it has meant to them. Seeing and hearing their stories reminds me of the incredible difference we are able to make to their lives. At the last awards evening, one participant summed it up perfectly: he said that we provide opportunities for young people who are losing their futures. g

Venture Scotland works with young people from across the Central Belt. While its programme is run out of two centres in Edinburgh and Glasgow, the main residential base is a bothy in the wilds of Glen Etive. For much more on Venture Scotland’s work, including volunteering, visit www.venturescotland.org.uk

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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PORTRAIT • RANNOCH MOOR

MILES OF MOOR

VAST, ELEMENTAL AND OTHERWORLDLY, RANNOCH MOOR IS ONE OF SCOTLAND’S LAST TRULY WILD PLACES. FOR SOME IT IS A PLACE OF DESOLATION, BUT FOR JAMES CARRON IT IS A LANDSCAPE TO BE TREASURED – AND RESPECTED

PHOTOGRAPHY: TIM PARKIN; JAMES CARRON

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Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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S

TANDING ALONE on the station platform at Corrour I immediately feel the haunting call of the wild. This is one of the most remote spots in the British Isles. The nearest Looming large (clockwise road is more than 10 miles away from above): Rannoch and the railway is the only Moor as it funnels into means of transport in or out.

Glen Coe; Loch Ossian; signage on the moor The station is a single island platform protected from the encroaching moor by heavy rails of iron. The old signal box lies empty and the only concession to passenger comfort is an airy, wooden shelter. It is rudimentary to say the least. But when you are venturing into such an area, the last thing you expect is luxury.

While the station is a gateway for many who visit the moor, I was already well into my adventure, having hiked in from Spean Bridge via Lairig Leacach. The most challenging stretch of my expedition lay ahead â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the moor

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PORTRAIT • RANNOCH MOOR

Tread softly (clockwise from left): bog and water dominate the moor: Corrour Station with Leum Uilleim behind; the moor goes on ... and on; Loch Ossian youth hostel; Corrour summit, just north of the station

itself. I was attempting to follow in the footsteps of a party of surveyors who crossed it on foot in January 1889, before the railway tracks were laid. Their ambitious trek very nearly ended in tragedy. I hoped my walk would fare better.

SURVEYING THE MOOR The story of the surveyors is recounted in an article published in Blackwell’s Magazine in 1927. Entitled Benighted on the Moor of Rannoch, it was penned by engineer Mr J. E. Harrison and tells of the trials and tribulations the group faced as they set off to collect evidence for the promotion of the proposed West Highland Railway. Their efforts were not helped by the fact that they visited in the depths of winter.

Although I had selected a more amiable time of the year, the elements on Rannoch Moor are remarkably unpredictable. The character of the moor changes with the weather: on a bright sunny day, it is a place of striking natural beauty; on a bad day, it is dark and forbidding. In his novel, Kidnapped, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: “A wearier looking desert a man never saw”. Desert is perhaps an ironic choice of words, for the moor is one of the wettest places in Britain.

Although my journey to this point had been relatively uneventful, it was a different story for the surveyors. From Spean Bridge, they took a boat down Loch Treig, arriving at Creaguaineach Lodge in the dead of night. At dawn the next day they trudged track and bare moor to the site of Corrour Station.

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Harrison wrote: “The wind blew a gale and the day was darkened by low flying clouds. Sheets of sleet chased one another in raking columns, blotting out the horizon, and rendering the visible landscape as if it were a desolate isle in a waste of vapour. The moor extended in front in an apparently limitless expanse of peat moss and hummocky ridges of scattered boulders. A more desolate scene it would be difficult to picture.”

Harrison’s description remains true to this day, as anyone caught out in the mist will testify. It is a terrifyingly vast and featureless place where the human form loses all significance. The landscape reigns supreme and nature has successfully warded off all but a handful of attempts to conquer it. The only main arteries to cross the moor are the West Highland Railway and the A82 Glen Coe road, which dates from the 1930s and follows the course of an old military route.

Present-day visitors will find sanctuary at two SYHA hostels, one at Corrour and the other a mile or so away on a tree-lined promontory jutting into Loch Ossian.

The latter offers a real retreat. Housed in a wooden ex-boathouse, a stay there is a delightful back to basics affair with none of the conveniences many take for granted. Although simple, the place has excellent green credentials having been refurbished as one of the UK’s first eco-hostels. A wind turbine provides power and there are ecologically sound water and waste disposal systems.

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PORTRAIT • RANNOCH MOOR

CORROUR STATION The Victorian railway surveyors found nothing at Corrour and were forced to tramp on. “The going,” wrote Harrison, “becomes very heavy and most exhausting.”

Although Corrour Station is no longer manned it was for many years staffed, usually by a husband and wife team who looked after not only the coming and going of trains, but also a tiny Post Office. For almost 20 years from 1944, Sandy Thompson was stationmaster, living with his family in a lonely cottage adjacent to the station. In a BBC interview recorded in 1965, Thompson recalled: “We did feel it a bit lonely at times, but we just knew we couldn’t get away and we had the wireless which kept us going.”

While summer on the moor may have offered blissful isolation with hills to climb, lochans to fish and game to shoot, winter was a different matter and Thompson, assisted by squads of surfacemen and a shuttle of snow ploughs, frequently worked around the clock to keep the trains running. “It was pretty grim at times but we had to get on with it,” he told the BBC. “The winter of 1946/47 was a very bad one, with deer lying dead in their groups here and there down the back of the snow fences.”

Stories like this reinforce the formidable reputation of the moor, when even its hardiest residents struggle to survive. However, get a good day and it is an enchanting and mesmerising place. You can immerse yourself in the landscape, walk freely without meeting another soul. It refreshes and revives body and soul and those who visit experience a level of peace and tranquillity that would be hard to find anywhere else.

From Corrour, my route took me down to Loch Ossian where a rough track leading to Rannoch Station skirts the western flank of Carn Dearg. As I gained height, the enormous scale of Rannoch Moor came sharply into focus. From my elevated viewpoint, I surveyed a plain of brown grass and heather, liberally sprinkled with lichen and moss-encrusted boulders.

Small lochans dot a landscape Grey day (clockwise from where rivers and streams run riot. right): a gloomy Loch Ossian; Corrour Station The moor, which covers 50 youth hostel and cafe; square miles, is framed by a series looking east over Loch Ossian of mountain ranges that funnel it west towards Glen Coe, east to Loch Rannoch and south to the Black Mount. During the Ice Age, the area was covered by an extensive ice cap, with glaciers radiating out across the west central Highlands.

After the ice melted, water remained, with the gentle slope, slow drainage and high rainfall combining to carpet the underlying granite with blanket bog.

Until Roman times it was partially wooded but today the moor is virtually treeless, save for small copses on loch islands and the famous Rannoch Rowan, which clings precariously to a boulder by the A82. This lack of natural shelter, combined with a dearth of settlements, does not encourage visitors to stray far from the beaten track. To do so would invite only isolation and exposure. This is good news for wildlife. Foxes, hares, otters and stoats all inhabit the moor while the abundant bird life includes golden eagle, red grouse, golden plover and greenshank.

Red deer are prolific and in recent years concerted efforts have been made to reduce numbers. On Corrour

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“ ”

Estate there were around 12.5 deer per square kilometre in 2007. The aim is to reduce this to 7.5 deer per square kilometre for the health of the herd but also to cut overgrazing and encourage regeneration of natural vegetation.

High deer numbers combined with the vast emptiness of the landscape and the absence of livestock has prompted some to suggest that Rannoch Moor would be the perfect location for the reintroduction of the wolf – a creature hunted to extinction in Scotland in the 18th century.

A leading advocate of this idea is nature writer Jim Crumley. “There must be more to conservation than cultivating only that which we are comfortable with,” he said. “There are an awful lot of parts of the country where money is being spent subsidising sheep that nobody really wants.

We just need to set aside an area of land.

“I was in Alaska a few years ago, and there they have ‘howlers’ who go out and howl, and the wolves respond to them. I think people would love to come and hear that in Rannoch.”

Crumley believes wolves would offer a more natural alternative for reducing deer numbers but not everyone is convinced that they should make a comeback, here or elsewhere in Scotland. While sea eagles have been returned

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PORTRAIT • RANNOCH MOOR

to these shores and there is a trial reintroduction of beavers in Argyll, such is the perception of wolves that, for many, they would represent a step too far even in a place as wild as Rannoch Moor.

