Autumn/Winter 2011

LIVE, WORK

AND PLAY Our pick of Scotland’s best adventure towns

High jinks on the Hebridean high seas

WILD WINTER EXPEDITIONS Sleeping al fresco in the Cairngorms

STEMMING THE INVASION Calling time on invasive species

PLUS: Walk the Fife Coastal Path • Alastair Humphreys • Win a bespoke kayak safari for two

www.scotoutdoors.com

Autumn/Winter 2011 £3.80

WHERE THE WIND BLOWS

ads_cover ads 01/11/2011 16:12 Page 2

Explore Scotland’s Islands

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To book a trip and for more information visit calmac.co.uk or call 0800 066 5000.

Have a Caledonian MacBraynewave Caledonian MacBrayne and CalMac are trading names of CalMac Ferries Limited

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WELCOME

A word from the editor

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Shetland p22

o it’s goodbye summer... the trees are wearing their autumn finery, the clocks have changed, the watersports gear is stowed away until next year and the first snow has already dusted the hills up north. As sad as I am to see the all-too-brief Scottish summer go, saying hello to winter fills me with a tremendous sense of anticipation. News of October’s early snow showers in the Highlands has me itching to stomp through the white stuff on a crisp, bright morning, to haul out the sledge, to grab my skis and head for Glenshee. To tell you the truth, I can’t wait for winter proper... a feeling I know plenty of you out there share.

Let’s hope the forecasters are right when they tell us it’s going to be another cracker.

Now, personally, I’m no expert mountaineer, but Mike Pescod’s Top Five selection on page 14 has me wishing I had the stomach for the hardcore stuff. It’s an inspiring selection but one which comes with a sobering reminder that Scotland’s splendid winter hills are also unpredictable and sometimes downright dangerous places. So be smart and stay safe this winter, whatever you do.

Whether you love winter or loathe it, Scotland has plenty of places where you can indulge in outdoor adventure yearround. If living in the thick of the action is your dream, you might find yourself spoilt for choice – a good number of Scottish towns offer quality of life in the midst of magnificent outdoor playgrounds. Our readers who already live and work in many of these joined the debate on Facebook to help shape our final selection of the country’s top five adventure towns in which to live and play (page 29).

But no matter where you call home, adventure can be found on your doorstep, as Alastair Humphreys reminds us on page 26. It’s not an activity or a location – or a season, for that matter – but more a state of mind.

Ida Maspero Associate Editor, Scotland Outdoors

WINNER Best small publishing company magazine PPA Scotland Awards 2009, 2010 St Kilda p64

Scotland Outdoors online You can find our website at www.scotoutdoors.com Aviemore p30

Fort William p33 Oban p34

Cairn Gorm p56

Montrose Basin p6

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

Pitlochry p38 Aberlady p20

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Look out for special online features and sign up for our e-newsletter to receive regular updates

EXPLORE

THE KINGDOM OF FIFE AND TAYSIDE

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

Peebles p36

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

PHOTOGRAPHY: COVER: SNOWBOARDER, HIGHLANDER SCOTTISH FREESTYLE SERIES, FORT WILLIAM, KENNY FERGUSON ABOVE LEFT: NEGOTIATING THE AONACH EAGACH IN GLEN COE, MIKE PESCOD

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CONTENTS

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Contributors

Brydon Thomason Native Shetlander Brydon Thomason is a highly-respected naturalist – with a particular love of otters – who runs his own wildlife tour company, Shetland Nature. In recent years he has worked on a variety of TV documentaries, including Simon King’s Shetland Diaries. Day in the life, page 22

Jim Manthorpe Knoydart ranger, travel writer, guidebook author, photographer and – for our feature this issue – sailor, Jim Manthorpe is a man of many talents. This summer he joined a local skipper and his family for a fantastic voyage around some of Scotland’s least visited islands.

Where the wind takes us, page 40

CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPHY: PAT KINSELLA; JIM MANTHORPE; ROB FLETCHER; LORNE GILL/SNH; ANDY WAKELIN; MIKE PESCOD; BRYDON THOMASON; JOE SHEFFER; PAUL WEYCHAN; BLOWN AWAY EXPERIENCES

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Rob Fletcher Raised on a livestock farm in the Trossachs, Rob Fletcher is a freelance writer and editor who specialises in travel and rural affairs.

Here, he joins pals for a first taste of the Cairngorms on an intrepid – and tent-free – winter expedition.

Sleeping rough, page 56

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The Scotland Outdoors team Editor: Richard Rowe t 01721 588140 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

subscription and through in-room copies at high-quality accommodation providers; farm shops and galleries; ferries and airline lounges; 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

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ISSN 1757-224X All contents © Big Bend Publishing (2011) This magazine is printed on Claro Silk, which is FSC-certified 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

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Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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FEATURES

LIVING

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Living it up

Many parts of Scotland offer the potential for a fantastic outdoor lifestyle but where are the very best places in which to live, work and play? Here’s our pick of Scotland’s top five adventure towns

ADVENTURE Where the wind takes us

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Jim Manthorpe steps aboard the Eda Frandsen, a lovinglyrestored Danish gaff cutter, for an eventful sail through the Hebrides – one of the finest cruising grounds in Europe

EXPLORE KINGDOM OF FIFE AND TAYSIDE Time and tide

EXPERIENCE Sleeping rough

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Using nature’s own resources – granite, pine and snow – an intrepid Rob Fletcher proves that you don’t always need a tent for overnight winter expeditions

The Fife Coastal Path connects the varied vistas of the Kingdom’s coast, from charming East Neuk villages and weathered clifftop ruins to dramatic rock formations and remote beaches. Ida Maspero sets out to explore

WILDLIFE AND ECOLOGY Stemming the invasion

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They may look pretty enough, but some introduced plants and animals have caused havoc amongst native species, particularly in the Highlands. Richard Baynes reports

Fife life

Fife may not have the big hills found elsewhere, but there is still much to enjoy between the firths of the Forth and Tay

Visit our website for additional online features submitted by readers www.scotoutdoors.com

REGULARS

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www.scotoutdoors.com

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Board and lodging

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Day in the life

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Innovations

Big picture Montrose Basin, Angus

2020Vision More than just coasts Niall Benvie highlights the richness and diversity of the UK coastline – with Scotland home to some of the wildest parts of all

News Outdoor news from around Scotland

Top five…

Winter mountaineering areas

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Scotland is one of the toughest and most rewarding places to climb in winter. Here are five areas to try

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Reader adventures Reader photographs of wild getaways

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Events Get active with our round-up of outdoorsy events

Competition Win a bespoke kayak safari for two in Argyll

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Richard Rowe checks in to Duck’s at Kilspindie on the surprisingly wild East Lothian coast

Naturalist Brydon Thomason’s knowledge of otters has seen him become the go-to man when pro wildlife photographers head to Shetland

Some suitably warm and cosy ideas for the chilly months ahead

Outdoor passions Worldwide adventurer Alastair Humphreys declared 2011 his ‘Year of Microadventure’ as he proved that there are plenty of wild experiences to be had here in Britain

Readers’ tales Our spring 2011 issue competition offered the chance to win a trip for two to St Kilda. Our winner, John Wright, was blown away by the experience

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OUTDOOR • ADVENTURES

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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 Boats outside Lerwick Maritime Museum, Paul Weychan 2 Steaming sea at Connel Bridge, near Oban, Liz Parkes 3 Derelict cottage near Balranald RSPB reserve, North Uist, Paul Tursner-Upcott 4 Riding The Slab, Dalbeattie, Jason Turner 5 Evening light over Loch Duich, Ross-shire, Fiona Leslie 6 Strolling on the beach, North Berwick, Duncan Adams 7 Which way now? At the head of Glen Tanar, Deeside, Brian Cox

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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: richard@scotoutdoors.com

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Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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BIG PICTURE •

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Mud, glorious mud PHOTOGRAPH: NIALL BENVIE

Montrose Basin, Angus Montrose Basin is an enormous intertidal estuary, formed where the River South Esk flows into the North Sea. The combination of the river emptying into the enclosed basin and a strong tidal flow creates a complex estuarine ecosystem – one that reveals some 750 hectares of mudflats at low tide.

In the late 17th century an attempt was made to drain the northern half of the basin so that the reclaimed land could be used for farming arable crops. Building began on a wall – Dronner’s Dyke – across the basin to dam the water, but a violent storm caused damage to the wall that was never repaired. A local ‘witch’, who opposed the scheme, claimed to have summoned up the storm and was subsequently burned at the stake. The remains of the dyke can still be seen at low tide.

Although there is plenty of activity during the summer months – not least when the local ospreys come down to fish across the basin – it is at its most lively from September when many of the area’s winter visitors arrive. Large numbers of waders and wildfowl overwinter here, all attracted by the relatively sheltered location and rich pickings found in the mudflats. However, it is the pinkfooted geese which arrive from Iceland and Eastern Greenland that get top-billing. At their peak last year, there were more than 65,000 geese in the basin.

The sight and sound of so many of these vocal birds taking flight at dawn or coming in to roost at dusk provides a wonderful spectacle. The Scottish Wildlife Trust, which manages the basin, arranges popular ‘goose breakfasts’ when people come from far and wide to enjoy the sight.

Other winter migrants include large flocks of whooper swan, teal, wigeon, knot, dunlin and golden plover, while the basin is also home to an internationally important population of eider ducks year-round.

But the area is not just about birds. Most days, both common and grey seals can be seen basking on the mudflats at low tide, while brown hare and roe deer are a common sight on walks out to the reserve’s hides across Mains of Dun. And if you are really lucky, there is also the chance of spotting an otter or kingfisher on the river itself.

LAURA DENNIS, MONTROSE BASIN VISITOR CENTRE

Getting there The reserve is located off the A92 Montrose to Arbroath road, just one mile out of Montrose. There are also frequent train services from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen and all intermediate stations to Montrose.

Viewing panels and posters featuring the area’s wildlife have recently been installed at Montrose train station, where passengers can see straight onto the basin and learn more about what lives there. The Visitor Centre (open year-round) is free for Scottish Wildlife Trust members, with a small fee payable for non-members. www.bit.ly/swtmb

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2020 VISION • COASTS

More than just coasts WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST POPULATION DENSITIES IN EUROPE, IT IS NO SURPRISE THAT THE UK HAS SO LITTLE WILD LAND LEFT. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE RICHNESS AND DIVERSITY OF ITS COASTLINE, SCOTLAND CAN CERTAINLY HOLD ITS HEAD UP HIGH, SAYS NIALL BENVIE

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PHOTOGRAPHY: MARK HAMBLIN; PETER CAIRNS; ALEX MUSTARD; JOHN MACPHERSON; TERRY WHITTAKER

he UK’s coastline (including its major islands) measures over 19,491 miles, more than 11,550 miles of which is in Scotland alone. It is along the coast that the struggle between wild nature and culture has always been most keenly fought, where ‘progress’ and ‘development’ sit most uneasily in the face of elemental forces greater than anything encountered inland. The coasts are where true wilderness may be found, where natural processes take precedence. And wherever our ability to control wild nature is compromised, so it thrives.

Britain brings a lot to the top table of European wildlife spectaculars when one takes into account its coastal and marine wildlife: the largest colony of northern gannets in the world on St Kilda; the world’s most northerly resident population of bottlenose dolphins in the Moray Firth; very rare, deep-water corals 1,000m below the surface, 118 miles north west of Cape Wrath; a natural World Heritage Site in the shape of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast; almost half the world population of grey seals; internationally

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important numbers of wintering waterfowl on the Ribble estuary in Lancashire and Merseyside; the densest population of otters in Europe on Shetland; and about 95% of Europe’s population of Leach’s petrel, also on St Kilda. And then there are the 19 or more species of whales and dolphins regularly seen in UK waters, exotic fish such as seahorses, sunfish and basking sharks, and seabird colonies that take your breath away by their extent and clamour.

This wildlife, these experiences, are big business – a report commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) estimates that dolphin watching alone brings at least £4 million a year into the economy of the north east of Scotland.

The sea eagles on Mull swell the island’s already sizeable income from whale and dolphin watching by a further £2 million. That sort of money contributes to people living in places that might otherwise be considered economically marginal, allowing communities to be viable. For these reasons, if no other, ‘development’ that compromises the wild character of the places people come to visit,

and the wildlife that lives there, should always be questioned.

If you live on a rapidly eroding part of the coast, however, or have land threatened by inundation if sea levels rise by even a few centimetres, you may have a less sanguine view of allowing nature to take its course.

Over the centuries, large areas of productive farmland have been reclaimed from the sea, particularly in East Anglia.

Prior to the agricultural improvement that began in the 1500s, Essex had around 35,000 hectares of saltmarsh; today it is closer to 2,000 hectares. So to many, the idea of simply breaching seawalls – as happened at Wallasea in 2006 to let the water back in again – is anathema. However, others (including Government) take the view that rising sea levels are inevitable (and new defences unaffordable) and that managing coastal retreat, rather than letting it happen in a chaotic fashion, is the best way forward.

Whatever the impact on people currently using the land, the benefits to wildlife, especially after a number of years, are clear.

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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Indeed, avocets visited the newly created Wallasea saltmarsh within hours of the seawall being breached. The challenge is to provide new forms of income to those who lose out as the water rises, and to show people – by pointing out examples from elsewhere in the UK – that wildlife does have a financial value and can provide real jobs.