MOVING UP THE LINE My track leads me to Rannoch Station and refreshment at a cosy little tearoom on the platform. After a reviving cuppa, I pop into the adjacent Rannoch Moor Visitor Centre. Display boards outline the history, geology and wildlife of the moor and there is a fascinating section on the construction of the railway. So spongy was the terrain that inventive Victorian engineers were forced to lay down a mat of wood, effectively floating the line across the bog.

A couple of minutes’ walk from the station is one of Scotland’s most remote hotels, the Moor of Rannoch. It is run by husband and wife team Rob and Liz Conway, who fell in love with the place after visiting. “I used to come up to this hotel several times a year to enjoy the atmosphere and the walking and liked it so much we eventually bought the hotel,” says Rob. “You’ve heard the phrase ‘the middle of nowhere’ – well here that really means something.”

Echoing such thoughts, in his book Iron Road to the Isles, author Michael Pearson writes of Rannoch Station: “There’s no signal for your mobile phone, you cannot be got at, an invigorating feeling of optimism and potential manifests itself in your mind. However long you are here for, it is not time to be killed but time to be treasured.”

A little way to the south, the railway surveyors crossed the River Gaur by boat before continuing on their journey. Exhausted and with darkness falling and temperatures plummeting, they soon ran into difficulties.

One man collapsed and, with another worn out, those who could still walk headed south to find help. With no shelter and only a bed of soggy grass, the stricken men spent several long, freezing hours on the moor lapsing in and out of consciousness.

At midnight, two shepherds from Gorton, alerted by one of the surveyors, eventually stumbled upon them.

After administering a reviving dose of whisky, they guided the men to a bothy where they took refuge.

Miraculously all seven survived their ordeal. The very next day, however, a fierce snowstorm swept the area. “Had the snowstorm come 24 hours earlier and hit the party on the moor, there is little doubt that grim death would have demanded toll of perhaps more than one of the band,” Harrison concluded.

It was a sobering thought and one I reflected upon as I pitched my tent by Loch Laidon. I realised that to continue along their route to Gorton would be folly. With no trail to follow, I reluctantly decided to leave the southern portion of the moor unexplored and instead take the track to Kings House – the historic old coaching inn near the head of Glen Coe that has provided shelter for many a weary traveller on the moor. g

Water, water everywhere: one of the countless peaty pools found on the moor

ESSENTIALS Exploring the moor

Take the train

Fish for brown trout

By car

Savour the remarkable landscape through the carriage window (www.scotrail.co.uk). Better still, alight at Corrour and walk to Rannoch Station via Loch Ossian. Another good option is to climb Leum Uilleim (see page 38) from Corrour Station for exceptional views over the moor (weather permitting!).

Loch Ba offers free fishing while permits for Loch Laidon can be obtained from the Moor of Rannoch Hotel. www.moorofrannoch.co.uk

Most people get a first taste of Rannoch Moor when driving to or from Glen Coe along the A82 with the road between Bridge of Orchy and Kings House crossing its western edge.

West Highland Way Scotland’s most popular long-distance trek skirts the fringes of the moor on the section between Inveroran and Kings House. www.west-highland-way.co.uk

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Paddle journey Canoe from Glen Coe to Rannoch Station via Loch Ba and Loch Laidon www.fullonadventure.co.uk

Accommodation If wild camping is not your thing, more comfortable – and supremely peaceful – accommodation can be found at the two SYHA hostels at Corrour Station House and Loch Ossian (www.syha.org.uk). Elsewhere, try the Moor of Rannoch Hotel (see above) or the historic Kings House (www.kingy.com).

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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ADVENTURE

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BEYOND THE MUNROS PHOTOGRAPHY:

NEVER MIND THE MUNROS, THERE IS PLENTY OF ADVENTURE TO BE HAD BELOW 3,000 FEET. KIRSTIE SHIRRA CHAMPIONS THE CAUSE OF SOME OF SCOTLAND’S MOST TANTALISING SMALLER PEAKS

O

N BUMPING INTO A GROUP of walkers in Glen Shiel a few years back, I was saddened to hear one of them remark that “now we’ve done all the Munros in this area, we never need to come back”. I’m guessing that when Sir Hugo Munro compiled his list of Scottish mountains over 3,000ft (914m) in 1891, he did not imagine the enthusiasm that subsequently arose for climbing them all. Munrobagging as we now know it has fed that part of human nature which loves to collect. But as a result, some people now climb mountains simply to tick them off a list and never to return. In doing so, they often discover little more about a peak other than how to get up and down it as quickly as possible.

For me, there is much more to a mountain than just reaching the summit – I want to really experience a hill

QUINAG (808M), SUTHERLAND Quinag (pictured left) is possibly my favourite mountain ever, whether above or below the magic 3,000ft. With five tops Quinag (three of them Corbetts – hills between 2,500 and 3,000 feet – Ullapool if you’re counting), stunning scenery, exciting ridges and sea views, it is an epic hill. Not only that, but Quinag is located in one of the wildest parts of Scotland, comprised of the oldest rocks in the country and was once part of North America. What’s not to love?

rather than just ‘conquer’ it. After all, there is much to learn about the character of a mountain, its history and who lived in the area and why they left. And then there is the wildlife, the flora and geology. Fascinating all. I love to climb a mountain many times, by different routes, in different seasons, and get to know it like an old friend. But most of all, I struggle with the idea that many of Scotland’s finest peaks get overlooked purely because they lack a few feet in height.

So, I’ve somehow found myself a champion of some of Scotland’s best smaller mountains – those peaks that don’t quite reach the Munro mark, but which more than make up for it with their location, views, history, or simply their beauty. Here are seven favourite smaller peaks to explore for all those who want more from their mountains than just height.

With its Torridonian sandstone sitting atop 3,000million-year-old Lewisian gneiss, Quinag is owned and protected by the John Muir Trust. It is also part of both the Assynt National Scenic Area and the North West Highlands Geopark. Quinag’s huge Y-shaped form dominates north Assynt, stretching from Loch Assynt at the foot of its southern slopes to the village of Kylesku to the north.

Perched at its foot on the banks of Loch Assynt are the atmospheric ruins of Ardvreck Castle. Built by the Clan MacLeod, it is now said to be inhabited by the ghost of the Marquis of Montrose, a Royalist who fought against Covenanters in the mid-1600s. On seeking sanctuary at Ardvreck, the Marquis was tricked, captured and later executed in Edinburgh.

FURTHER INFO Start

Car park on the A837 (GR NC232273)

Route

Follow the footpath to the north of Lochan Bealach Cornaidh to ascend Sail Garbh then head out along the ridge to Sail Ghorm and back before descending to Bealach Cornaidh and taking in the summit and ridges of Spidean Coinich to return to the start.

Time

5hrs 30

Distance 8 miles/13km Maps

OS Landranger 15, OS Explorer 442

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ADVENTURE • SCOTLAND’S BEST SMALL MOUNTAINS

BEINN AIRIGH CHARR (791M), TORRIDON Ask someone about Poolewe and they may well tell you about the exotic plants that grow at the famed Inverewe Ullapool Gardens. Meanwhile, history Beinn Airigh Charr buffs might tell you that the Gairloch deep waters of Loch Ewe were used to shelter navy convoys during World War II. But what they’re unlikely to tell you about is Beinn Airigh Charr (above).

Rising out of the watery landscape of Letterewe, this little known mountain stands proud behind Poolewe, flanked by Loch Maree on one side and Fionn Loch on the other. The Torridon hills spread out to the south and An Teallach peeks up to the north. This has long been a favourite of mine.

Its other notable features include a walk along the River Ewe – the shortest river in Britain – the ruins of the sheilings that give the mountain its name and crags named after a shepherdess called Martha who fell to her death. Some say she was just tending her flock near the 400m-high crags that now bear her name, while others say she had in fact climbed them. I’d like to believe the latter as Martha’s Peak is still a challenge for rock climbers today.

FURTHER INFO Start

The bridge in Poolewe (GR NG858808)

Route

Follow the River Ewe then the north bank of Loch Maree before ascending to the summit. Return to Loch Maree but then follow the track to Kernsary and return to Poolewe via Loch Kernsary.

Time

8hrs

Distance 15.5 miles/25km Maps

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OS Landranger 19, OS Explorer 433 & 434

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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BEINN RESIPOL (845M), ARDNAMURCHAN It’s the highest peak for miles, yet it’s not a Munro. You can take a ferry to it, but it’s not on Fort William an island. You can see Skye, the Small Isles, Mull and Ben Beinn Resipol Nevis from the top, yet it’s on one of Scotland’s most remote peninsulas. It’s these very contradictions that make Beinn Resipol so special.

Located on the Ardnamurchan peninsula, the mainland’s most westerly point, Beinn Resipol commands one of the finest views of the whole west coast. Surrounded almost entirely by water – with Loch Shiel to the north, Loch Sunart to the south, the Atlantic out west and Loch Linnhe to the east – on a clear day you can see an array of islands and peaks from the summit (see below left).

Traversing from west to east, you pass through the Sunart Oakwoods, an impressive remnant of the ancient temperate oak woodland that once stretched the length of Europe’s Atlantic coast, before climbing to gain the mountain’s prominent rocky summit.

Heading down you follow an old miners’ path into the village of Strontian. Home to lead miners in the 1700s, the village also lent its name to the element strontium, which was discovered there in 1790.

MEALL A'BHUACHAILLE (810M), CAIRNGORMS Sitting opposite the muchvisited Cairngorm plateau, Meall a’Bhuachaille is often overlooked by walkers, but I Inverness love it. Not only does its long Aviemore ridge offer great views and Meall a’Bhuachaille pleasant walking but it is also a hill with tales to tell – of rogues, cattle thieves and more.

Setting off through the Caledonian forest, look out not only for red squirrels and pine martens but also fairies as you pass by Lochan Uaine, the green lochan. It is said to have got its stunning colour when the King of the fairies, Dòmhnall Mòr, and his kin washed their clothes in it.

Once out of the woods you come to Ryvoan bothy, previously home to Grigor of Ryvoan, a man renowned both for his strength and his drinking prowess. The bothy sits in Ryvoan Pass, itself notorious for being part of the Rathad an Merileach, or cateran’s road. Caterans, basically rogues and thieves, used this road to steal cattle from Moray and take them as far west as Lochaber.

Climbing up from the bothy brings you to the broad ridge and several tops of Meall a’Bhuachaille before descending to Loch Morlich (below).

FURTHER INFO FURTHER INFO Start

Resipole Studios (GR NM721641)

Route

West to east traverse starting from Resipole camp site and ending in the village of Strontian.

Time

5hrs 30

Distance 10 miles/16km Maps

OS Landranger 40, OS Explorer 390 & 391

Start

Glenmore Visitor Centre (GR NH978098)

Route

A circular route taking in all the tops along the ridge from east to west after ascending from Ryvoan Bothy and returning via the Badaguish Outdoor Centre.

Time

5hrs 30

Distance 10 miles/16km Maps

www.scotoutdoors.com

OS Landranger 36, OS Explorer 403

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ADVENTURE • SCOTLAND’S BEST SMALL MOUNTAINS LEUM UILLEIM (909M), CENTRAL HIGHLANDS There is a certain irony in the fact that Leum Uilleim (William’s Leap, below) may well have been named after Fort William William Caulfield. Though a Leum Uilleim famous road builder, the only access to his ‘leap’ today is by rail.

Caulfield succeeded General Wade as the military’s chief road builder in 1740. Between them they were responsible for building over 250 miles of roads, linking forts across Scotland to allow troops and artillery to move quickly, quelling any potential Jacobite uprisings. While William may have had a mountain named after him, it is Wade whose name remains synonymous with the roads.

But it is because William’s ‘leap’ is now only accessible by rail that it is so special. Stepping off the famous West Highland line into the 52,000 acres of wilderness that is the Corrour Estate brings a great sense of escape. With no roads to bring more people, the hills are your own for the day, especially with most of your fellow passengers heading for the nearby Munros.

Forming a horseshoe, the ridges and twin tops of Leum Uilleim make a great circular trek with panoramic views over the Nevis range, Rannoch Moor, Glen Coe, Schiehallion and Loch Ossian.

FURTHER INFO Start

Corrour Station (GR NN355664)

Route

A horseshoe route taking in the gentle ridge of Tom an Eoin and the summit of Beinn a’Bhric before ascending Leum Uilleim and returning to the station via its steep north-eastern shoulder.

Time

4hrs

Distance 6.8miles/11km Maps

OS Landranger 41, OS Explorer 385

MEALL AN T-SEALLAIDH (852M), TROSSACHS Like Meall a’Bhuchaille, tales of cattle rustling and rogues abound on Meall an t-Seallaidh (above), for the legendary Rob Meall an t-Seallaidh Roy MacGregor is buried at its Callander foot in Balquhidder. For some a hero, for others an outlaw, Glasgow Rob Roy spent much of his time hiding out in the hills and glens of the Trossachs, his colourful life romanticised in many a story.

In fact, though he had been captured and imprisoned, Rob Roy was pardoned by King George following the publication of Daniel Defoe’s A Highland Rogue – a fictional account of MacGregor’s life.

Leaving behind his much-visited grave, you can soon imagine yourself in Rob Roy’s shoes, trekking through a landscape little changed since he hid here in the 1720s.

The woods of Kirkton Glen give way to open, pathless hillside and plenty of suitable hiding places.

Taking care not to lose your way, you too can gain the rewards that Meall an t-Seallaidh has to offer. While for MacGregor this might have meant rustled cattle, for you it is the fantastic views over the Trossachs, the peak's name meaning, appropriately enough, ‘mountain of the view’.

FURTHER INFO Start

Balquhidder graveyard (GR NN536209)

Route

A long circular route starting in Kirkton Glen, descending via Glen Kendrum and returning to the start along the dismantled railway.

Time

6hrs

Distance 12.4 miles/20km Maps

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OS Landranger 51, OS Explorer 365

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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34-40_B_MOUNTAINS_SPRING11_Jura 28/02/2011 13:07 Page 40

GLAMAIG (775M), ISLE OF SKYE Glamaig (above), the most distinctive of Skye’s Red Cuillin, is a perfect example of why smallPortree er hills should not be considered easy or boring. While shorter and more rounded than Glamaig its neighbours in the Black Cuillin, Glamaig’s almost entirely scree slopes and fine ridges make for an exciting day out. Even more so if you’re brave enough to run the scree slopes, as many do during the annual Glamaig hill race.

The race, which has taken place since 1987, was inspired by a Gurka who visited Skye in 1899 as part of a climbing party. During his stay, Harkabir Thapa ran up and down Sgurr Mhairi – Glamaig’s highest peak – from the Sligachan bar in 75 minutes. The local landowner at the time, McLeod of McLeod, couldn’t believe it, so Thapa did it again, this time in 55 minutes and apparently in bare

feet. The current record set by Mark Rigby in 1997 stands at 44 minutes and 41 seconds. He definitely wore shoes.

With absolutely no intention of ever taking on the death-defying run, I love Glamaig for its stunning views across Glen Sligachan to the Cuillin ridge and for a somewhat more sedate descent to the pub at its foot.

FURTHER INFO Start

The old bridge by the Sligachan Hotel (GR NG487298)

Route

Ascend the long Druim na Ruaige ridge then the two peaks Beinn Dearg Mheadhonach and Beinn Dearg Mhor before a final ascent of Sgurr Mhairi from the Bealach na Sgairde. Return to the bealach and descend via Coire Sgairde.

Time

5hrs 30

Distance 8 miles/13km Maps

OS Landranger 32, OS Explorer 411

FURTHER INFO Kirstie Shirra is author of Scotland’s Best Small Mountains, published by Cicerone. Scotland Outdoors readers can buy a copy of the book for just £10.00 (including free p&p). Buy online from www.cicerone.co.uk and simply add the voucher code SBSMNT on the shopping basket page.

WaterAid Corbett Challenge 2011 For those keen to explore some of Scotland’s smaller peaks,

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why not sign up for this year’s WaterAid Corbett Challenge?

This UK-wide event hopes to raise £300,000 for the charity’s work to provide safe water and sanitation in some of the world’s poorest countries. The event aims to put a team of walkers on the summit of every one of the UK’s 312 Corbetts on 11 June. This includes all 221 of the Scottish Corbetts. For more information, see page five or visit www.wateraidcorbettchallenge.org

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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PHOTOGRAPHY: CLEARWATER PADDLING; PAUL KIRKWOOD; LORNE GILL/SNH

Explore Outer Hebrides A chain of some 200 islands that stretches along the edge of northwest Europe, the Outer Hebrides (or Western Isles) are one of Scotland’s most bewitching destinations. First-time visitors are invariably enchanted by the sense of space, calm and a rugged beauty shaped by the elements.