Plans by Natural England to re-introduce sea eagles (which actually prefer to take their food from the sea when stocks have not been fished out) to East Anglia have run into a lot

Elemental forces (clockwise from facing page): Point of Stoer, Assynt; diver and grey seal; Bass Rock at dawn, Firth of Forth; bottlenose dolphin, Moray Firth. Below: dark-bellied brent geese in flight over the Essex mudflats

of often ill-informed opposition. Critics have to answer the question, though, of which sort of landscape is likely to be a bigger draw for visitors – one with sea eagles or one without – and account to those who will lose out if the birds aren’t brought back.

Economic considerations aside, UK coastlines are unparalleled places of fascination. Even by international standards we have an enormously diverse range of coastal landforms to delight the geographer, geologist, naturalist and walker. Some of these, such as the White Cliffs

of Dover, The Devil’s Causeway and the Old Man of Hoy, have iconic status that has become woven into local and national identities. But, as we have seen, the coast is also a highly dynamic place where cliffs erode, estuary channels shift and storms create and destroy beaches and dune systems. Our challenge is to balance development with natural processes, to realise when we are, literally, pushing against the tide and to retain the coast’s capacity to inspire us. g

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

In Scotland, John MacPherson has spent the last few months documenting the lives of the Moray Firth bottlenose dolphins, while young photographer Fergus Gill has been stalking roe deer and mountain hare in the hills. Underwater photographer Alex Mustard spent the summer months in the wake of the mighty basking shark, tracking it from Cornwall to Mull.

In the coming months, Chris Gomersall heads north to document mackerel fishing off Shetland. Mark Hamblin has been photographing mountain hares in the Cairngorms National Park and will be out again as the first snows dust the tops. And as part of the story of the Scottish uplands, Peter Cairns will be capturing classic wintry landscapes in Glenfeshie and will spend several long, cold days waiting for golden eagles to drop in close to his hide.

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

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OUTDOOR • NEWS

RESIDENTS and visitors are invited to have their say in shaping the five-year plan for the UK’s largest National Park.

In September, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) launched a three-month public consultation on the ten priorities it proposes in its draft Cairngorms National Park Plan 2012-2017.

The final version of the park management plan will reflect the authority’s vision for the Cairngorms and will guide all parties involved in managing it. CNPA Convenor David Green said: “We need everyone’s help in telling us what the priorities should be and how they can help make it happen.”

Matters covered in the consultation include improving the park’s woodlands and wetlands, helping local communities adapt to a low carbon economy, encouraging volunteering, the importance of species and habitat conservation, and the sustainable

development of new housing in the area.

The CNPA consultation runs until Friday 9 December and can be completed online at www.cairngorms.co.uk Also in September, Cairngorms National Park was for the second time awarded the prestigious European Charter for Sustainable Tourism in Protected Areas at the annual EUROPARC Conference in Germany. The Charter, which recognises excellence in promoting and achieving sustainable tourism, was first awarded to the park in 2005, just two years after its designation.

The Cairngorms National Park attracts an estimated 1.5 million visitors a year.

Finally, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority is also running a public consultation on its draft National Park Plan. This consultation closes on 16 November – for more information and an online response form, go to www.lochlomond-trossachs.org.uk

My cover shot, Kenny Ferguson SNOWBOARDER, HIGHLANDER SCOTTISH FREESTYLE SERIES, FORT WILLIAM

This shot of a snowboarder in mid-flight was taking during the annual Highlander Scottish Freestyle Series on Aonach Mor at Nevis Range, Fort William. The overall feel I was going for was one of drama, height and the sheer skill of the competitors.

The event, which is basically a ‘big air’ spectacular and includes both boarders and skiers, sees a purpose-built course at the top of the mountain which provides spectacular views across to Ben Nevis. Of course, as this shot shows, it also affords incredible views westwards over Fort William and Loch Eil – giving a definite sense of place.

When the weather plays ball, as on this occasion, there is a real Euro feel, with big crowds and a boom box beating in the background as the commentator builds up the action. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon. Competitors come from all across Scotland and include the best freestyle boarders and skiers in both male and female categories. www.kennyfergusonphotography.co.uk

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PHOTOGRAPH: ADAM PODLAHA

Cairngorms consultation

More sea eagles soar SIXTEEN more white-tailed sea eagles took flight from a secret location in Fife this summer as part of the East Scotland Sea Eagle Project, now in its fifth year. The birds arrived from Norway in June and their release in August brings to 80 the total number of sea eagles reintroduced to Scotland’s east coast since 2007.

The white-tailed sea eagle is the UK’s largest bird of prey but disappeared from Britain’s skies in the early 20th century.

The first birds were successfully reintroduced to Scotland on the isle of Rum 1975. The East Scotland reintroduction programme is a partnership between RSPB Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland.

The project blog is at www.bit.ly/easterneagles

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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Marine reserve gets Newman cash THE CHARITABLE foundation of the late Hollywood legend Paul Newman has awarded a grant of £50,000 ($82,000) to Scotland’s first voluntary marine reserve at St Abbs and Eyemouth. The donation, made by the Newman’s Own Foundation to the National Trust for Scotland – which helps manage the St Abbs and Eyemouth Voluntary Marine Reserve (VMR) – will go towards fostering greater engagement with the public, particularly young people.

While the cliffs of St Abbs Head National Nature Reserve play host to colonies of nesting seabirds in summer, the sea around St Abbs and Eyemouth harbours rich marine habitats of kelp forest, soft corals and reefs with surprisingly colourful creatures like this dahlia anemone (pictured). All this makes it one of Scotland's diving hotspots. Liza Cole, St Abb’s Head Property Manager, said: “We are so grateful for this vital funding, which will support our Marine Ranger’s work towards getting more people engaged with our unique marine environment and involved in its management. Projects like setting up a group of ‘Young Marine Rangers’ and developing ‘armchair dives’ for those who are less able to access the marine environment directly.” The VMR was declared in 1984 and covers 1,030 hectares of coastal waters. www.marine-reserve.co.uk

All bagged at ten THIS SUMMER, ten-year-old Ben Fleetwood of Kendal in Cumbria became the youngest person to have climbed all of Scotland’s 283 Munros – peaks over 3,000 foot in altitude. The youngster scored the last remaining summit off his list when he reached the top of Ben More on Mull in the company of his parents and around a dozen friends and family on Sunday 28 August.

Ben, whose father John is an avid hill runner and mountaineer, bagged his first three Munros the day after his sixth birthday – tackling the trio of Beinn na Lap, Chno Dearg and Stob Coire Sgriodain in one day. Since then, most of his climbs have been done in school holidays, and he’s braved harsh winter conditions for many of them (pictured above on Creag Mhor).

Until now, the youngest person known to have completed the round of Munros was Lynn Batty of Lochgilphead, who was 11 when she did so in 1995. Ben is no newcomer to breaking records though – for a while, at the tender age of six, he held the title of youngest person to have climbed all of the Lake District’s 214 Wainwrights. http://bensmunroblog.blogspot.com

Champs on course for Inverness INVERNESS will host the 2015 World Orienteering Championships, the International Orienteering Federation announced in mid-August after a strong bid by UK governing body British Orienteering beat off stiff competition from Sweden. The World Championships, to be held in August 2015, will make use of world-class terrain along the Moray coast and in the Cairngorms National Park, and will see top Scottish athlete Scott Fraser (pictured) competing on his home turf.

The Championships could draw 5,000 competitors to the Highlands, and the local economy stands to benefit to the tune of around £2 million, Highland Council estimates.

What’s more, the Scottish Six Days event will run in the area at the same time. “Scotland has been recognised

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by the international orienteering community as having world-class areas for staging major events,” commented Colin Matheson, Professional Officer of the Scottish Orienteering Association.

“We saw a lasting sporting and economic benefit when the Championships were in the area in 1999,” added Highland Councillor Bill Fernie, “and I’m sure it will be bigger and better this time round.” www.scottish-orienteering.org

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OUTDOOR • NEWS

Canna newcomers THE TINY Inner Hebridean island of Canna gained four new residents this summer when the Spence family, formerly of Laggan, Inverness-shire, moved into the recently renovated MacIssacs cottage at the end of June.

Alison and Duncan Spence – along with their children, two-and-a-half-year-old Savourna and five-month-old Fergus – have helped boost to 15 the population of the island, which is owned and managed by the National Trust for Scotland, after several residents moved away earlier this year. www.nts.org.uk/property/canna

Galloway paths upgrade

Beaver trial accolade IN SEPTEMBER, Lonely Planet magazine bestowed its Wildlife Comeback Award upon the Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale, Argyll. The accolade from the highly regarded travel publication celebrates the beaver trial as a must-see wildlife attraction for this year.

Simon Jones, Scottish Beaver Trial Project Manager, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to have received this award, as only 24 were given across the whole world. This is ... fantastic recognition for the project and for the local area. The lochs in Knapdale Forest where our two families of beavers live have incredible natural beauty. Set within one of Scotland’s 40

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designated National Scenic Areas, the trial location is truly representative of Scotland’s finest landscapes.” The trial site and beaver information hide are open to visitors and may be reached from the B8025 to Tayvallich.

Meanwhile, two new reports on the trial, published at the end of September by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), show that the beavers are changing some of the woodland structure but are so far having little effect on fish in streams. “These annual reports are vital to the beaver trial,” said Martin Gaywood of SNH, “because they show us how beavers influence the environment in and around these lochs.” www.scottishbeavers.org.uk

UPGRADES to four key walking trails in Galloway Forest Park have begun this autumn. Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS) is doing improvement work to around 11 miles of trail to provide better access for visitors to Kirroughtree (pictured) and Glentrool forests. The trails being upgraded are the Glentrool yellow and green routes and Kirroughtree’s yellow and blue walks. Chosen for their popularity, the four routes will be redesigned to take out steep sections and will be made suitable for all-weather use.

Keith Muir, FCS head of tourism and recreation in Galloway, said: “In addition to better walking trails, we’ll be improving access at other locations by replacing old bridges allowing for more upgrading in the future.” Dumfries and Galloway Council has contributed some funding to the upgrades of the Glentrool yellow trail, which forms part of the Southern Upland Way. Walkers using the trails in coming months can expect some diversions, with improvements scheduled for completion by mid-March 2012. www.forestry.gov.uk/gallowayforestpark

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

10-13_NEWS_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 6 01/11/2011 16:44 Page 13

Golden eagle killings shame

A REPORT published by RSPB Scotland in mid-September shows that persecution of raptors in Scotland remains high, with 29 birds found to have been illegally poisoned in 2010. Among them were four golden eagles, the highest number in a year since the RSPB began its records. The report, The illegal killing of birds of prey in Scotland in 2010, also reveals that 13 buzzards, seven red kites, two peregrines and one white-tailed eagle were among the raptors shown to have been poisoned, while another eight birds died from shooting, trapping or nest destruction.

However, as many of these dead birds were discovered purely by chance by walkers or birders in remote countryside, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s likely that these ďŹ gures represent â&#x20AC;&#x153;the tip of the icebergâ&#x20AC;?, warned RSPB Scotland. Its Director, Stuart Housden, said: â&#x20AC;&#x153;The criminal practice of illegally killing birds of prey remains a most serious conservation issue.â&#x20AC;? Head of Species and Land Management, Duncan Orr-Ewing, added: â&#x20AC;&#x153;We thank the public for their continued vigilance and encourage any suspected crimes to be reported quickly to the police and RSPB Scotland.â&#x20AC;? www.rspb.org.uk/scotland

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For mountain bikers we are just 3 miles from Glentress and for walkers have some of the finest routes in Southern Scotland on our doorstep. Our location in the Tweed Valley is perfect for salmon fishing this November and we can even arrange canoeing trips.

For shooters we can organise a day on a local beat or climbers can enjoy expeditions in and around Edinburgh.

And after an exhilarating day in the great outdoors you can recharge your batteries and enjoy our excellent food, friendly bar, roaring log fires and comfortable en suite rooms. With our activity expertise, drying room, secure storage for bikes, rods and equipment as well as private parking we really are everything an active break should be.

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14 Top 5_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 4 01/11/2011 16:45 Page 14

TOP FIVE • WINTER MOUNTAINEERING AREAS

Mountain high SCOTLAND IS RENOWNED WORLDWIDE AS ONE OF THE TOUGHEST AND MOST REWARDING PLACES TO CLIMB IN WINTER. MIKE PESCOD FROM ABACUS MOUNTAINEERING PICKS FIVE AREAS TO TRY PHOTOGRAPHY: MIKE PESCOD; PETE MACPHERSON

1

Aonach Eagach, Glen Coe

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5

GETTING THERE Take a bus or drive over the Skye Bridge at Kyle of Lochalsh on the A87, or take the train to Mallaig, the ferry to Armadale and a bus to Sligachan Hotel. www.sligachan.co.uk

The famous ‘Notched Ridge’ that forms the north side of Glen Coe is a justifiably popular expedition.

It includes two Munros and nearly two miles of narrow ridge line, half a mile or so of which involves continuous grade II climbing with no escape. Unlike many ridge climbs, the easiest route follows the crest all the way along, demanding skill and confidence.

The floor of the glen 900m below is always visible below your feet while the view along the ridge only reveals more improbable looking ridge crest.

GETTING THERE 90 miles north of Glasgow on the A82 by car or bus. The Clachaig Inn in Glen Coe is a perfect base. www.clachaig.com

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2 3

GETTING THERE Fort William lies at the foot of Ben Nevis and is 100 miles north of Glasgow on the A82. Try the excellent Caledonian Sleeper Train service. www.scotrail.co.uk/sleeper

Beinn Bhan, Applecross

Beinn Bhan in Applecross is currently home to some of the biggest and hardest winter climbs in Scotland. One route, ‘The God Delusion’, has seen only two ascents – unsurprising given that it is grade IX, 9, nine pitches long and requires 14 hours to climb.

With nobody for miles around and any form of rescue hours away, the route has to be seen as one of the toughest winter mountaineering challenges in Scotland – and therefore the world.

4

GETTING THERE On the A896 between Lochcarron and Torridon. You’ll need a car.

Ben Nevis, Lochaber

The home of Scottish ice climbing also has many fine mountaineering challenges. The Ben’s five great ridges offer routes of increasing commitment and challenge. At grade II, Ledge Route is the best route up the north face at a quite reasonable standard; Castle Ridge is (relatively) short and punchy with a steep and airy crux; Tower Ridge is a classic with ever increasing difficulty, exposure and enjoyment; North East Buttress pushes the mountaineering into the realms of climbing with the perfectly named ‘Man Trap’ at its top; and Observatory Ridge is always a full-on day (and sometimes night) even for the most experienced mountaineer.

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5

Essentials

3

An Teallach, Northwest Highlands

‘The Anvil’, near Dundonnell, is widely considered to be Scotland’s best ridge traverse.

This is truly wild country, with more deer and eagles likely to be spotted on the full traverse than people. Self-reliance is the underlying principle of Scottish mountaineering and it is keenly felt here on the rounded sandstone ledges of the ridge’s two Munros. Approach the ridge by the rough corrie holding Loch Toll an Lochain and the deep, narrow cleft of Chockstone Gully (grade II) for an immense sense of space and exposure.

GETTING THERE Dundonnell is 57 miles northwest of Inverness. Follow the A835, then the A832.

4

Cuillin Ridge, Isle of Skye

In summer, traversing the full ridge of the Cuillin is a world-class achievement. In winter, it epitomises the challenge of Scottish winter mountaineering. Being so exposed to the weather from the west, the snow conditions on the ridge change quickly. Being able to judge the best time to make a traverse is essential. In good conditions, much of the ridge is easier and quicker than in summer; in poor conditions it is an intimidating place and travel along it can be nearly impossible. At least one overnight bivouac will be required, so more equipment is needed. A few lucky people have been in the right place at the right time to complete a winter traverse in good conditions. Nobody has managed it in poor conditions.

With impressive mountains and enlightened access laws, Scotland is a special place for adventurous pursuits, but be warned: Scottish winter climbing demands good mountaineering skills and selfreliance. Hiring a guide is recommended for all but the most experienced.

“The Mountaineering Council of Scotland recognises that climbing and mountaineering are activities with a danger of personal injury or death. Participants in these activities should be aware of and accept these risks and be responsible for their own actions and involvement.” www.mcofs.org.uk

Mike Pescod runs Abacus Mountaineering based in Fort William. www.abacusmountaineering.com

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Tigh an Eilean (House of the Island) and the adjacent Sheildaig Bar and Coastal Kitchen, nestle in the picturesque, 200-year-old fishing village of Shieldaig in Wester Ross – one of Scotland’s last great wildernesses. Here, the magnificent Torridon mountains meet the western seas, offering spectacular walks and deserted beaches – home to seals, otters and sea eagles.

Relax in our cosy rooms, enjoy the gentle rhythms of a west coast village and dine in our award-winning restaurants, or on the Coastal Kitchen’s fabulous outside decks – all of which look across the loch to the open sea beyond GOOD HOTEL GUIDE. GOOD FOOD GUIDE. AA BRITAIN’S BEST HOTELS. AA RESTAURANT GUIDE. JUST AWARDED: GOOD PUB GUIDE SCOTTISH DINING PUB OF THE YEAR 2012.

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16-17_EVENTS_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 5 01/11/2011 16:47 Page 16

OUTDOOR • EVENTS

Inspirations - what’s caught our eye for the months ahead • Extreme climber, comedian and general raconteur Andy Kirkpatrick (pictured left) is heading to Scotland for a series of dates on the back of his new book, Cold Wars. His latest work – a follow-up to the excellent Psychovertical – examines a period of his climbing career distinguished by ever more risky climbs, including a first winter ascent of the east face of Mermoz in Patagonia. An entertaining evening for climbers and nonclimbers alike guaranteed.

www.speakersfromtheedge.com; www.andy-kirkpatrick.com • Look out for the launch of the Great Glen Canoe Trail – the first of its kind in Scotland – which will officially open in March 2012.

To whet the appetite, Pesda Press has published a guide, written by the trail’s project officer Donald Macpherson. All proceeds from the book, which retails at £12.99 and provides an essential resource for anyone planning to paddle the Great Glen, will go towards the long-term maintenance of the trail.

www.greatglencanoetrail.info; www.pesdapress.com

PHOTOGRAPH: ANDY KIRKPATRICK

4 December

15–19 February

Edinburgh Festive Walk, Royal Botanic Garden

Fort William Mountain Festival Head to the ‘Outdoor Capital’ for one of the best festivals of its kind in Scotland – a true celebration of mountain culture in all its forms. Includes the Best of Banff World Tour. www.mountainfilmfestival.co.uk

A six-mile festive walk starting and finishing at Inverleith Park and taking in the Botanics and Stockbridge. Suitable for all ages. Booking at www.challengescotland.com

18 February

14 January

Winter Feast, The Main Course Duathlon, Arisaig

Winter Feast, The Appetiser Duathlon, Glencoe

Stepping up in distance and difficulty, this duathlon takes competitors on a 5km run, followed by up to a 25km road cycle and then a repeat of the 5km run. All in and around beautiful Arisaig. Ideal for individuals or teams. www.nofussevents.co.uk

An ease-yourself-into-it duathlon aimed at beginners with a 5km trail run followed by a 15km off-road cycle. Once you’ve got this one safely under your belt, you can step up to the Winter Feast Main Course (see 18 February). www.nofussevents.co.uk

3–6 February WinterFest, Kintail Held in Kintail rather than the usual Glen Affric, WinterFest 2012 promises another exciting mix of snowy adventures in yet another wonderful part of the Highlands. Participants can choose from high-level Munro walks to overnight snow-holing expeditions, winter skills and avalanche awareness days, plus a ‘guest glen’ – with walkers tackling Bla Bheinn on Skye. www.naturalhighguiding.co.uk

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PHOTOGRAPH: NATURAL HIGH GUIDING

PHOTOGRAPH: NATURAL HIGH GUIDING

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

16-17_EVENTS_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 5 01/11/2011 16:47 Page 17

• About Argyll Walking Holidays has launched a new programme of guided walking tours and holidays inspired by the 100th anniversary of the publication of John Muir’s The Yosemite – the Scottish conservationist’s homage to a unique mountain landscape and celebration of wildness. The operator’s 2012 programme covers a variety of exciting destinations – from Mull (pictured right) to Shetland and the Small Isles – and include a range of (rather less Muir-like) luxurious trips that take advantage of accommodation at four-star country house hotels.

www.aboutargyll.co.uk • It’s not too late to book a Seize the Day adventure weekend at The Four Seasons Hotel in St Fillans, Perthshire. Designed to appeal to those who like a bit of action during their stay, the hotel has cooked up three action-packed accommodation packages that include a cycling trip through Glen Lyon, a gliding experience and off-road driving and quad biking.

www.thefourseasonshotel.co.uk

3–5 March Torridon Winter Walking Festival More wintery adventures can be enjoyed at the inaugural Torridon Winter Walking Festival, organised by local activity provider Torridon Activities. The festival

PHOTOGRAPH: ABOUT ARGYLL WALKING HOLIDAYS

promises a range of serious walks – from climbing the likes of Beinn Eighe, Beinn Alligin and Liathach – to snow-holing expeditions, ice climbing and winter skills days that will suit everyone from accomplished winter walkers to those looking to take their first steps on snow and ice. Includes a pub quiz with all proceeds in aid of Torridon Mountain Rescue.

Another show that debuted in 2011 with some success – we were there, it was good! – Outdoor Pursuits Scotland returns for another blast of outdoors inspiration, including many more activities outside the main exhibit hall.

www.thetorridon.com/Walking-Festival

www.scottishoutdoorpursuits.com

21–22 April Outdoor Pursuits Scotland, Royal Highland Centre, Edinburgh

17 March

28–29 April

The Mighty Deerstalker, Innerleithen

Scotland’s Best Outdoors, Aberdeen Exhibition & Conference Centre

Our local adventure run/obstacle course/booze-up is back for another wet and muddy dash through the Tweed Valley, starting and finishing at Traquair House near Innerleithen. Dressing up is essential, as are head torches if running in the longer race. www.ratrace.com

Scotland has gone outdoor show crazy with yet another catch-all event, this time in Aberdeen, launching in April. The event is billed as a celebration of Scotland’s great outdoors, promoting a variety of sports, events, holidays, adventures and associated outdoor equipment. www.scotlandsbestoutdoors.com

13–15 April The Scottish Bike Show, SECC, Glasgow Following a successful inaugural event that saw more than 5,000 cycle enthusiasts descend on the SECC in 2011, the Scottish Bike Show is back with more exhibits, bigger test tracks, plus a special sportive – a new long-distance mass participation cycling event with two routes through the countryside around Loch Lomond. www.thescottishbikeshow.com

www.scotoutdoors.com

PHOTOGRAPH: THE SCOTTISH BIKE SHOW

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18_COMP_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 5 01/11/2011 16:48 Page 18

WIN Heart of Argyll

PHOTOGRAPH: COLIN MCWILLIAMS

SCOTLAND OUTDOORS AUTUMN/WINTER COMPETITION Imagine paddling ancient waterways among Atlantic woodlands, experiencing a landscape shaped by ice and encountering wildlife that migrates from as far afield as Namibia and the Antarctic. Well, now it might just be possible.

Scotland Outdoors has teamed up with the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance to offer readers the chance to win a bespoke two-day kayak safari along this spectacular stretch of Scotland’s west coast.

Whether a complete beginner or an experienced paddler, the Heart of Argyll is giving the prize winner and a friend the opportunity to ‘delve deeper’ and explore all that the area has to offer. Alliance member Argyll Activities, in association with Colin McWilliams of Oban Sea Kayak Guides, and Will Self, a local natural resources specialist, will tailor your trip to suit both your interests and ability.

With over 50 years’ paddling experience between them, Colin and Will look forward to leading you on a unique natural and cultural heritage adventure, taking in the forts and Faery Isles of Loch Sween and even a trip to the MacCormaig Isles depending on your experience and weather conditions. There’ll be a chance to see otters, seals and beautiful birds and enjoy the natural habitat that has supported such wildlife for centuries.

In 2010, the Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance launched www.heartofargyll.com to promote this ancient coastal kingdom and encourage visitors to explore the area’s natural and historic

name, address and telephone number in an email headed ‘Scotland Outdoors competition’ to competition@scotoutdoors.com or complete the online form at www.scotoutdoors.com/competition

PRIZE DETAILS

PHOTOGRAPH: WEST LOCH SHORES

wonders and unwind by its tranquil waters.

During the two-day trip, you will stay in one of the stunning timber lodges at West Loch Shores on the outskirts of the picturesque fishing village of Tarbert on Loch Fyne – giving you the opportunity to enjoy some of the locally-caught seafood, either cooking it in the comfort of your lodge, or treating yourself to dinner at one of the village’s great fish restaurants. For lunch, you can look forward to a tasty packed lunch courtesy of The Square Peg in Lochgilphead, famous for great homebaking and lovely lattes!

The prize is for a two-day kayak safari for the winner and a friend courtesy of Heart of Argyll Tourism Alliance members Argyll Activities (in association with Oban Sea Kayak Guides & Will Self), West Loch Shores Holiday Lodges and The Square Peg. The closing date for this competition is 31 January 2012 with the winner notified shortly afterwards by email. The prize must be taken by the end of April 2012. The prize includes two nights’ accommodation in a lodge at West Loch Shores, Tarbert, for two people. Packed lunches will be provided on both days by The Square Peg. A full information pack will be emailed in advance of the trip and all kayaking equipment and clothing will be provided.

GETTING THERE HOW TO ENTER To enter, see this page, or visit www.heartofargyll.com to find the answer to the following question: On which loch in the Heart of Argyll will you find the Faery Isles?

Please send the answer together with your

The Heart of Argyll is easily accessible by road, less than two hours’ drive from Glasgow along the scenic A83. For directions, see www.heartofargyll.com/our-location For more information on Argyll Activities visit www.argyllactivities.co.uk and for West Loch Shores Holiday Lodges, visit www.westlochshores.com

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: The draw will be made on 31 January and the winner notified directly. There is no cash alternative. The contact details you provide may be used for reservation and marketing purposes only by the providers of this competition (Scotland Outdoors, Argyll Activities, Oban Sea Kayak Guides, Will Self, West Loch Shores Holiday Lodges) but will not be shared with any other third parties, except when disclosure is required by law.

18

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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TOURING PARK

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20_BOARD&LODGING_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 4 01/11/2011 16:50 Page 20

BOARD & LODGING • DUCK’S AT KILSPINDIE, ABERLADY

Perfect base (clockwise from top left): the hotel’s appealing frontage; nearby Aberlady Bay; typical fine dining fare; one of the 26 comfortable rooms

Fairway to heaven PROBABLY ONE OF THE FEW GUESTS NOT TO HAVE PACKED GOLF CLUBS, RICHARD ROWE ENJOYS OTHER PLEASURES WHILE EXPLORING THE EAST LOTHIAN COAST PHOTOGRAPHY: DUCK'S AT KILSPINDIE; RICHARD ROWE

I

N STRETCHES, the coast of East Lothian appears to be one giant fairway, with a string of celebrated golf courses running between Longniddry and North Berwick. But it wasn’t the pleasures of Gullane Number Two or Muirfield that had attracted me to the area, but the surprisingly wild seascapes and beaches that can make golfing here both a pleasure and a challenge.