On western coasts, the constant battering from the open Atlantic and a seemingly ever-present wind have combined to create mile upon mile of the islands’ trademark white sand beaches. Many are backed by machair – the distinctive flower-rich grassland that grows on soils enriched by low-intensity farming and windblown shell sand.

The result is a coastal landscape that is not just easy on the eye, but also an important habitat for a host of wildlife, particularly wading birds. Sit quietly in the dunes and do not be surprised if your eye catches the unmistakable shape of an otter foraging along the shoreline.

Dream destination But that’s not to say that one island is very (clockwise from top): much like the other. From colourful Barra in paddling heaven; island the south – many people’s favourite island of signage; classic Hebridean machair; Loch Drudibeg, all – to the watery world of the Uists and the North Uist peatlands of Lewis, each has a distinct character. As such, the best Outer Heb experience is one that involves travelling the length of the chain, meandering at leisure through scattered crofting settlements, ideally detouring as often as possible to climb a hill, or to enjoy yet another gorgeous beach.

And as our writer discovers in the opening feature in this section, it is a journey – in his case by bike – that takes the visitor through the heartland of Gaelic culture; a place where Sundays are for rest, particularly further north in Harris and Lewis.

Happily, this once ludicrously expensive place to reach – particularly if bringing a car – has now been made much more accessible thanks to the introduction of a Road Equivalent Tariff that has slashed the cost of ferry travel from Skye and the mainland. With the warmer months approaching, now could be the time to plan your trip. g

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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EXPLORE • OUTER HEBRIDES

Two wheels good PHOTOGRAPHY: PAUL KIRKWOOD; PAUL TOMKINS, VISITSCOTLAND/SCOTTISH VIEWPOINT

PAUL KIRKWOOD FINALLY REALISES HIS DREAM OF CYCLING THE LENGTH OF THE OUTER HEBRIDES – A PERFECT WAY TO GET UNDER THE SKIN OF THIS REMARKABLE CHAIN OF ISLANDS

I

blame it all on Ewan MacGregor. One autumn I spent my Sunday evenings watching him travel by motorbike from Scotland to South Africa. He was embarking on his dream journey, so why didn’t I? I’d wanted to cycle the length of the Outer Hebrides for 20 years or more and now, in the spirit of carpe diem, was the time. Ewan’s Long Way Down inspired my relatively short way up.

My journey begins with the collection of a hire bike in Castlebay and cycling around Barra – an island at the southern end of the chain and the first port of call for many visitors who travel to the Outer Hebrides. It’s not a taxing prospect since there’s just the one 12-mile circular road around the island.

My first stop is at Halaman Bay, home to the finest beach on an island that is full of them.

Laying my bike on the ground I head off through the dunes to find the beach. It’s easier than I think finding my way back; I just follow the only set of footprints passing between the dunes.

Around the corner I come across a football pitch where fishing nets hang over the goalposts and a green and white football and a pair of trainers lie discarded in one of the penalty areas. I can’t resist a quick kick-

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around. Later, I have a look around a similarly deserted spot – the ruins of Balnabodach, a small township overlooking Loch Obe on the east side of Barra.

Back at Castlebay, I take the boat for the short hop over to Kisimul Castle. For generations the stronghold of the ruling Clan Macneil, the castle is idyllically situated in the centre of the bay on its own island. I’m part of the last group out of the castle. “Hadn’t you better lock up?” I ask its warden, seeing that she had left the huge iron gate at the top of the jetty open. “Oh no,” she says. “We don’t need to do that here. I can keep an eye from my house and soon get over if there’s an invasion.”

HEADING NORTH Picking up my second hire bike at the Eriskay ferry slipway is like a blind date. I’m nervous with anticipation. If it isn’t there I’m stuffed – but thankfully, after all the emails and panicky phone calls, it is. The boyfriend of the daughter of Tommy, the bike hire man, is waiting with it beside his van.

The spine road that I will be pedalling along Sitting pretty: Castlebay, Barra (below); the road from Leverburgh, Harris (right)

runs all the way up the Uists and reminds me of those roads you get in the Australian outback: long and straight other than little wiggles on either side, which in this case are passing places rather than the effects of a mirage. You just hear the odd car approaching from behind and then the receding hum of its engine as it disappears towards the horizon.

I so envy the southbound cyclists. It’s a good day for drying the washing, but not for cycling north against the prevailing wind which should’ve been blowing from the other direction (cyclists are often advised that pedalling south to north is more forgiving).

I’ve never been much concerned about wind speeds on holidays, let alone wind direction, but it’s probably safe to say that only sailors scrutinise the forecasts more than Hebridean cyclists. The washing is agitated and horizontal but at least it stays on the line.

There’s not much of a market for tumble dryers on these islands.

I take a minor detour off the spine road for variety and to get closer to the coast. The only way I can get to see the Atlantic Ocean, though, is to clamber over sea defences formed of rocks. The beach is the sort of place that’s described in my guidebook as having an “elemental beauty” but not

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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EXPLORE • OUTER HEBRIDES

somewhere that you would want to come with the kids and their buckets and spades.

Lunch is around the corner sitting in the window of a derelict blackhouse in Howmore, South Uist – a place that has the slightly unnerving atmosphere of a deserted Wild West town. I half-expect tumbleweed to blow by. What remains of the blackhouse’s thatch is held down by large stones on strings.

Inside is a dresser, its doors swung open, a toilet cistern and a dilapidated range with saucepan, frying pan and kettle still in place.

It can be a surprise to first-time visitors just how much Gaelic predominates in the Outer Hebrides, but the islands are very much a stronghold for the language. It is easy on the ear, but notoriously difficult to learn and even harder to read for non-speakers. Take the Gaelic for Flora Macdonald, for instance.

(Flora helped Bonnie Prince Charlie escape from Benbecula and her birthplace lies just off the main road near Howmore). It’s Fionnghal nighean Raonuill ‘ic Aonghais Oig an Airigh Mhuillin or Flora, daughter of Ranald, son of Young Angus of Milton. She signed herself as Flory – and with good reason.

And so to Benbecula, which serves as a stepping stone between South and North Uist.

It’s a stirring name for an island that is not a proper island any more, being connected to the Uists by causeways. Keen to reach North Uist, I get my head down and pedal across Benbecula’s interior, each side of the road fringed with countless lochans. This is a place that is more water than land.

It is not until early evening that I finally push my bike through the gate of the Bonnieview Guest House in Carinish, a typically scattered settlement on the North Uist side of the causeway. It’s a bonnie view indeed from a working croft that had a brush with fame when it supplied home-reared turkeys for Monty Hall’s Great Hebridean Adventure which aired on the BBC last year.

It has been a long, hard day, but no longer nor harder than anticipated and, most importantly, I’m in a good location to pedal the rest of the way through North Uist and make the ferry from Berneray the following

day. I have broken the back of the spine road.

My pedal kept coming loose in the afternoon so, after dinner, I ring Tommy, the bike hire man. He is in Inverness but manages to mobilise one of his contacts to come and sort me out. I was more than happy to interrupt my scampi and chips at the nearby hotel to have my crank shaft tightened. I’m not convinced that his spanner has completely done the trick but my worries didn’t stop me from sleeping very soundly.

EARLY START Terrified of missing my ferry from Berneray to Harris, I set off early the next morning. But in the rush, I take a wrong turn trying to get back to the main road and find myself going up a dead end with a radar station at the top.

Despite it being such a minor lane I come across a man in a camper van fussing around with the back seat. You get lots of lone men in camper vans in the Outer Hebrides.

“A MORE FAIRYTALE-LIKE TOWER IS HARD TO IMAGINE”

46

Goodness knows why, but all that matters to me is that he points me in the right direction.

I thank him and go on my way.

My spirits are raised by the gorgeous little Scolpaig Tower in a lochan below me. I approach the folly by stepping stones through water lilies then pass through the remains of an outer wall, walk up a mound and through the door. A more fairytale-like tower is hard to imagine.

While having lunch I meet a man from Huddersfield with his poodle; he tells me that he’s been coming to the Outer Hebrides for the last 35 years. “On your own?” I want to ask but don’t. Later, in the waiting room at the Berneray ferry terminal, I meet a man from Sunderland who has just visited the Monachs and the Shiants which sound like pop groups but are some of the smaller

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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island groups known only to serious islandbaggers. He’s camping on the nearby three-mile-long white sand beach considered to be one of the finest in the whole archipelago.

Alone, of course.

I visit the beach, approaching it across the colourful machair while an incredible profusion of birds chirp and swoop above me. The sands are the sort of place to come to for long, bracing walks for those in need of inspiration or contemplation. Perhaps that’s what all these middle-aged men are after.

Once on Harris, the ferry having successfully negotiated the rocky waters of the Sound of Harris, I stay an extra night at Am Bothan, a welcoming bunkhouse in Leverburgh, to cycle the Golden Road which connects a succession of bayside hamlets. The name references the expense of building it in 1897, although the route along the southeast coast of Harris might be better named the grey road for it passes through the kind of complex rocky landscape more often found on high mountain tops than at sea level. It is perhaps not surprising to learn that tinted shots of the region were used to mimic the surface of Jupiter in the film ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. It’s outer space in the Outer Hebrides.

Wiggling up and down and from side to side like a Scalextric track, the Golden Road is great fun to cycle along, with the downs just high enough to propel me over the ups. Amenities are practically non-existent – that’s if you exclude art galleries (there are three), a boat builder and several telephone boxes, their red standing out in the eternal grey.

Later, I have lunch sheltering from the rain in a bus shelter on the main road along with

Slice of life (clockwise from top): approaching the causeway from North Uist to Berneray; the statue of Our Lady of the Isles, North Uist; local resident; wash day, South Uist; derelict blackhouse, Howmore

five other damp cyclists. “Care if I join you?” I ask before taking up the one remaining seat.

I arrive moments before another couple. Any later and it would’ve been the phone box.

Even though it’s getting ever gloomier the sands that stretch across the nearby bay seem to glow beside and beneath the sort of clear, aquamarine sea that I thought could only be found in the Caribbean. But it is typical of an island where each beach appears even more stunning than the last. Above one of them I watch as sheep are loaded onto a boat for the crossing to Taransay before I have to dive for shelter in another phone box as the rain gets heavier.

LEWIS THE EASY WAY The next morning I am due to cycle north to Lewis, but wimp out and catch a bus with my bike instead. It was a good move. Clisham – part of the high ground which separates Harris from Lewis – isn’t actually the great peak I’d feared but cycling up its flanks and across the rocky plateau on the other side would’ve been a dreary, dispiriting slog.

I experience Lewis at close hand when I get off the bus and pedal towards Carloway

www.scotoutdoors.com

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EXPLORE • OUTER HEBRIDES

Essentials

TOP TIPS It’s best to cycle from south to north to have the prevailing wind behind you (that’s the theory anyway). If this is the case, then the going is pretty easy. Even though I was unlucky with the wind I didn’t find cycling into it a big problem and still managed to make good progress. At least there are few hills so they won’t slow you down any further. The driest months are May and June.

Be conservative when deciding how many miles to cover per day because of the unpredictability of the weather and especially if you have a ferry to catch. The shortest distance from Castlebay to Stornoway is 125 miles. I took eight days for the full journey (including travel time from home) but this included plenty of diversions, sightseeing and a rest day. If you are fit, a more streamlined trip could be made in four or five days.

If you’re flagging or need to make up for lost time then stick the bike on the bus. Most services take them.

Stay in a mixture of B&Bs, hotels and bunkhouses, or even camp if you don’t mind carrying extra gear. B&Bs add a touch of luxury after a long ride, while bunkhouses are great for company if travelling alone as many do. Just be sure to book your accommodation in advance. I met several cyclists who’d had to keep going at the end of a long day when they couldn’t find a B&B with vacancies.

Remember that many shops and other businesses (particularly in Harris and Lewis) close on Sundays so stock up on provisions in advance.

on the west coast of the island. For the first time on the trip, I can barely see any houses and those that are in sight are particularly lonely even by Hebridean standards. Vast tracts of featureless peat bog stretch towards misty mountains in the far distance.

Given that there are relatively few tourist attractions in the Outer Hebrides it seems unfair that the Carloway area has three of the main ones all close by: the Calanais standing stones, erected in 2000 BC; Dun Carloway, an Iron Age broch; and my favourite, Gearrannan, one of the last of the traditional blackhouse villages to be inhabited in the islands.

Although the last occupants left in the 1970s and the village fell derelict, the houses and surrounding croft land have since been restored and now offer visitors the chance to stay within the settlement, albeit with considerably better facilities.

My final morning involves 14 miles of glorious monotony. Glorious in that, for the first time on this trip, the wind is behind me.

I’m sailing and, boy, does it feel good. And monotony in that I’m traversing one of Lewis’s

48

Rough ride (clockwise from top): Clisham, North Harris; Calanais standing stones; speeding across Lewis from Carloway; the restored village at Gearrannan

signature tracts of peat bog.

Approaching Stornoway I come across a cyclist I had met the previous day when getting off the bus. There’s an instant empathy of ‘we’re all in this together’ even though we don’t have to be. I direct him to the road across the peat bog, adding that the wind will be in his face and unable to stop the smirk on mine.

A couple of miles later I reach the underwhelming journey’s end: a haulage company on an industrial estate in Stornoway.

I feel like I should get a certificate, a stamp or something but all that greets me is a bored looking clerk who checks in the bike for its return to Tommy. I plod down the road to catch a bus to the airport, yoked by my panniers.

I sort them out at the airport departures lounge like a tramp going through his carrier bags on a park bench. I’ve loved my life on the open road. g

And if you think that cycling the length of the islands is too much, then just stick to Barra. It offers a perfect – and gentle – introduction to the Outer Hebrides.

CYCLE HIRE Rothan Cycles (www.rothan.com) operates oneway cycle hire from Eriskay to Stornoway (and points in between). Barra Cycle Hire (t. 01871 810284) can provide a bike for the first island on the journey.

GETTING THERE Flights from Glasgow to Barra and back from Stornoway (www.flybe.com). Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk) operates ferry services from Oban to Castlebay (Barra) and Ullapool to Stornoway (Lewis). Once there, you just need two further ferries (again operated by CalMac): from Barra to Eriskay and from Berneray to Harris.

With thanks to VisitScotland ww.visitscotland.com

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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50-52_D_ROUNDUP_SPRING11_Layout 2 copy 1 28/02/2011 13:09 Page 50

EXPLORE • OUTER HEBRIDES

Road less travelled BLESSED WITH A MAGICAL COMBINATION OF RICH CULTURAL HISTORY AND ASTONISHING NATURAL BEAUTY, THE OUTER HEBRIDES ARE A PLACE TO EXPLORE AT LEISURE – WITH PLENTY OF OPTIONS FOR GETTING TO KNOW EACH ISLAND PHOTOGRAPHY: CLEARWATER PADDLING; GATLIFF HEBRIDEAN HOSTELS TRUST; SURFLEWIS; SEATREK; NORTHWEST FRONTIERS; PAUL TOMKINS, VISITSCOTLAND/SCOTTISH VIEWPOINT

Paddle clear blue seas

Stay at a Gatliff hostel

FOR MANY, sea kayaking is one of life’s great pleasures, allowing access to areas of coastline that often remain hidden and unexplored from on land. But throw in aquamarine seas, dramatic wildlife, tempting coves and glorious beaches and it becomes an even more special experience. And that’s exactly what’s on offer on the island of Barra.

Paddle here and you stand every chance of sharing your day with otters, seals, seabirds and basking sharks. Blaze your own trail or join local guiding company Clearwater Paddling on a range of trips suitable for everyone from complete beginners to seasoned paddlers.

Choose from day paddles and wild camping tours to longer journeys through the islands – all fuelled by the kind of fantastic, locallyproduced food that would put many restaurants to shame.

SCOTLAND HAS its fair share of cosy, quirky hostels in gorgeous locations, but few have the specifically local character of those run by the Gatliff Hebridean Hostels Trust. The Trust – established by Herbert Gatliff in 1961 – works with local people to operate a small network of crofters’ hostels that between them provide an authentic taste of Hebridean life.

Although they could never be described as plush, the four hostels at Garenin (Lewis), Rhenigidale (Harris), Berneray and Howmore (South Uist) are a delight to stay in. Each has its own appeal: Howmore sits close to an

impressive stretch of machair-fringed beach; Berneray (below) has a wonderful sea-front location; Rhenigidale was, until 1990, only accessible via an arduous walk in over the hills; and Garenin was the first blackhouse to be renovated in an old, deserted crofting settlement.