My base for the weekend was Duck’s at Kilspindie, a restaurant with rooms nestled on the main street of well-heeled Aberlady – a picture postcard village with its cute cottages, colourful window boxes and genteel air.

I arrived at Duck’s having spent the day strolling along the coast, enjoying the wide open stretches of sand that begin at Aberlady and wind eastwards, almost unbroken, as far as North Berwick. A favourite stomping ground for walkers, bird watchers, kite surfers and those just needing a heavy dose of sea air, the beaches here rarely seem busy, despite their proximity to Edinburgh. With few roads running alongside them, they have a secretive quality.

Much more conspicuous than people are the hordes of shore birds that work the sand, probing for tasty morsels. In the distance, across the Firth of Forth, the Fife coastline is a constant presence while, closer in, gradually revealing themselves with each passing headland, are the islands of Fidra, Lamb (now owned by Uri Geller), Craigleith and finally Bass Rock, gleaming white in the distance with its sugarcoating of gannets.

So it was with face glowing from wind burn that I arrived at Duck’s eager to sample the hospitality of a place I had driven past many times. Almost immediately, I am greeted by Malcolm Duck, the congenial and attentive owner who, as I discover, keeps a discreet but sharp eye on the workings of the place. “I don’t really do days off,” he tells me.

My room is stylish, spacious enough and comfortable, with a window overlooking a

20

gravelled beer garden to the front. Back downstairs, the food and service are as fresh and cheering as the welcome, with local produce, some of it foraged, a feature of the two eating areas: Donald’s, an informal bar bistro, and Duck’s, an established fine-dining restaurant that was relocated from Edinburgh when Malcolm took over what was then Kilspindie House in 2004.

I choose the bistro and tuck into oat-crusted mackerel plucked from the sea nearby, followed by a fillet of salmon that sits on a tower of mash and samphire. Both are tasty and sensibly priced.

Later, I can’t resist sampling a whisky in the attractive, wood-panelled bar where Malcolm tells me more about his plans for the place.

While golfers remain important, he is increasingly keen to attract those in search of birds rather than birdies. And it’s no wonder.

Nearby, the great tidal basin of Aberlady Bay – Britain’s first Local Nature Reserve – is one of the most important sites for wintering waders and wildfowl in the Firth of Forth. In particular, it is renowned for the spectacular dawn and dusk flights of the many thousands of pinkfooted geese that arrive from Iceland each autumn to overwinter in the area. The geese feed in nearby fields during the day, returning each evening to roost on the mudflats.

With such natural wonders on the doorstep, Malcolm is eager to forge closer links with the Scottish Ornithologists’ Club, whose excellent visitor centre is close-by, local rangers and the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.

Guided walks are available, while, at reception, a chalkboard notes the latest sightings for those who want to go it alone.

The next morning, following a hearty breakfast, I head back to Aberlady Bay. Crossing the wooden bridge over the Peffer Burn and onto the reserve, I pause as a skein of geese honk their way overhead, before continuing onwards for another blast of energising sea air. g

Duck’s at Kilspindie Rooms from £115 based on two sharing, depending on season. Donald’s Bistro, starters £4.20-6.50, mains £8.95-21.95.

Duck’s Restaurant, starters £6.00-6.50, mains £13.50-24.50. Open all day for coffee, bacon rolls and pastries, sit in or take away. www.ducks.co.uk

Getting there On the A198 coast road, 18 miles east of Edinburgh city centre.

In the area Aberlady Bay Local Nature Reserve Limited parking available at main access point on road to Gullane.

Scottish Ornithologists’ Club Resource Centre (Waterston House) Home to the largest collection of ornithological reference books and journals in Scotland. Guided walks and ‘goose watches’ available. www.the-soc.org.uk Scottish Seabird Centre Outstanding wildlife visitor centre in North Berwick. www.seabird.org Falko Konditormeister, Gullane For those with a weakness for traditional German breads and pastries. www.falko.co.uk

Golf Ok, if you really want to spoil a good walk. www.golfeastlothian.com

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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PHOTOGRAPHY:

OUTDOOR • PEOPLE

Day inthe life of...

Brydon Thomason Tour Leader, Shetland Nature It’s often said that if you find a job that you love, you’ll never work another day in your life. I consider myself enormously fortunate that this is the case for me.

Growing up on the island of Fetlar in Shetland, I have been infatuated with otters for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories is as an eight-year-old crouching behind a bank with my two brothers, under our uncle’s supervision, completely mesmerised as a mother and her three cubs played before us on the shore.

Since then, my affection for these amazing animals has grown into a life’s passion as I learned to understand their behaviour and track their movements.

It was a combination of this passion and my own photography that led me to specialise in the work I now do within our wildlife tour company – leading otter watching and especially photography workshops.

Spending time with otters can be an emotive experience and I have become extremely attached to the many individual animals I have studied along the stretches of coastline where I work. Understanding otters as I now do allows me to provide others with a unique insight into their often secretive lives.

With such wild, easily-disturbed animals,

22

where and when I set out to find them simply must be on their terms; it sounds a bit lame but you really do need to think as they do. In Shetland, otters are predominantly salt-water, shoreline dwellers and pace their lives to the rhythm of the tides. In turn, so must I. To stand the best chance of success I need to be out just before they become active – usually as the tide starts to fall, with activity building to a peak at low tide and especially mid-way through a falling or rising one. A 5am, or earlier, start is not uncommon.

Wildlife watching clients hire me just to find otters, but for a photographer it is more about getting them close enough to capture one of Europe’s most captivating mammals.

This can be a challenge to say the least. Most people appreciate the difficulties associated with locating an otter, or better still a mother with cubs, but getting close enough to photograph them, and without disturbance, can be all but impossible without experience.

Being honest, getting this close is not just about my passion for the animals but also the thrill of the chase; the adrenalin buzz involved in tracking and finally closing in for that all important shot. Knowing how this makes me feel and how difficult it can be, I try to give clients the same experience.

Success depends on so many elements coming together, starting with studying the tides. But it is in the field where the hard work really begins. Otters seem to have an acute nervousness. For this reason, wind direction is often the first consideration when choosing a particular location to search. If the wind is at your back, throwing your scent down the shore, an otter will detect you from hundreds of metres away. Often I have found myself having to rethink which family to target simply because of a change in wind direction – reason enough to be familiar with

Resting up: a mother and cub (above); snacking on a greenback crab (below)

a variety of families in different locations.

Photographers tend to be extremely focussed on their goal of achieving that prizewinning image or perfect portrait and are prepared to do whatever is necessary for the best possible chance of success. But my ethos when working with these animals is well communicated before we set out – the otter’s well-being always comes first.

Thankfully, serious wildlife photographers, and especially the many professionals I have guided, know the score when it comes to tracking wild animals. There are no guarantees but, to date, I have yet to have a client go home disappointed. g

Further details

Brydon Thomason runs Shetland Nature, a wildlife holiday provider offering a range of trips that explore Shetland’s extraordinary natural heritage. www.shetlandnature.net

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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24-25_PRODUCTS_AUT11_Innovations Spread v2 copy 01/11/2011 16:53 Page 24

OUTDOOR • INNOVATIONS

HERE’S OUR SELECTION OF NEW GEAR FOR LAYERING UP SNUGLY, KEEPING KIT DRY AND GETTING SOMETHING WARM INTO YOUR BELLY WHILE OUTDOORS THIS WINTER If you would like to submit details on innovative new products or send samples for testing, please contact the Outdoor Innovations editor, Ida Maspero, at ida@scotoutdoors.com For more gear reviews, go to our website www.scotoutdoors.com

Merino and more Frankly base layer; Smartwool TML mid-layer Out on the hills, the trail or the slopes, keeping cosy in winter is all about layers, as we know, and none is more important than the one you choose to wear next to your skin – you’re asking it to wick away sweat while still providing thermal insulation, and to fit perfectly to give you good movement. With its soft feel, excellent wicking and naturally odour-resistant properties, merino wool has been hailed as the wonder yarn for base layers – while being an ethically responsible choice too.

A number of performance clothing manufacturers are going further by blending merino with other materials to produce hybrid fabrics with additional qualities. New clothing brand Frankly, available online in Australia and just launched in Europe and the UK, has developed its own “revolutionary all-natural fabric”, Neobi, with merino next to the skin and organic cotton forming the outer layer. We tested the ladies’ crew neck base layer on a day walk and again during a run on a chilly morning and, though the cotton sounds counter-intuitive, found it did a decent enough job. Available online only in crew neck and half-zip styles for men and women.

Smartwool has also just launched a new two-part fabric – Hyfi combines all the benefits of merino wool (64%) next

to the skin with tougher, stretchy nylon (36%) facing the big, bad world. The resulting garments have good – almost soft shell-like – wind resistance and retain their shape well. Indeed, the new Smartwool TML range of half-zip tops and full-zip hoodies make excellent mid-layers – certainly superior to the traditional fleece mid-layer (though much more expensive). We tested the ladies’ TML half-zip top while out walking and sailing in variable autumn weather and found it to be versatile and smartly styled. Little extras include a zipped chest pocket for keys etc., and engineered thumb-holes. And the hood on the hoody model looks exceptionally close-fitting and cosy.

Frankly base layers RRP £59 (long-sleeve crew neck) and £85 (half-zip) www.eu.franklyfrankly.com SmartWool TML tops and hoodies RRP £109.95 and £129.95 www.smartwool.com

Coffee on the go, Grower’s Cup After devouring your packed lunch on a winter’s walk, you’d kill for a steaming mug of real, freshly-ground coffee. Impossible, right, unless you’ve packed the cafetiere too. Well, an innovative product from Danish micro-roastery Grower’s Cup is coming to the rescue of outdoorsy caffeine addicts. Calling itself a disposable French press, this is a durable, lightweight bag with an inner filter containing 24g of freshly ground speciality coffee. You can choose from an exclusive range of handpicked fairtrade and organic coffees from Africa, Central and South America. Just pour half a litre of hot water into the pouch, zip it up, wait a while and serve. Each pouch provides three cups – guaranteed to win favour with your companions. Be sure to make them carry the biscuits.

RRP £2.50 www.growerscup.com/outdoor

Hydration bladder, Source The newest hydration bladder model from Source is a clever, daypack-friendly slimline design with a 1.5 litre capacity but just 3.5cm thick when filled. The Widepac Low Profile has a unique cut-out centre to prevent the ballooning effect, so the bladder retains its shape even in extreme temperatures. Its userfriendly slide closure allows easy filling, draining and cleaning, while Source’s patented anti-bacterial grunge guard inhibits growth of bacteria on the reservoir and the delivery tube surfaces. There’s also an airtight seal and Helix on/off bite valve with dust cover.

RRP £27 www.source-hydration.co.uk

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Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

24-25_PRODUCTS_AUT11_Innovations Spread v2 copy 01/11/2011 16:53 Page 25

Camera care Aquapac Stormproof camera cases; Lowepro Photo Sport AW packs

Ski-touring backpack, Vaude New for this winter season from German alpine gear brand Vaude is the Bias Ultralight ski-touring backpack. It is, as the name suggests, superbly lightweight – the 20-litre model tips the scales at a mere 850g (and the 30-litre at 995g). Besides the standard features you expect in a good daypack, the Bias Ultralight also boasts a number of extra bits designed with winter mountain sports in mind – a front compartment for your shovel and avalanche probe, a diagonal ski fixation and a helmet holder. And inside the main compartment there is a handy alpine emergency information panel. If looking smart on the snow is your concern, the fetching blue colourway is a winner (it’s available in black too).

There’s nothing quite as frustrating when you pause to admire that perfect view as finding your camera jammed – has it suffered a knock? Has it taken on moisture, having been crammed hastily into the front pocket of a soggy backpack? A couple of new products will help keep your camera safe outdoors in all kinds of weather.

The Aquapac Stormproof case (pictured below) is clever indeed – with its tough PU-coated nylon exterior and roll-seal opening, it’s like a mini dry bag. Provided you don’t immerse it in water, it will keep your camera as dry as can be during wet walks, kayaking and boating trips and out on the slopes. Inside, the 10mm foam padding protects from bumps. The case sports a lash-tab on the front for fixing it to your kayak or bike, or you can carry it using the shoulder strap or belt supplied. With three sizes in the range, there’s one to suit every size of camera, including SLRs. For an altogether more serious and professional solution, well-known camera case brand Lowepro has just launched the Photo Sport AW range of packs. If you’re a serious amateur or a pro who likes to cover a lot of ground even when taking an SLR, lenses and accessories, this lightweight, high-performance, dual-compartment camera pack might just do the trick. There are two styles: the Photo Sport 200 AW backpack and the Photo Sport Sling 100 AW. In both, the lower compartment includes Lowepro’s patent-pending Ultra-Cinch Camera Chamber to help prevent movement and keep camera gear tightly cushioned. Meanwhile, the top-loading upper compartment acts as a daypack, with 13.9 litres in the 200 AW backpack and 9 litres in the 100 AW Sling.

Further features for both packs include an airflow back pad and built-in rain cover, while the 200 AW also has a dedicated hydration pocket. Either pack would make a great gift for the sporty photographer who has everything.