FURTHER INFO Advance bookings are not accepted, but you would be extremely unlucky not to find a bed for the night when turning up at any one of the Gatliff hostels. www.gatliff.org.uk

FURTHER INFO New for 2011 is a trip that incorporates kayaking and walking around Barra with biking and walking on neighbouring islands, plus a boat trip to Mingulay (a now uninhabited island south of Barra). www.clearwaterpaddling.com

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Surf Lewis-style GIVEN THE less than benign weather and chilly waters, surfing is possibly not the first activity that springs to mind when in the Outer Hebrides. But don’t be put off: between them, Lewis and Harris have some of the best and most consistent surfing conditions in Europe.

Lewis in particular receives swells from almost every direction and the sheer variety of beaches, reefs and headlands ensures that there are plenty of locations for safe, structured lessons.

Surf Lewis offers beginner and intermediate lessons throughout Lewis and Harris, with all equipment (wetsuit, boards, leash and boots) supplied. There is no better way of experiencing some of the most glorious beaches this side of the Caribbean.

FURTHER INFO In addition to lessons, Surf Lewis also offers equipment hire for more experienced surfers who are happy to head out on their own. www.surflewis.co.uk

Explore outlying islands TO SOME, the Outer Hebrides are considered far away geographically, but for others they act merely as stepping stones for accessing some of the outlying island groups that take remoteness to another level altogether.

The Monachs, Shiants, the Flannan Isles, St Kilda and – even further afield – North Rona and Sula Sgeir are places that attract the serious island enthusiast. Each is special in its own way, be it in terms of wildlife, cultural history, the sheer grandeur of the landscape, or all three.

And while none is particularly easy to reach, with good planning and a kind weather window, all provide an experience that will

Hebridean high spots live long in the memory.

One operator that specialises in accessing such remote islands is SeaTrek, based in beautiful Uig on the west coast of Lewis.

From April to September, the company operates regular day cruises to St Kilda, plus daily two-hour family trips on purpose-built Rigid Inflatable Boats – perfect for accessing the many beaches, sea caves and lagoons that dot the coast around Loch Roag.

FURTHER INFO www.seatrek.co.uk ALTHOUGH THE Outer Hebrides are best known for sweeping beaches and colourful croftland, the islands also have a rugged side with the hills that separate Harris from Lewis, in particular, providing as tough a challenge as anywhere on the mainland.

But climb any of the island hills and you don’t have to gain much height before you get a tremendous sense of space as the open Atlantic spreads out to the west. Northwest Frontiers’ Hebridean Hills walking adventure samples hills on Lewis, Harris – including Clisham, at 799m the highest in the chain – and the Uists, providing a real feel for the contrasts between each island. Walks usually finish on a typically gorgeous Outer Hebridean beach.

FURTHER INFO For those who can’t make up their mind which island to explore, Northwest Frontiers also offers a six-night Hebridean Adventure tour that includes some of the best hill, coast and beach walks in Lewis, Harris, the Uists, Berneray and Eriskay. www.nwfrontiers.com

www.scotoutdoors.com

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EXPLORE • OUTER HEBRIDES

Go beachcombing PROBABLY ONE of the greatest pleasures of visiting the Outer Hebrides is the simplest of all: the chance to slow down and wander aimlessly along some of the most wild and pristine beaches imaginable. And it’s not just the beaches themselves that are spectacular, but also their setting – with many of them fringed by flower-rich machair and overlooked by glowering mountains.

There are so many beaches to choose from, but the stretches of sand at Eoligarry and Cockle Strand in Barra (also a landing strip for the airport), Howmore (South Uist), Balranald RSPB reserve (North Uist), Luskentyre (Harris) and around Uig on the west coast of Lewis are particularly impressive.

FURTHER INFO www.visithebrides.com

Step back in time The west coast of Lewis is rich in prehistoric remains with the most famous of all being the enigmatic Standing Stones of Callanish (or Calanais in Gaelic). Dating back some 4,000 years, their exact purpose unknown, the stones have a power to them that is only enhanced by the surrounding landscape.

The main stone circle complex at Callanish contains around 50 stones, set in the shape of a cross. An inner circle – with some of the stones 4m high in places – contains a small chambered cairn. Much more can be discovered about the stones at the nearby visitor centre. And those with a taste for prehistory should also include the nearby Iron Age broch at Dun Carloway on their travels.

FURTHER INFO www.callanishvisitorcentre.co.uk

ESSENTIALS GETTING THERE Most people arrive by ferry, with prices now much more appealing following the introduction of the Road Equivalent Tariff. Ferries are operated yearround by Caledonian MacBrayne (www.calmac.co.uk) with the main routes being from Oban to Barra, Ullapool to Stornoway (Lewis) and Uig (Skye) to Tarbert (Harris). CalMac also operates the inter-island ferries.

Also try the rather boutique Hotel Hebrides (www.hotel-hebrides.com) in Tarbert, Harris.

For a very special self-catering experience there is always Blue Reef Cottages (www.stay-hebrides.com) just up the road at Scarista, while, in Lewis, Hebridean Luxury Holidays (www.hebrideanluxuryholidays.co.uk) offers a nice range of fancy cottages and lodges.

DATES FOR THE DIARY HEBRIDEAN CHALLENGE, 30 MAY–3 JUNE

OUTDOOR EXPERIENCES Another option is to fly, with one route from Glasgow to Barra, operated by Loganair, landing at Cockle Strand – a vast expanse of cockle shell beach that serves as the runway at low tide. www.tinyurl.com/4k92rbr

Canoe Club (www.stornowaycanoes.org.uk) offers a warm welcome to visiting paddlers. For the experienced, the club’s Murty Campbell (murty.campbell@btopenworld.com) runs guided kayaking trips to St Kilda, the Monach Isles and other such tantalising places.

As you might expect, there is no shortage of boat operators available to help visitors experience the beauty of the coastline in these parts. Options include Sea Harris (www.seaharris.co.uk), Island Cruising (www.island-cruising.com) and Kilda Cruises (www.kildacruises.co.uk).

Now reworked as the HeB2B, the ‘Heb’ returns for 2011 to stake its claim as the ultimate mountain sport race in the UK. This year’s event will return to the classic week-long, multi-sport stage race, journeying some 200 miles along the length of the islands from Barra to the Butt of Lewis. www.nav4.co.uk

ACCOMMODATION The islands offer a range of options from fancy hotels and guest houses to the most basic wild camping. In addition to the Gatliff Hostels, we love the Am Bothan bunkhouse (www.ambothan.com) close to the ferry terminal at Leverburgh, Harris.

At the plusher end, there is the Isle of Barra Hotel (www.isleofbarrahotel.co.uk) which overlooks one of the island’s typically gorgeous beaches.

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Meanwhile, the Uist Outdoor Centre offers kayaking, wildlife watching and offshore island trips (www.uistoutdoorcentre.co.uk), while Scaladale (www.scaladale.co.uk) is a newly-built residential centre in North Harris that provides a range of activities.

When in the north of the islands, the Stornoway

HEBRIDEAN CELTIC FESTIVAL, LEWIS, 13–16 JULY The island’s flagship event, the festival is a joyous celebration of Celtic music in all its forms. One of the best music festivals in Scotland. www.hebceltfest.com For more info, see www.visithebrides.com; www.visit-the-hebrides.co.uk

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THE info@visit-the-hebrides.co.uk

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EXPERIENCE • CRUISING THE CLYDE

SHIP SHAPE

PHOTOGRAPHY: IDA MASPERO; ST HILDA SEA ADVENTURES; MICHAEL MARSHALL

SETTING OFF FROM THE FIRTH OF CLYDE, A GATEWAY FOR EXPLORING THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES OF THE ARGYLL COAST, IDA MASPERO AND FAMILY ENJOY A RELAXING – AND EDUCATIONAL – CRUISE ON THE ELEGANT ST HILDA

A

WIND-STILL, BLUE-SKIED (but somewhat nippy) late-summer’s afternoon finds us scooting up the kyle – or narrow channel – between the mainland and the Isle of Bute aboard a tiny inflatable dinghy. Wedged side by side and clad in buoyancy aids, we’re heading for a cluster of rocky islets where common seals are basking. The tide is low and around us the shallow water is crystal clear. As we approach, taking photos, one or two adult seals lift their heads, glancing quizzically at us, and my one-year-old son squeals with delight.