Aquapac Stormproof RRP £25 (small), £35 (medium) and £55 (SLR) www.aquapac.net Lowepro Photo Sport RRP £207.20 (200 AW), £135.20 (100 AW) www.lowepro.com

RRP £70 (for 20-litre) and £80 (for 30-litre) www.vaude.co.uk

Non-priming stove, Soto Yes, liquid fuel stoves are the best bet for cold conditions, as any hardened winter explorer will tell you, but the trouble with them is all that priming... and all that soot. Now, Japanese stove expert Soto has launched what it claims is the world’s first non-priming liquid fuel stove. The Muka is designed to combine “reliable, powerful output with ease of care”. Even using unleaded petrol, it requires no cleaning and no priming. It ignites and burns like a gas stove.

The stove comes with a 700ml fuel bottle, a flexible hose of good length, a maintenance tool, carry case and of course a pump. On the pump is a flame control knob with emergency stop button and a pressure indicator. The whole package is very compact and light, with the burner itself only weighing 160g (320g including pump).

RRP £175 www.sotooutdoors.com

www.scotoutdoors.com

25

26-27_OUTDOOR_PASSIONS_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 01/11/2011 16:55 Page 26

OUTDOOR • PASSIONS

Alastair Humphreys Adventurer, motivational speaker, author, photographer HE’S CYCLED ROUND THE WORLD, PADDLED 500 MILES DOWN THE YUKON RIVER AND CROSSED ICELAND

BY FOOT AND PACKRAFT. BUT ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS HAS DECLARED 2011 HIS ‘YEAR OF MICROADVENTURE’ IN BRITAIN TO PROVE THAT ADVENTURE CAN BE FOUND CLOSE TO HOME PHOTOGRAPHY: ALASTAIR HUMPHREYS, JOE SHEFFER

You call yourself an ‘adventurer’. What does that mean?

It’s a bit of a silly word to use, I guess. I always feel I need to put it in inverted commas because it sounds ridiculous.

But I can’t really think of anything better. I’m definitely not an explorer, yet everything I do in my day job revolves around getting out into the wilderness, having adventures. So, if my purpose is to have adventures, then I guess I’m an adventurer. The word also has a fun, frivolous, carpe diem feel to it. In our busy lives, it’s important to seek out adventure, to see the world with fresh eyes. If I can inspire others to have fun outdoors, then there’s a serious purpose to what I do. I’d like to think there is.

Where did your sense of adventure begin?

After I left school I worked in South Africa for a year – that got me excited about exploring new places. After that I attended university in Edinburgh, where I got into wild places, physical challenges, pushing myself... and that’s when I started cycling.

Challenge is an important word for you, it seems.

Yes, it’s a keyword for me personally – both in the adventures I undertake, but also in learning new skills like writing, photography and now film-making. I do like to challenge myself to learn new things. That attitude has been really valuable for me in my life, so I do bang on about it on my blogs and my talks.

When you were 24, you set off around the world by bike. Where did the idea for this ambitious journey come from?

The idea developed gradually. During my first year at Edinburgh, a friend and I decided to try and cycle from Pakistan to China. So we bought bikes and cycled around Scotland – it was the most miserable few weeks in the wind and rain, but at the end of it we realised we’d loved it. So the journeys grew from there. When I graduated I realised I had a gap of ultimate freedom ahead of me and decided to make the most of it. The journey took four years. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done and I’m pretty sure it’s the biggest trip I’ll ever do. I’m glad I grabbed the opportunity while I was young and free, with no ties.

Is one ever fully prepared for a trip of that scale?

I was physically prepared for it in terms of gear, and of course fitness builds up the further you pedal. But I’d totally underestimated it mentally – the loneliness and the boredom. It was daunting and I felt quite out of my depth for a while. One of the reasons I went was to get away from a routine life, but ironically, on a trip like this, you become a creature of habit about the things that are in your control, like making and breaking camp. Your tent becomes your castle, your little place of safety.

26

You call this your ‘Year of Microadventure’. What’s the idea behind it?

In my talks I’m always banging on about getting out there and experiencing the wilds for yourself. I’ve come to believe you don’t need to go on a four-year trip to do something new and challenge yourself – adventure can be found anywhere.

I put that theory to the test last year by walking a lap of the M25 motorway. In the end it was a fantastic trip, and when I talked about it in my blog and talks, people really related to the concept of experiencing familiar places afresh.

So I decided to commit to the idea and stay local for a year, with no foreign travel. I was a bit worried that it might look like a bit of a pathetic year, not going to the North Pole or something... but it’s captured people’s imaginations.

My microadventures don’t require too many high skills, they are achievable and cheap. I deliberately started out with simple things – like hopping on a train after work and spending the night on a hill – to encourage people to do something new in their spare time. Basically, we can all find the time to get out and reboot the spirit, provided we make the most of our spare hours.

Scotland has featured in your Year of Microadventure.

Anywhere that surprised you?

I thought I knew Scotland well, but the Shetland Isles surprised me. And today I am working on a film I made exploring around Torridon and Skye for a week – amazing, I couldn’t believe that I’d never been there before. I finally got to the Fairy Pools on Skye, which I’d wanted to go to for ages. Torridon and Shetland will certainly be among my highlights for the year.

Your Shetland adventure, in June, involved travelling the length of the Shetland Isles by folding bike and packraft – why folding bikes and packrafts?

I wanted to explore the Shetland Isles – that came first.

Second came the idea to paddle from island to island in my beloved packraft. That would turn the trip into a proper challenge. And then it just sounded like a bit of fun to use a folding bike as well – it fits neatly onto the front of the boat and made it feel like a really nice and compact (but hopefully not gimmicky) microadventure.

How will you end this year?

My plan is to end the year with a really tough microadventure – somewhere in the Scottish hills, in the snow, very cold and hardcore – just to show a development through the year from doing something very small and local, progressing little by little to a really impressive winter adventure in Britain.

Alastair Humpreys’ blogs and films about his microadventures are at www.bit.ly/alhumphreys

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

26-27_OUTDOOR_PASSIONS_AUT11_Layout 2 copy 01/11/2011 16:55 Page 27

Microadventurer (clockwise from top left): most northerly camp overlooking Muckle Flugga, Shetland Isles; across Scotland by foot and packraft; snorkelling for crabs in Pembrokeshire; walking the Cuillin Ridge, Skye; Alastair and folding bike in his beloved packraft, Shetland Isles

www.scotoutdoors.com

27

ads_Layout 2 copy 4 01/11/2011 16:16 Page 28

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29-38_ADVENTURE-TOWNS_AUT11_V2_Living it up 01/11/2011 16:56 Page 29

LIVING IT UP MANY PARTS OF SCOTLAND OFFER THE POTENTIAL FOR A FANTASTIC

OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE BUT WHERE ARE THE VERY BEST PLACES IN WHICH

PHOTOGRAPHY:

TO LIVE, WORK AND PLAY? HERE’S OUR PICK OF SCOTLAND’S TOP FIVE ADVENTURE TOWNS

W

hat makes a great adventure town? And what exactly does that mean anyway? The answer may well depend on what it is that you are into.

It might be walking, mountain biking, climbing, paddling, skiing, great wildlife, or a little bit of everything. Scotland is blessed with plenty of towns that tick some or all of those boxes.

Ok, so it may not have the kind of mountain ‘lifestyle’ towns found in much larger countries; there is no Whistler, Chamonix or Queenstown – thank goodness, some might say. But what Scotland does have is an enormously varied landscape that sparks the imagination of anyone with a love of the outdoors. And there are plenty of small towns, often with particularly Tempting towns (from top): Oban Bay by night; energetic, entrepreneurial individuals at their heart, that are learning to ski, near committed to becoming every bit as attractive to live in as Aviemore; enjoying the trails, Peebles the landscape that surrounds them.

But our pick is not just about the opportunities for outdoor adventure close by. We have looked for balance and all-round quality of life, so have taken a number of other factors into account: whether a town is culturally vibrant, whether it has a sensible housing market, good schools and a strong local economy (albeit a relative term at the moment).

We whittled an initial shortlist of 12 towns (sorry, no cities in this one) down to just five using our own knowledge of each location, plus input from local businesses, tourism groups, our followers on Facebook, plus a few relevant statistics such as average house prices (based on sales during the last five years). Then of course there are the unquantifiables. Some places just have a good feel to them.

The results are not especially scientific, and perhaps do not hold too many surprises – at least not in the first two – but nonetheless champion some of Scotland’s most fun and vibrant outdoorsy towns. Each one is very much alive, kicking and attracting new people from elsewhere. The locals may not always like it, but these towns are growing. And for good reason.

www.scotoutdoors.com

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29-38_ADVENTURE-TOWNS_AUT11_V2_Living it up 01/11/2011 16:56 Page 30

LIVING • SCOTLAND’S BEST ADVENTURE TOWNS

1

Aviemore, Cairngorms Population: approx 2,500 Average house price: £157,886

LIVING: Scotland’s only true ‘resort’ town, Aviemore is synonymous with outdoor enjoyment.

And how could it not be? Surrounded by dense Caledonian forest and with front row views to the Cairngorm plateau, the natural riches of the area are plain to see. The fact that this lively place, already with excellent yearround facilities and attractions, now serves as the premier gateway to the Cairngorms National Park has seen Aviemore up its game even more, making it our pick as Scotland’s top adventure town.

West-coasters will quibble saying Aviemore falls short because of its inland location, but with the Spey, watersports at Lochs Morlich and Insh, plus a host of other waterways to explore, the area is not exactly short on watery fun. However, it’s the almost North American sense of space and often epic landscape that seals it for us; a rich interplay between river, loch, mountain, and – perhaps

30

best of all – the deep swathes of ancient forest.

National Park status has made a huge impact on the whole area, putting down a quality stamp and driving a greener, more sustainable approach to living and working. It’s also increasingly business savvy. One of the first areas to recognise the power of a destination, local businesses now work together under the auspices of the Cairngorms Business Partnership to ensure a high quality experience throughout the National Park. The successful bid for and hosting of the prestigious Adventure Travel World Summit in 2010 signalled the area’s intent to put itself on the world stage.

Aviemore itself has long benefited from the millions ploughed into it by Macdonald Hotels and the family-friendly popularity of Hilton Coylumbridge but it’s the sheer variety, and quality, of accommodation providers, visitor attractions and activity providers all within 30 minutes’ drive that ensure a yearround buzz.

Not surprisingly, it is a magnet for those looking to work in the outdoors or just enjoy an outdoor lifestyle. Already home to Glen-

more Lodge, the National Outdoor Training Centre, and highly-respected wildlife holiday company Speyside Wildlife, Aviemore has seen the arrival of a variety of new outdoor businesses (from back-country bushcraft to high ropes courses) and also seen leading adventure travel operator Wilderness Scotland relocate from Edinburgh.

Tourist honey-pot it may be, but Aviemore is also a ‘real’ place in which to live (albeit with many attractive villages nearby for those who find it a little too touristy). Aviemore will soon have a new primary school – not before time, say locals – while there are high schools in Grantown on Spey and Kingussie. Meanwhile, demand for housing is such that plans to build what will effectively be a whole new town (An Camas Mòr) on the Rothiemurchus Estate have now been granted outline planning permission.

It’s well-connected too, with a mainline train station and the nearby A9 delivering commuters to Inverness (complete with international airport) in just 40 minutes. Oh, and the fact that the midges never seem as bad as further west doesn’t hurt either.

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

29-38_ADVENTURE-TOWNS_AUT11_V2_Living it up 01/11/2011 16:57 Page 31

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29-38_ADVENTURE-TOWNS_AUT11_V2_Living it up 01/11/2011 16:57 Page 33

LIVING • SCOTLAND’S BEST ADVENTURE TOWNS

Living large (clockwise from far left): sailing on Loch Leven; monkeying around at Nevis Range; Fort William High Street hosts the start of the Tour de Ben Nevis; views to the ski slopes of Aonach Mor

2

Fort William, Lochaber Population: approx 10,000 Average house price: £140,017

LIVING: A still gritty working town with an unlikely combination of heavy industry and tourism, Fort William itself will probably never be a thing of beauty but boy can you play here. It’s the winning combination of mountains and sea, plus easy access to a host of beaches, islands and hidden peninsulas rather than the town itself that makes Fort William such a hugely appealing place.

Once able to simply trade off its position at the foot of Ben Nevis, Fort William has really pushed on. It’s now the hub of the self-styled Outdoor Capital of the UK – a highly successful rebranding of the area that has won over many visitors and all but the most sceptical of locals. At its centre is a growing, energetic group of people that ‘get’ it; done well, adventure and outdoor tourism brings benefits to the whole area.

Major industrial employers such as Rio Tinto Alcan, the expanding BSW Sawmill, Marine Harvest and others remain, but they are no longer the only players in town. Nevis Range Mountain Experience, for instance, sees 80 full-time employees in winter – ranging from ski instructors to engineers – while the outdoor activity sector, including what once might have been considered marginal

www.scotoutdoors.com

‘lifestyle’ businesses, offer more year-round employment than ever before. The area has also seen a steady influx of new people, businesses and ideas, with the launch of two new kayaking operations and one mountain bike guiding company in the past 12 months alone. Meanwhile the annual influx of winter guides says everything you need to know about the area’s importance for climbing and mountaineering at this time of year.

Such focus on the area’s outdoor riches is reflected in opportunities for youngsters. It’s a wonderful place for kids to grow up – with many here because their parents moved to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle. And with the Outdoor Capital as its classroom, it is no coincidence that the University of the Highlands and Islands has based its new Adventure Tourism Management degree at Fort William’s West Highland College. The course has attracted students from all over Scotland (and overseas), with many of this year’s graduates staying locally, adding to the quality of a ready-made employment pool.

Like many small towns, Fort William has its economic problems; outdoor shops aside, the High Street is struggling (even with it being the end point of the West Highland Way), while too much of the town just looks down at heel. But, if you don’t care much for Fort William itself, you can always ‘commute’. Many do, preferring instead to live within vibrant outlying communities such as

Corpach, Banavie, Spean Bridge and Roy Bridge – many of which are within walking or cycling distance.

PLAYING: Where to start? Within five minutes of the centre of Fort William, you can enjoy outstanding sea and river paddling, see impressive wildlife, climb the UK’s highest mountain, test yourself on elite-level mountain bike trails, canoe, walk or cycle the Great Glen and sample some of the best diving in the country (plus learn at one of its top dive schools). Oh, and in winter, there is worldclass climbing and a ski centre with some of the best off-piste skiing and boarding in Scotland. No surprise then that the area is well used by national outdoor training centres such as Glenmore Lodge and Plas y Brenin.

(It’s also probably just as well that Fort William’s Belford Hospital is home to Europe’s second largest mountain trauma unit.) Add to that a ridiculous number of fun to highlevel events – including the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup – and it’s possible to play outdoors, doing something different, most weekends of the year.

DON’T MISS UCI Mountain Bike World Cup (June); skiing, boarding, zip-wiring and mountain biking at Nevis Range; paddling a captivating coastline. www.outdoorcapital.co.uk

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LIVING • SCOTLAND’S BEST ADVENTURE TOWNS

Port of plenty (clockwise from top): comings and goings in Oban Bay; Gylen Castle, Kerrera; dolphin spotting; paddling on the River Etive

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Oban, Argyll Population: approx 8,500 Average house price: £158,553

LIVING: Oban is often overlooked as an outdoor town, but it's hard to understand why given its gorgeous coastal location. Attractively laid out, with views over the nearby island of Kerrera to Mull and beyond, the town spills down from the hills into busy Oban Bay, its mix of grand houses overlooked by the town’s famous landmark, the Colosseumesque McCaig’s Tower.

Not surprisingly, this is a town that lives for the sea. Known as the ‘Seafood Capital of Scotland’, Oban retains a significant fishing fleet, the produce from which finds its way onto the tables of the many top-quality restaurants in the area. Some such as The Waterfront have expanded greatly in recent years, while newcomers such as Cuan Mor (which also has its own brewery) and The Waypoint Grill on Kerrera have only added to the area’s gastronomic reputation.

Oban is also a sailing hot-spot, with yachties enjoying some of the best cruising grounds in Europe. However it is the town’s position as gateway to the isles and main west coast hub for CalMac ferries that ensures a year-round

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hustle and bustle. The sheer number of visitors, including shoppers from the isles, ensures that Oban boasts a fantastic mix of eateries, cafes, bars and shopping facilities for such a relatively small town.

And let’s not forget, Oban is also a university town now that both Argyll College and the Scottish Association of Marine Sciences (SAMS) – itself one of the world’s leading marine science institutes – have become academic partners of the newly created University of the Highlands and Islands. A prime mover behind Oban’s Festival of the Sea, SAMS is an important employer in the area, although more jobs will be created on completion of a new European Marine Science Park to the north of Oban on the Dunstaffnage Peninsula.

Given its location, reasonable connections with the rest of Scotland (a scenic two-and-a-half hour drive from the Central Belt), good educational and medical facilities (including a hospital), it’s no surprise that Oban remains a very desirable place in which to live. The housing market is as stable as anywhere in Scotland, particularly at the higher end of the market. A smart new development at Ganavan Sands has all but sold out, while there are a host of smaller, outlying settlements to choose from for those who seek

their own corner of coastal heaven.

PLAYING: Oban has perhaps been slower than others to embrace outdoor tourism, but the area is hardly lacking when it comes to options – particularly for those who love the water. In addition to sailing, the surrounding coastline offers some of the best sea kayaking in Scotland – with the chance to encounter the area’s outstanding marine life – while there is top river paddling on the Orchy and Awe (also a venue for white water racing), plus open canoeing on Lochs Etive and Awe. The diving is also excellent. On land, there is great hill walking, usually with extensive sea views thrown in for your efforts, while the area is also becomingly increasingly popular with cyclists, with long stretches of the Sustrans route from Oban to Fort William now complete. Oh, and did we mention the islands? Hop on a ferry and the outdoor playground gets a whole lot bigger still.

DON’T MISS Tucking into locally-caught seafood; exploring the nearby Slate Islands and Corryv r e c k a n whirlpool; island hopping. www.oban.org.uk

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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LIVING • SCOTLAND’S BEST ADVENTURE TOWNS

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Peebles, Scottish Borders Population: approx 9,800 Average house price: £223,439

LIVING: Ok, so it’s this magazine’s home town, but the inclusion of Peebles is no mere editorial bias.

The town whose moniker is ‘Peebles for Pleasure’, is on a roll. Buzzing even. Just ask the 250,000-plus mountain bikers that come here to enjoy the trail centres at nearby Glentress and Innerleithen each year.

With its picturesque combination of hills, river – the Tweed runs right through it – and an abundance of spacious parks, this is a town that sits perfectly within the surrounding landscape rather than dominating it. With the woollen mills that once drove the local economy now all but gone, it is tourism that holds sway today. A steady stream of mountain bikers, anglers, golfers and walkers ensure that this is a year-round destination, rather than just a summer honeypot. All are encouraged to stay longer and explore the wider area by the Tweed Valley Tourist Consortium – an initiative that has given local businesses a voice and the area much more of a national identity.

Meanwhile, locals are being helped to work towards a more self-sustaining Tweeddale by Tweedgreen, an extremely active voluntary group that promotes greater use of local produce, sustainable transport initiatives and local energy generation.

Culturally, a town and area that has strong links with the likes of John Buchan and Sir Walter Scott seems more alive than ever.

The Eastgate Theatre provides a steady stream of entertainment, while a year peppered with festivals – from jazz to forest, arts, food and mountain biking (Tweedlove) – culminates in the annual Beltane Festival, a slightly

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bonkers (to newcomers anyway) week-long celebration of local legend that includes an impressive Riding of the Marches. This year even saw the first International Chutney Festival (One World, One Chutney) at nearby Neidpath Castle. Now that's culture.

Throw in excellent schools, a lively high street dominated by independent shops, good eateries, a steady influx of new businesses (including an excellent deli, and an award-winning chocolate and pastry school), plus easy commuting to Edinburgh and it is clear just why Peebles is proving so popular.

thing recognised by the Forestry Commission when it invested £9 million in its new Peel Centre at Glentress (a trail centre which is now the second most-visited attraction in Scotland, after Edinburgh Castle). Nearby Innerleithen – a downhiller’s dream – could even soon have a Nevis Range-style mountain bike uplift if ambitious plans go ahead. Local businesses have responded with a range of new bike shops and accommodation tailored specifically to the needs of visiting riders.

But Peebles is not just about knobby tyres. It also has an active hill running and road cycling scene (the town has hosted stage one of the Tour of Britain for the past two years), fantastic walking in the many nearby forests and surrounding hills and, of course, some of the world's very best salmon fishing.

PLAYING:

DON'T MISS:

This once rather genteel town has been transformed by one particular activity: mountain biking. The wider Tweed Valley is now a world-class destination for the sport, some-

The Scandinavian-influenced restaurant at Kailzie Gardens; Beltane Festival (July); Traquair House (and brewery); Dawyck Botanic Garden. www.visittweedvalley.co.uk

Jump to it (clockwise from top): a mountain biker at Glentress; Beltane Festival procession; Tweed Valley ospreys; Peebles in autumn colours

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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ADVERTORIAL

GREAT ESCAPES in Highland Perthshire ESCAPE ROUTE has been a leading independent cycling and outdoors retailer for 15 years. The store, located on the main street of Pitlochry, close to the start of a range of trails that span out into the hills and forests of Highland Perthshire, stocks a serious range of mountain bikes, road bikes, cycling clothing and accessories, outdoors equipment, footwear and clothing. Its workshop is staffed by highly-experienced bike mechanics with one aim: to get customersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; bikes and components working as smoothly as possible.

Escape Route is a great place to see, try and buy the stuff that customers read about in magazines or spot online.

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Always offering a warm welcome, Escape Route staff are equally happy providing advice on cycling, hill walking or just making the most out of any visit to Highland Perthshire. All advice is delivered in a fun and informed atmosphere where service comes ďŹ rst.

Pitlochry is slap bang in the centre of Scotland between Perth and Inverness. Staff take real pride in the fact that a great many customers choose to travel an hour or so up the A9 from the Central Belt and further to use their services.

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LIVING • SCOTLAND’S BEST ADVENTURE TOWNS

Wet and wild (clockwise from left): Highland Perthshire has some of the best whitewater rafting in Scotland; Pitlochry's picturesque main street; bungee jumping from the Garry Bridge

5

Pitlochry, Perthshire Population: approx 2,500 Average house price: £228,574

LIVING: Whisper it gently, but there is a quiet revolution going on in one of the Highlands’ most traditional towns. Pitlochry is as popular now as in Queen Victoria’s day, although there is rather more to it than when the monarch first stayed at nearby Blair Castle and proclaimed herself most pleased with the attractive setting and clean mountain air.

Today, Pitlochry punches well above its weight with the outstanding Festival Theatre a major draw for visitors and locals alike, while the town’s gracious Victorian architecture houses a variety of excellent restaurants, pubs (including a micro-brewery at the Moulin Inn) and an increasingly high-quality range of independent shops.

Active community engagement and a can-do attitude locally has resulted in a variety of events – Enchanted Forest, Winter Words Festival and New Year’s Day Street Party among them – that add a vibrancy to the town and surrounding area that extends well beyond the usual tourist season.

No surprise then that the town is growing rapidly, with several sites earmarked for a range of housing and additional develop-

38

ment. With its accessible location just off the main A9 trunk road and with rail services south to Perth and the Central Belt and north to Inverness, the town continues to attract its fair share of city workers (and families) looking for a less frenetic home life.

And while Pitlochry still sees plenty of coach parties, its facilities, gorgeous setting – home to some of the best autumn colours this side of New England – and growing number of outdoor-oriented businesses mean that it is also now increasingly drawing a younger, more active crowd who use it as an ideal base for exploring wider Highland Perthshire.

Walkers are well catered for by Pitlochry’s landmark hill, Ben Vrackie, as well as a network of way-marked trails alongside the River Tummel, Loch Faskally (complete with salmon ladder and viewing), and numerous wooded gorges, including the lovely Pass of Killiecrankie. Cycling, too, is a big deal, with Pitlochry well known among those who compete in the annual Etape Caledonia, the UK’s only closed road timed cycle event open to the ordinary cyclist.

With so much to do on the doorstep – and that’s before mentioning the history, castles, distilleries and assortment of other local interests – this is an area that offers an enviable quality of life.

PLAYING: ‘Extreme’ is not the first word you expect to be associated with Pitlochry, but those who like to get the adrenaline pumping can now add bungee-jumping – off the Garry Bridge in the nearby Killiecrankie gorge – to the range of eye-popping adventures available from the many activity providers in and around Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, Kinloch Rannoch and Dunkeld. Those into less risky pursuits will find Highland Perthshire a wonderful place for enjoying the outdoors, be it on foot, by bike or paddle.

Escape Route on Atholl Road is a mine of information about local routes and trails.

Further afield, Glen Lyon, Glen Tilt and Loch Tay are all within a 30-minute drive, while skiers and boarders can reach Glenshee in under an hour.

DON’T MISS: Dinner at the Port-na-Craig Inn followed by a show at the Festival Theatre; climbing Ben Vrackie is almost compulsory. www.pitlochry.org; www.highlandperthshire.org g

For readers’ thoughts on Scotland’s best adventure towns, see the lively discussion, www.facebook.com/scotland.outdoors.mag

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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ADVENTURE • SAILING THE HEBRIDES

WHERE THE WIND TAKES US PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM MANTHORPE

JIM MANTHORPE STEPS ABOARD THE EDA FRANDSEN, A LOVINGLY-RESTORED DANISH GAFF CUTTER, FOR AN EXCITING SAIL THROUGH THE HEBRIDES – ONE OF THE FINEST CRUISING GROUNDS IN EUROPE

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Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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Plain sailing (clockwise from below): leaning over the bow while crossing the MInch; Jamie high in the rigging; Eda at anchor off Ceann Iar, one of the Monach islands

www.scotoutdoors.com

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ADVENTURE • SAILING THE HEBRIDES

T

HE CREW of the big white yacht probably didn’t know what had hit them. Well, it was a grapefruit. A minute earlier we had placed it in the catapult and shot it 100 feet across the Minch landing a direct hit on the vessel that was overtaking us. This was not piracy on a Somalian scale, it was more Swallows and Amazons.

The ‘enemy’ saw the funny side and returned fire with nothing more than friendly waves. The sleek yacht slipped past leaving Eda Frandsen in its

“ ” wake, and was soon well out of grapefruit range.

Eda Frandsen is a 60-year-old gaff cutter, restored by the Robinson family from Knoydart over a fiveyear period in the 90s. They transformed the vessel from a decrepit Danish fishing boat into a beautiful live-aboard vessel now used for charter. In fact, they restored it twice. Days after it had been finished the first time it caught fire and they had to start again from scratch. The dedication has paid off.