Just a couple of hundred yards away the St Hilda, an elegant Scottish-built ketch and our home for two days, lies anchored in the lee of the mainland by a little inlet where otters are often spotted in the early mornings. Though none put in an appearance this time, our bright and early fishing efforts with rods and hand-lines were well rewarded: there will be fresh mackerel on the menu tonight.

But first, the rest of the sunny afternoon is ours to enjoy. In the inflatable dinghy, we continue beyond the Burnt Isles to seek out the Maids of Bute, two curious, brightly-painted standing stones perched on the northwest tip of Bute. We nudge our way into An Cala, a small natural harbour sheltered by a wooded islet and overlooked by stone-built private jetties. Tranquil An Cala, a popular lunchtime anchorage for cruising yachts, lies at the entrance to Loch Riddon, a quiet sea loch with little human habitation on its shores. Along with neighbouring Loch Striven, it is another favourite overnight anchorage for St Hilda, where those on board can marvel at the isolation and beauty of south Argyll’s hilly shores.

MICRO SAFARI But this evening, we will remain anchored within the sheltered waters of the Kyles. After our dinghy excursion, and while the others take time out to sun themselves on St Hilda’s deck, I set off with owner and skipper Michael on a hunt for wildlife of a microscopic kind – plankton, the building blocks of the marine food chain. We hop aboard the inflatable dinghy with Michael’s specially-designed plankton-collecting kit: a fine, funnel-shaped net attached to a long line. As we putter along, towing the net at a steady speed, I have a chance to get to know our personable host a little better.

www.scotoutdoors.com

Knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all things marine and nautical, Michael seems to have had several previous lives, returning time and again to his first love, the sea. He started off as a young merchant seaman with a large shipping company, then studied medicine and worked as a scientist, before later specialising in marine research where his interest in plankton developed.

After a stint in publishing he bought St Hilda seven years ago and set about carefully renovating her, taking care to keep her original features. Down below in the engine room, the beautifully maintained original Kelvin engine, a beast of a thing compared to the inboards of modern cruising yachts, is Michael’s pride and joy. A traditional 54-foot wooden ketch, the St Hilda was built in 1973 in the St Monans boatyard in Fife as a cadet training vessel for a nautical college. Before setting up his holiday charter business three years ago, Michael had put her to work as a research vessel, hiring her out to Stratchclyde University’s marine renewable energy research team for survey trips around the west coast.

Though Michael has left behind the world of science, he now shares his keen interest in plankton with his guests. After trawling the net for 10 minutes or so, we reel in the line, carefully unscrew the chamber at the tip of the net and empty the reddishbrown sludge into a sample jar. Then, in the early evening, as our freshly-caught mackerel is baking in All aboard (clockwise from opposite top): the St Hilda in full sail; common seals; anchored in Loch Striven; St Hilda's rigging

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EXPERIENCE • CRUISING THE CLYDE

the oven and with sun-downer drinks in hand, we examine the stuff under two light microscopes Michael carries on board. By attaching a special camera to the microscope, the samples are displayed on a laptop screen so that everyone can see.

At 100 times magnification, the brown sludge is transformed into a menagerie of bizarre, alien-looking life-forms. Zoo-plankton – miniature animals – wriggle insanely and appear to bounce from end to end. Some are miniature crustaceans, others more worm- or insectlike. The phytoplankton meanwhile includes algae and the elegant, symmetrical shapes of diatoms – singlecelled organisms that are neither plant nor animal. It’s a glimpse into the microscopic world of the most basic yet crucial marine life.

“

”

Of course, St Hilda’s voyages also offer scope for observing Micro-world (from top): trawling for plankton; wildlife on a much larger scale. checking the catch; life Besides seals and otters in the under the microscope sheltered waters of the Kyles, sea life including basking sharks, dolphins, porpoises, various seabirds and the odd minke whale are all spotted from St Hilda’s decks, especially on longer cruises down to the Isle of Arran.

Sea life of the edible kind makes an appearance too; depending on the effort put in by guests, freshly caught fish and lobster are prepared by Michael’s Swiss wife Colette, who conjures up delicious meals from a small but well-equipped galley. Alas, the lobster pots we had baited and dropped earlier in the day produced nothing, but Colette’s spicy tomato salsa stuffing for the mackerel makes the meal memorable all the same.

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EXPERIENCE • CRUISING THE CLYDE

ANCHORS AWEIGH The couple’s offering blends an old-world nautical charm with warm hospitality, wildlife encounters and educational activities to create a real family-friendly atmosphere.

A break on board is ideal for groups or families with slightly older kids who are eager for a sea-faring adventure straight from the storybooks.

The St Hilda herself certainly looks the real deal. Brass fittings and instruments, plus a cosy wood-panelled saloon deck give the Bermuda-rigged wooden ketch a

wonderfully traditional feel. Life Catch of the day below is comfortable by yacht(clockwise from above): one for the pot; enjoying ing standards – the six-berth the fishing; learning guest cabin in the bow of the the ropes boat is spacious, but the bunks are narrow enough to remind you in the middle of the night that you’re afloat. Negotiating the narrow stairs down and using the head (marine toilet which pumps instead of flushing) are further reminders that this is a working sailboat and not a luxury cruiser.

As it happens, we are not quite the novices for whom a trip on board St Hilda would be an ideal first taste of sailing, but our time on St Hilda was a very different experience to chartering a modern yacht. Taking in the scenery from the deck, having the time to fish, putter around, explore in the tender … it is pure relaxation. Just perfect for when you have a one-year-old in tow.

During the two days we joined St Hilda, conditions did not allow us to set sail – ideally done on a longer cruise – so we steamed our way from base at Holy Loch Marine to the Kyles of Bute and back. However, on longer trips – weather permitting and provided there are enough willing and able-bodied folk on board – St Hilda’s three sails are set, to the delight of guests. Those who wish to can learn the ropes with Michael as tutor, coming to grips with the basics of navigation, sail handling and, of course, taking the wheel.

As home of the UK’s once-great ship-yards and now a submarine base, the Firth of Clyde is steeped in nautical history, and its spectacular landscapes make for dramatic sailing. Dipping a toe into this watery world aboard St Hilda is certainly a very appealing way to explore it. g

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ESSENTIALS St Hilda is available for whole boat charter for two to ten nights, accommodating groups of up to six people. Booking the whole boat means you decide the itinerary. Prices from £1,300 for the whole boat, including crew, training, snacks, meals, wine with dinner and trips ashore (minimum two nights).

Alternatively, join St Hilda on her flexible itinerary. Groups of four or more can choose the date they sail and the number

of nights on board, assuming availability; couples and single travellers are then free to join the cruise. Prices from £90 per person per night all inclusive (minimum two nights).

St Hilda will be participating in the Tall Ships Race in Greenock and the Clyde in July. Limited spaces are still available on this cruise. www.sthildaseaadventures.co.uk

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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WILDLIFE & ECOLOGY • LOCH LOMOND CAPERCAILLIE

OUT ON A LIMB

PHOTOGRAPHY: LAURIE CAMPBELL; LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS NATIONAL PARK; DAVID MITCHELL

THE ISLANDS OF LOCH LOMOND ARE HOME TO SCOTLAND’S MOST UNUSUAL POPULATION OF CAPERCAILLIE. RANGER TEAM LEADER JENNY ROGERS OUTLINES EFFORTS TO JUGGLE THE CONSERVATION NEEDS OF A CRITICALLY ENDANGERED BIRD WITH THE LIFE OF A BUSY NATIONAL PARK

I

T IS A SURPRISE TO MANY that several of the islands in Loch Lomond – Inchlonaig, Inchcruin, Inchmoan, Inchconnachan and Inchtavannach – are home to one of Scotland’s rarest birds, the capercaillie. This huge woodland grouse, some weighing in at as much as 4kg, is more readily associated with the pinewoods of Speyside or parts of Perthshire, but the oak woodland around Loch Lomond and Cowal has long marked the most south-westerly extent of their range.

It may be an unusual place to find capercaillie, but the upland oakwood habitat found on the islands offers just what the birds need, including traditional pinewood flora such as blaeberry and heather that provides food for adult birds and a host of protein-rich insects required by young chicks.

Although a member of the grouse family, capercaillie are most definitely not on the game list – at least not any more. Previously extinct in Scotland due to hunting and habitat destruction, capercaillie were reintroduced from Scandinavia and Bavaria in the 1800s. Initially, they thrived and established populations across the Highlands, but numbers have plummeted across their range in recent decades and it is thought that there are as few as 2,000 birds left in the wild. There is now a genuine danger of extinction in Scotland for the second time.