This is no posh, modern yacht with chrome railings and buttons to press to draw in the sails like the flashy thing that just passed us. This is a traditional wooden craft where the sails are hoisted and lowered by hand and the timbers creak and

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groan as she rides each wave. You travel the way sailors used to, close to the wind and sea, unreliant on modern gadgetry. On Eda you have to get stuck in and know your halyards from your sheets. You have to work to get her moving. It’s a steep learning curve but one man on board can, quite literally, show you the ropes. Jamie Robinson, the skipper, is one member of the family that lovingly restored Eda and a man who has probably spent more time afloat than on land. Complete with sailor’s beard, and more than a few sea shanties in his repertoire, he and Penny, his wife, have sailing in their blood and spend most of the summer living on board Eda, guiding guests around their patch.

And what a patch it is. Based in Knoydart, near Mallaig, Eda covers what Jamie describes as “the finest unspoilt cruising ground in Europe”. And it’s hard to argue. A look at the charts shows a maze of sea lochs and sounds and hundreds of islands with romantic names. Some such as Skye, Mull and Harris are familiar, while others – Mingulay, Berneray, the Shiants – are less so. I've explored the islands from Barra to Lewis with the help of a CalMac ferry but, trust me, it’s much more fun on Eda.

SLIPPING AWAY We slip out of Loch Nevis on the first day of our week’s sailing. As a family friend, I’m lucky enough to have been invited on the Robinson family holiday, the one week of the summer when they take Eda out for their own pleasure; a busman’s holiday for Jamie and Penny.

“So where are we going?” I ask Jamie. “Where the

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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wind takes us,” comes the reply. I get the feeling he’s been asked this before. It’s the question that all land lubbers ask. With Eda, the wind decides where you’re going and on this day it was taking us to Canna.

“Will we see dolphins?” “Probably.” I think he’s been asked this one before, too. Despite living on the west coast I’ve only seen a few dolphins but have heard people returning from trips on Eda talking of 20 or 30 riding the bow waves. With a week of sailing ahead of us, my hopes are high.

It’s a short hop to Canna from Knoydart and we anchor in the sheltered bay as sea mist creeps through the rigging. The dim red light from another boat rocks from side to side in the fog like a lazy firefly. I squeeze myself into the tiny sleeping compartment and the creaking boat rocks me to sleep.

The next day is breezier and Jamie announces that the wind will be taking us to Mingulay. It’s a long haul across the Minch to this uninhabited island at the foot of the Outer Hebrides. As Jamie spins the wheel to catch the wind, the main sail cracks and fills, and Eda begins to move below the black cliffs of Canna.

“Minkes!” someone shouts and to our starboard we watch as three minke whales breach. They are probably the most common whale in the area but still a fine sight. Further on, we watch a gannet slice through a blue sky and then casually fold its wings, turn into a dive and plummet like a white dart into the water to spear a fish.

Life on board Eda is both relaxing and tiring. One minute you are lying on the deck with a book or leaning over the gunwale watching the spume lash against the bows when suddenly Jamie shouts

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across the wind and tells everyone to grab a halyard or a sheet.

Manhandling a mainsail is no easy task, especially when it’s billowing in the wind. At one point, two of us start hauling and then we have to “sweat” it, to get the sail as tight as we can and tie it off. I find myself on my back on the deck with my legs braced, like I’ve been shot. My crewmate pulls hard on the mainsheet to give us some slack and I haul it in. “Wee bit more!” shouts Jamie. We keep going until we hear “Okay, that’ll do” and make it fast round the cleat. Then we all go back to what we were doing: reading a book, staring out to sea, day-dreaming.

LAND AHOY

Life aboard (clockwise from opposite left): Eda at full tilt; rush hour at Mingulay; one of Eda’s ornate carvings; sailing across a benign Minch; jellyfish; puffins at the nest

Half way across the Minch, we are so far from land that none can be seen at all. I imagine ourselves to be drifting in the middle of the ocean. We aren’t, of course, but it feels like it and when someone with a pair of binoculars shouts that they can see land I feel like Christopher Colombus on his way across the Atlantic wondering what he might find. We hadn’t discovered America, but Mingulay – a rather different kind of place.

At first, it is just a little grey smear on the horizon, but as we draw closer, it becomes a towering and savage island. There’s little shelter for visiting craft on Mingulay. We anchor in the only bay on its eastern shore where a long grassy slope slips down to white sand and crashing surf. Beyond the dunes the land rises up on all sides to immense cliffs that fall away into a deep sea. The whole island

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ADVENTURE • SAILING THE HEBRIDES

is tilted to one side, with the eastern edge dipping gently into the sea and the western edge rearing upwards.

The island is deserted but immediately upon landing we can see that hadn’t always been the case. The ruins of a village, now engulfed by shifting sands, are the legacy of a time when Mingulay was home to a thriving community. The island was inhabited for around 2,000 years but the population dwindled through the 19th century as families were attracted to an easier life elsewhere. In 1912, the last six families left Mingulay leaving the stone houses to the sand and wind and the land to the puffins and rabbits.

That it was ever populated at all seems incredible; Mingulay is an inhospitable place even on a good day. It’s a tiny island on the edge of the Atlantic with barely any shelter and no natural harbour. The residents were frequently cut off for weeks at a time by storms. It is often compared to Hirta in the St Kilda archipelago, the most remote of the British Isles, but some say life was tougher on Mingulay because of the lack of an easy place to land a boat.

We are lucky; the sea is relatively calm and the surf lifts us gently onto the hard sand. Puffins buzz overhead as if powered by clockwork. We sit on the grassy slope and watch them flying to and from their burrows, painted bills full of sand eels.

But it is the seabirds on the cliffs on the far side of the island that I most want to see, so I set off up the slope to where it ends abruptly, the wind rushing up and over the top of the precipice. All around, kittiwakes and fulmars scream in the abyss, diving and spinning around. The cliffs and sea stacks here are over 200 metres high in places, among the highest in the UK, and populated by a vertical avian city.

As I walk along the clifftop, bonxies – great skuas – dive at me, trying to take a piece of my scalp and then, as I reach the great natural arch of Gunamul, comes the highlight of the day: just five metres away, perched on the edge of the cliff, asleep, is a young golden eagle. I watch it for five minutes before it turns its head, sees me and lifts itself over the edge, wheeling away higher and higher.

HEADING NORTH From Mingulay, Eda took us north. We spent a night in the natural harbour at Hellisay, and then had a frightening passage through the mouth of the harbour which was barely wider than the hull of the boat. Penny guided her expertly while Jamie stood ten metres above us at the top of the rigging calling out whenever he saw a submerged rock in the shallow water. Somehow, we zig-zagged our way past the obstacles and came out unscathed to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean where the wind was tearing white horses from the waves. We made good speed up to the Monach Islands and then on to the Sound of Harris where we anchored.

It was our last night and we still hadn’t seen any dolphins.

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Instead, the second largest fish in the world came to check us out; a shark’s fin was heading towards us but this was no great white, this was a basking shark, a harmless beast, nine metres long. The fin dipped below the surface and we watched it drift slowly beneath us, its gaping mouth catching everything in its path. And then it was gone and Eda swayed gently on the waves as we sipped G&Ts whilst listening to some fiddle and guitar and a couple of sea shanties from Jamie.

A week on Eda feels like a long time, in a good way. It was quiet on board as we sailed down the Minch past Neist Point; nobody wanted the trip to end. When we saw the jagged ridge of the Cuillin Hills we knew we were almost home but there was time for one last fanfare.

“Dolphins!” someone shouted and in the distance we could see maybe a dozen leaping over the waves. Suddenly they turned towards us and as they came closer we saw more. Twenty? Thirty? Soon there must have been fifty common dolphins, some with calves, riding our bow waves, leaping through the spume. They had showed up just in time. g

Time out (clockwise from top): sailing past Neist Point on Skye; a blur of dolphins – at last; relaxing at anchor in the harbour at Hellisay; G&Ts all round

ESSENTIALS Charters on the Eda Frandsen run from April to September and cost around £800 per berth for a six-day cruise and £1,100 per berth for a nine-night cruise. Three-night trips are also negotiable. Bedding and oilskins are provided and the food is delicious.

Destinations are dependent on the weather but are likely to be around the Inner or Outer Hebrides and possibly as far as St Kilda. www.eda-frandsen.co.uk

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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EXPLORE • FIFE AND TAYSIDE

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Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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Time and tide PHOTOGRAPHY: DAVID HODGSON; FIFE COAST AND COUNTRYSIDE TRUST; IDA MASPERO; KEN BARRY

THE REGION’S GREATEST OUTDOOR DRAW, THE FIFE COASTAL PATH CONNECTS THE VARIED VISTAS OF THE KINGDOM’S COAST, FROM CHARMING EAST NEUK VILLAGES AND WEATHERED CLIFFTOP RUINS TO DRAMATIC ROCK FORMATIONS AND REMOTE BEACHES. IDA MASPERO SETS OUT TO EXPLORE

A

break in the cloud on a blustery autumn day, and as the path rounds a headland, light falls on the orange crescent of a small, sandy cove, the ivy-covered ruin of a stone cottage perched at its far end. There’s not a soul in sight; to our left lie golden, latesummer barley fields and to our right a temperamental, green-grey sea. After a rest on the sand, we follow the path through lush burn-side woodland before leaving it to catch a bus from Boarhills back to our starting point in Crail. We’re damp from head to toe after a day traipsing through lashings of rain, skirting golf courses, tracing rocky shores and sandy coves.

This leg of the coastal path, between Crail and St Andrews, is known as its most remote.

Whereas the path further south and west joins the quaint East Neuk villages – Elie, St Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther, Crail – like a string of multicoloured glass beads with just a few miles between them, this bit has an altogether wilder, more exposed feel.

Merely a week earlier, beneath the blazing sun of an uncharacteristically hot September’s

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day, I’d been climbing up a cliff with just my sweaty grip on a heavy chain to steady me.

The Elie Chain Walk between Shell Bay and Earlsferry is one of the UK’s few via ferratas.

Apparently built in the 1920s, its stainless steel chains were renewed in 2007. At dead low tide, wide ledges of dark volcanic rock provide an easy route beneath the cliffs of Kincraig Point, but as the water rises, the eight chains support scrambles over large ribs of rock and along walls. The alternative high tide route along the clifftop is breathtakingly scenic, with views over wide sands to the twin villages of Earlsferry and Elie.

At the Earlsferry end of the Chain Walk, perfectly rounded, black pebbles clink-clank like metal balls underfoot as we cross the small cove at low tide – I was later told that rangers call this cove ‘dinosaur egg beach’.

Certainly this spot feels very prehistoric –

Golden sand, black rock (clockwise from top): mountain biking the path between Elie and Anstruther; a chain walk scramble with toddler; black pebbles of volcanic rock on ‘dinosaur egg beach’ near Earlsferry

impressive basalt columns soar above, remnants of Carboniferous volcanic activity.

The lava landscape of Kincraig Point is just one of many geologically fascinating spots along the coastal path. Further north and east, the path passes a number of spectacular sandstone formations sculpted by millennia of wind and weather – Caiplie Caves between Anstruther and Crail; Buddo Rock and the Rock and Spindle between Boarhills and St Andrews. Here and there on rocky shores, fossils may be found too – no wonder the coastal path is popular for geology walks.

Between Elie and St Monans, the path passes right by two medieval castles, Ardross and Newark. Perched impressively on the clifftop, their picturesque ruins still gaze out to sea. Equally strategically placed are the myriad of WWII bunkers encountered along the length of the route – this is coastal scenery spiced with dramatic remnants of history.

In contrast to the remote shores north of Crail and the charming fishing ports of the East Neuk leg, the southwestern stretches along the Firth of Forth are more built up and,

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along the newest extension between North Queensferry and Kincardine, quite industrial. Having explored the coastal path over a number of day walks down the years, I have been struck by how varied and full of character its landscapes are. But they are bound together by themes of heritage and geology ... and the timeless sea, in all its sparkling blue and stormy grey guises.

FIFE’S FLAGSHIP Billed as a long distance trail and designated one of Scotland’s Great Trails by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH), the Fife Coastal Path nevertheless lends itself perfectly to day walks – with regular local buses connecting points along the route, there is no need to retrace steps or leave a vehicle at each end. Indeed, in 2007 the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust (FCCT) commissioned a user and impact survey – probably the most comprehensive study of its kind at the time for a long distance route in the UK – which confirmed that the majority of users on the path are day walkers.

The study also showed that the coastal path is not only a big draw for visitors, but a big earner for Fife. It reported around half a million walkers a year, generating an annual income of between £24 and 28 million.

“Given the number of users and the economic benefits it brings to Fife, the coastal path is the Trust’s biggest priority. It’s a huge asset, a flagship,” confirms Amanda McFarlane, the FCCT’s Chief Executive.

Maintaining, managing and expanding Fife’s greatest outdoor asset is now a coordinated effort which prompted the creation of the FCCT in 2002. The Trust, under the leadership of McFarlane, immediately set to work linking up pre-existing little stretches of coast path which had been under the auspices of Fife Council or the former Scottish Enterprise Fife. “Those two organisations were behind the vision for the path and its early development.

But having two bodies involved gave rise to discrepancies in, for example, the waymarking and orientation panels.”

The formation of the FCCT and official launch of the route in 2003 brought a joinedup approach in the practical management and branding of the route. “The first thing we did was to come up with a new, very distinctive

East Neuk jewels: aerial view of St Monans (above); passing through Pittenweem (below)

Liaison with landowners is a key part of the rangers’ role. With most of the land crossed being in private ownership – some 22 golf courses, along with farms, estates and private individuals – maintenance of the path is dependent on the goodwill and support of landowners. “If part of the path falls in, for example, we work with the landowners to create an alternative route inland,” says McFarlane. “The rangers are our first point of contact, our go-between with landowners and our maintenance team. They smooth things over.”