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The islands of Loch Lomond are part of a wider Special Protection Area for a bird that is also one of the UK’s Biodiversity Action Plan priority species because of its rarity and rate of decline. In 2000, records suggested that there were around 30–40 birds on the islands, although it is thought that there are now only a handful left within Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. As such, their future is far from certain.

CAUSES OF DECLINE Despite its formidable size, the ground-nesting capercaillie is not the most robust of birds. The list of possible causes of their decline in areas such as Loch Lomond – the very edge of their range – is long and varied, with nest disturbance, habitat degradation, poor fledging success due to wetter summers, collisions with deer fencing and predation by a range of animals all taking their toll to varying degrees.

The ranger service is committed to saving Loch Lomond’s population of capercaillie and ensuring that the National Park continues to provide a safe haven for the birds. One of the main challenges is the fact that these shy and elusive birds are so sensitive to disturbance.

People, and particularly dogs, can disrupt leks [breeding display sites] and scare hens, even causing them to

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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abandon their nests, leaving eggs or chicks vulnerable to predators.

Last summer, members of the ranger service spent time talking to around 800 visitors and campers on the islands, highlighting the plight of the birds and spreading awareness of how best to behave when in capercaillie territory.

Juggling this awareness message with the everyday running of the ranger service can be tricky. During the summer our resources are hard-pressed and we have to balance a range of priorities, from boat launching and byelaw

tackle problems such as the cutting down of trees for firewood, littering and other nuisance behaviour. Sadly, while the majority of visitors act responsibly and have a great experience, our patrols indicate that a few are still causing significant damage. Last year, we saw several incidents where large trees had been felled with chainsaws or axes – activities that are illegal, with heavy penalties attached, as well as damaging to the wider habitat. We also had several occasions when campers took loud sound systems to their island parties, disturbing fellow campers and wildlife alike.

“

enforcement to patrolling and conservation work. On a typical Saturday morning, once we have ensured there are no incidents to deal with, our priority is to head out on island patrols while boat traffic is relatively light. Ideally we try and speak to as many people as possible on the four most popular islands in Loch Lomond.

Talking to visitors enables us to provide useful information not only in terms of capercaillie but also helps to

www.scotoutdoors.com

Island race (from left) a hen capercaillie; the birds' home on the islands of Loch Lomond; the much more striking male capercaillie; the islands from Conic Hill

” PREDATOR CONTROL But it’s not just disturbance that threatens the health of Loch Lomond’s capercaillie population. As part of wider efforts to protect the birds, rangers have begun a monitoring and dispatch programme to clear the islands of mink, a voracious non-native predator.

Mink are not normally considered predators of capercaillie, but then the birds don’t normally live on

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WILDLIFE & ECOLOGY • LOCH LOMOND CAPERCAILLIE

islands either. And as mink are happy to eat anything they can catch, we thought it worth investigating their possible impact. Having found evidence that the animals are widely present – we collected footprints on clay pads distributed around the islands – rangers started trapping using live catch cage traps. The traps are checked at least once every 24 hours to minimise the length of time any animal is held captive.

While we aim to catch only the offending animal, sometimes non-target species can find their way into the traps, although they can be quickly released without causing any harm. On one occasion we captured a blue tit that was obviously a little too curious, although it was happy enough to fly off after its brief incarceration.

Separately, we have also piloted the trapping of grey squirrels on the islands. Potential thieves of capercaillie eggs, greys are also a well-known problem for the red squirrels that thrive in many woodlands in the National Park.

The predator control project remains in its infancy, but early signs are encouraging and it is hoped that such efforts

can make a real difference to the survival and success of our native wildlife.

Recent years have also seen the National Park work together with the RSPB, Scottish Natural Heritage, Forestry Commission and Luss Estates to improve the quality of the woodland habitat on the islands. But while invasive plants such as bracken and rhododendron have been controlled, capercaillie numbers have continued to fall at an alarming rate – hence the additional focus on reducing disturbance.

Such disturbance is often entirely accidental and can be avoided if people are better informed prior to visiting the islands. This year, we will continue to press home the message that all visitors to the National Park think about how their recreational activities might impact the birds, especially during the peak period of the breeding season (April to June).

It is not just the National Park rangers that have a crucial role to play in the survival of capercaillie around Loch Lomond – the future of these birds is in everyone’s hands and every little contribution helps. g

Home from home: typical oak woodland found on the islands; preparing a mink trap; a busy slipway on the loch

FURTHER INFO Jenny Rogers is a Ranger Team Leader for Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park. The ranger team has produced a checklist of positive steps that everyone can follow to play their part in the survival of capercaillie within the National Park: • • • • •

Avoid bringing dogs to the islands Keep to the shore line Keep noise to a minimum Bring your own fire wood (or better still, use a camping stove) Take all litter and food waste away with you

For more information on visiting the National Park and the work of the ranger team, www.lochlomond-trossachs.org

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Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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PHOTOGRAPHY:

SKILLS • MOUNTAIN BIKE TOURING

Break free!

Al Gilmour Mountain biking instructor, Glenmore Lodge Cloud drifting off the high tops, views extending for miles, layered in shades of blue, and no one around for miles. Scotland’s landscape was built for mountain bikes. And the options are many. Riding local trails, trail centres and tracks we know like the backs of our hands is great.

You can ride with flow, pick your line and finish with a smile on your face. But – good as they are – there is more to life than the trail centres. For some real adventure, why not step away from the purpose-built trails and explore the wider landscape?

When I was a teenager, my friends and I used to head into the local hills in search of that perfect stretch of single track, or to discover a new valley. We’d take our sandwiches, probably not enough gear and ride our fully rigid bikes into unknown territory. It was magic.

Now, 25 years later, I still head out to discover new trails and routes – sometimes successfully, sometimes less so. Poring over maps on a wet and miserable night, trying to link areas previously visited, or just exploring virgin territory all lead to a very different riding experience.

So, what do we need to start exploring?

First up, we are fortunate in that Scotland has some of the most enlightened access legislation in the world, although it does come with responsibilities (see further details box).

We also need the right kit. No, I don’t mean

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a £4,000 full suspension dream bike (although that would be nice). What I mean is that we should be fully prepared for a day in the hills.

Before heading out, consider the following check list: • you have sufficient clothing to survive should there be a problem (think buckled wheel) • you have a good first aid kit (and know how to use it) • someone knows where you are heading • you have a map and compass and know how to use them (GPS helps but is not sufficient on its own) • you have a tool kit with all the right bits (including spare tube and brake pads) • your bike is well serviced • you know how to fix common mechanical issues From hill tracks in southwest Scotland that tempt riders away from the 7Stanes trails to classic multi-day rides in the Cairngorms (selfsupported trips using trailers are massively rewarding), there are adventures to be had all over the country. The northwest has some great out and back rides to remote beaches, while the northeast has high mountain tops to explore. Head west for deep glens and miles of stunning riding and, if all that isn’t enough, then you can always plot an off-road coast-tocoast route.

There is a huge amount of help available for those looking to plan a route, from online forums to bike shops and guiding companies.

But best of all there is your own enthusiasm to discover places for yourself. Digital mapping really helps as you now have the whole of Scotland at your fingertips to seek out that magical new route.

For inspiration, Cicerone has an excellent selection of mountain bike touring guide books, especially those by Peter D Koch-

Osborne. Look out too for Exploring Scottish Hill Tracks by Ralph Storer and Scotland Mountain Biking: The Wild Trails, by Phil McKane.

And if looking to improve aspects of your riding, there are plenty of courses to help riders learn essential bike maintenance, navigation and the necessary techniques to negotiate the toughest of wild trails. With so much support available, there’s no excuse not to get out there – the only limitation is the time available to explore. So, go on, step away from the trail centres and create your own perfect ride. g

Further details

Al Gilmour is a full-time mountaineering and mountain biking instructor at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland’s National Outdoor Training Centre. Glenmore Lodge offers a variety of mountain biking skills and qualifications courses, ranging from two to five days in length. www.glenmorelodge.org.uk

Don’t forget Check with estates before riding on their land Check the weather – snow can lie year-round in places Tracks and footpaths marked on maps might not be rideable once on the ground Enjoy our access rights responsibly, www.outdooraccess-scotland.com

Scotland Outdoors Spring 2011

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