While waymarking along the route is generally good, the orientation panels at key starting points are a different matter, admits McFarlane: “Some look very tired, and their styles differ due to the previous split management. But now we finally have the funds to replace all the orientation panels – it will make a massive difference.”

Quick facts ● The Fife Coastal Path currently runs 110 miles between Kincardine on the Firth of Forth to Newport on Tay, with an extension to Newburgh set to open this winter. ● As a multi-day walk, it is usually completed in five to six days.

However, day walkers account for most of its use. ● There are 49 ‘Welcome Ports’ along the route – businesses within 500m of the path that welcome walkers and provide toilet facilities. ● Local bus services connect most of the route, meaning you don’t have to retrace your steps on a linear day walk.

“MAINTENANCE OF THE PATH IS DEPENDENT ON THE GOODWILL AND SUPPORT OF LANDOWNERS” logo for the path.” Indeed, its wavy lines of blue, yellow and green – echoing the seashore – is now instantly recognisable on signposts.

From day to day, five of the Trust’s countryside rangers are at the front line of maintaining the path. The rangers carry out regular surveys of their designated sections, and pass on instructions for any repairs required to the FCCT maintenance team, which is also responsible for putting temporary diversions in place when, for example, a patch of path has washed away.

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TWO WHEELS TOO Back on the clifftop beyond Elie, we’re overtaken by cyclists and it strikes me how perfectly suitable much of the coastal path is for mountain bikes – note to self: come back on bike. “I think the path offers more to mountain bikers than might first be perceived.” agrees Edinburgh rider David Hodgson, who has explored several sections with friends. “It’s especially true the further east you go. The bit from Inverkeithing to Burntisland is really easy, so suitable for riders of all abilities, but my favourite section is

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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EXPLORE • FIFE AND TAYSIDE

Essentials

The official website of the Fife Coastal Path offers route and facilities information, downloadable maps, events listings and an accommodation directory. www.fifecoastalpath.co.uk

Leven to Anstruther. Not just for the riding, but for the scenery and the sense of history – on the bike you can cover a lot of ground quickly, leaving time to stop off and have a look around interesting places such as the 18th-century salt pans and windmill at St Monans.”

“From Anstruther to Crail the path is singletrack and great fun, never too challenging,” says Hodgson’s riding companion Phillip Taylor. But as the path crosses more remote terrain further north, it’s best suited to more capable riders, he feels. Picking a section to match your ability is the secret, as is carefully planning the return route if you want to make it circular. “The downside is how to make a suitable loop for a day,” Hodgson points out.

“The use of roads, albeit minor ones, seems to be needed.” However, for Hodgson and his companions, the coastal path by mountain bike is an experience they don’t hesitate to recommend.

BEST FOOT FORWARD Though it now traces an unbroken outline of the Fife coast over 110 miles, the Fife Coastal Path is by no means cast in stone, and it continues to evolve. This summer saw the launch of the south-western extension from North Queensferry to Kincardine, while the finishing touches are currently being put to a northern extension from the Tay Bridge to Newburgh. “This will be quite a remote stretch,” says McFarlane, “a different experience to the rest of the route. Rather than hugging the coastline, it cuts inland and goes up hills, so

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Varied vistas (clockwise from above): the Caiplie Caves between Anstruther and Crail; a ranger-led school walk at Aberdour; exploring the ruins of Newark Castle and the nearby doocot

For tidal stretches such as the Elie Chain Walk, check tide times when planning your walk (www.easytide.ukho.gov.uk).

TRANSPORT you get some great views.” She admits this deviation from the shore is not by design, but necessitated by access restrictions along the Tay estuary.

Ultimately, the plan is to extend the path beyond Fife and around the northern shores of the Tay estuary – from Newburgh up to Perth and around to Dundee. “This will add to SNH’s Scottish Coastal Ways initiative – the vision for a route all the way around the coast of Scotland,” explains McFarlane.

Along with new orientation panels on the ground, walkers can look forward to the first official coastal path guidebook, due for publication around Christmas time.

Comprehensive yet pocket-sized, the Trust sees this as a valuable business opportunity to expand its ‘Welcome Ports’ business partnership scheme. And in a bid to encourage younger people onto the path, the Trust is embracing modern multimedia and technology: it is planning the development of smartphone apps to bring interactive audio guides to people’s phones, and is working with Fife Historic Buildings Trust to fit webcams to their buildings that will capture wildlife along the path. “We’re eager to encourage young people and families onto the path,” explains McFarlane, “so we need to be innovative and use modern technology to make it more interactive and fun.”

Though its guardians are brimming with positive plans for its future, the path remains beholden to the power of the sea. “Coastal erosion is a very real challenge – we have some very tricky hotspots,” acknowledges McFarlane.

“There is no way we can fight nature – we need to work with it. That means bringing the path inland as the coast erodes.” Nevertheless, the Fife Coastal Path will continue to enchant as it traces shores shaped by the passage of time and the whim of the tides. g

The Fife coast is well served by public transport, meaning day walkers can plan a one-way linear trip pretty easily. Local bus services (www.stagecoachbus.com) connect most places, including the East Neuk villages, while rail links between North Queensferry, Kirkcaldy, Leuchars, Dundee and beyond connect it to the Central Belt and rest of Scotland (www.scotrail.co.uk).

MULTI-DAY AND GUIDED WALKS Planning a long distance walk along the path yourself is straightforward. Find places to stay at (www.visitfife.com/accommodation).

However, a clutch of operators offer organised holidays and support services. Fife Coastal Path Holidays (www.walkingfifecoastalpath.com), based in Pittenweem, can arrange a full package, or just accommodation or luggage transport, depending on preferences. Macs Adventure (www.macsadventure.com) also offers supported walking holidays of between three and seven days.

To explore the geology of the path with a knowledgeable guide, Angus Miller of Geowalks (www.geowalks.demon.co.uk) offers a programme of one-day walks and holidays.

Scotland’s Great Trails, a Scottish Natural Heritage initiative, comprises 20 long distance routes.

More information at www.bit.ly/greattrails

MAPS AND GUIDEBOOKS Cordee (www.cordee.co.uk) publishes a map for the path. Hamish Brown’s Along the Fife Coastal Path, published by Birlinn (www.birlinn.co.uk) contains in-depth information about history and heritage. There’s also The Fife Coastal Path – A Guide for Walkers by Gilbert Campbell (www.walkthefifecoastalpath.co.uk).

The FCCT’s own guidebook comes out this winter (www.fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk).

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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EXPLORE • FIFE AND TAYSIDE

Fife life FIFE'S LANDSCAPE MAY NOT BE AS RUGGED AS IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, BUT THERE IS STILL MUCH TO ENJOY IN THIS COMPACT JUT OF LAND BETWEEN THE GREAT FIRTHS OF THE FORTH AND TAY PHOTOGRAPHY: JANET FINLAYSON; RICHARD ROWE; LORNE GILL/SNH; SNOWDROPS BY STARLIGHT; CENTRE FOR STEWARDSHIP; BLOWN AWAY EXPERIENCES

A place to lay down FIFE IS SYNONYMOUS with sprawling holiday parks – especially along the sunny shores of the East Neuk and southern Fife, there seems no end to the rows of static caravans.

For those who prefer the simple pleasures of sleeping under canvas, finding a tentfriendly site in Fife is a real challenge.

But quirky options are available. Twenty minutes’ drive from Edinburgh, just outside Inverkeithing, Chris and Yvonne Barley provide a clutch of blissfully back-to-basics tent pitches in their sloping patch of woodland. Gimme Shelter – named after a song by the Rolling Stones, of whom Chris is a fan – offers an experience as close to wild camping as you could hope for so close to civilisation.

Dotted among the trees and connected by little footpaths, the pitches all have stone fire pits. With logs for sale, campfires are encouraged. Each pitch also has lovely, rough-hewn wooden furniture, handcrafted

by Chris. Facilities are rustic, to say the least, consisting of composting toilets and cold running water. The only caravan on site is a classic number parked up in the

woods and available for hire – the ‘glamping’ option. Cars are parked out of sight of the pitches and hens roam the lower wood near the Barleys’ cottage.

More conventional campsite facilities but the same static-caravan-free vistas are to be found at Nydie in the north-east corner of Fife. This family-friendly site is dominated by tents, though there are a handful of electric hook-ups for touring caravans.

Perched on a hill above St Andrews, Nydie offers panoramic views of the town, the nearby Eden estuary and the sea.

For those looking for a little more luxury, Nydie also offers ‘woodwams’ – cosy, insulated wooden huts that sleep four and offer home comforts such as foam mattresses, electric light, a small fridge and kettle, and proper garden furniture. Fire pits, braziers and barbeques are available for hire while the on-site play park is a godsend for parents.

FURTHER INFO Gimme Shelter www.woodlandcampinggimmeshelter.com Nydie www.nydie.co.uk

Seals galore VISIBLE FROM much of the East Neuk coastline, the Isle of May stands alone in the outer Firth of Forth, its main lighthouse for a long time providing much-needed security for passing vessels. Reaching the island at this time of year is difficult without your own boat, but is nonetheless a place to mark as a must-visit for the spring and summer months to enjoy its vast population of breeding seabirds.

At this time of year, however, the puffins, guillemots, razorbills and others are mostly long gone, although the many autumn migrants, some blown off course, see keen birders arrive to stay at the Isle of May Bird Observatory, the oldest of its kind in Scotland. The observatory is administered by a charitable trust and manned by volunteer observers from March to November. Up to six visitors at a time use basic living accommodation housed within the Low Light, a former navigational lighthouse.

But it is an altogether larger animal that takes centre stage towards the end of the year: the island is home to the largest colony of grey seals on the east coast of Scotland, with their numbers swelling to around 5,000 individuals between September and December when mothers come ashore to pup.

A National Nature Reserve since 1956, visits to the island by the public are not encouraged during this period for fear of disturbance, but the remarkable spectacle of more than 2,000 white-coated pups can be viewed from remote cameras installed at the Scottish Seabird Centre in North Berwick.

FURTHER INFO: Boat trips are available from Anstruther and North Berwick. www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/isle-of-may Isle of May Bird Observatory. www.isleofmaybirdobs.org

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A touch of wildness A WILD expanse of dunes and intricate sandbars, backed by forest, Tentsmuir Point on the Tay Estuary offers a wonderful mix of wildlife, history, botanics and bracing beach walks, all just a stone’s throw from Dundee.

It’s an incredibly fragile land mass that is constantly being moulded by wind and sea; at its most northerly point, the land continues to extend up to five metres each year, while the sea consumes a similar area of beach further to the south. This constant coastal realignment is illustrated by a line of concrete anti-tank blocks erected during the Second World War at what was once the high tide line.

Much of the new land is created by windblown sand from Abertay Sands, a system of sandbanks that stretch for several kilometres at low tide, fed by sediment deposited as the River Tay meets the North Sea. The sandbanks – and wider estuary – are home to a variety of shorebirds, while they also provide perfect haul-out sites for a yearround population of grey and common seals, which can often be seen at close quarters.

The common seals breed on the sandbanks in the summer, whereas the greys head for more isolated spots where they breed towards the latter part of the year.

Meanwhile, the dune heathland between the foreshore and adjacent Tentsmuir Forest – a great place for sheltered walks and cycles – provide ideal conditions for a variety of interesting plants.

But, for many, the best thing about Tentsmuir is the chance to run around on what is a vast stretch of sand, breathing in the sea air and watching the waves roll in.

FURTHER INFO Tentsmuir Point is a National Nature Reserve managed by Scottish Natural Heritage (for more, see the Big Picture spread in our spring 2011 issue). www.nnr-scotland.org.uk/tentsmuir

Woodland wonders FIFE’S LANDSCAPE may seem less than dramatic, dominated by rolling fields of cereal crops and pasture, punctuated by the ridge of the Lomond Hills and fringed by the sea.

But nestled here and there in gentle folds are stretches of woodland, and at two historic estates the woods can be explored on walks alongside arable fields, designed parkland and through glorious gardens.

On the outskirts of the pretty Fife village of the same name, at the foot of the Lomond Hills, Falkland Estate was once a private hunting retreat of the Stuart monarchs. Now, its forests, farmlands and Victorian-designed landscapes are open for all to explore for free.

On the lower slopes, a network of paths and bridges connects the picturesque parklands created in the 19th century, while a more rugged path meanders through the deep, wooded gorge of Maspie Den to Yad Waterfall.

From here, continuing on to the peak of East Lomond (434m) makes for a good walk with splendid views. Mountain bikers are welcome to ride the estate’s paths, while a purpose-built downhill mountain bike park, for use by Falkland Mountain Bike Club, is tucked away on the northern slopes of the hill.

The estate is being conserved and restored by a charitable trust, the Falkland Centre for Stewardship, under the leadership of its Hereditary Keeper. The Centre focuses on rural

www.scotoutdoors.com

sustainability – food security, employment, education and woodland management – with a range of courses and events on offer. In July, it also hosts the popular Big Tent Festival, a major eco/music event. In years to come, the Centre plans to make the forests of Falkland a showcase for woodland culture and sustainable forest management.

The claim to fame of Cambo Estate near Kingsbarns is its swathes of snowdrops – in late winter, 70 acres of woodlands on the estate are carpeted in masses of tiny white blooms. Cambo is in fact home to a national collection of specialist snowdrops and a thriving mail order bulb business. The path beside the burn and down to the sea makes for a perfect walk to admire the spring spectacle; it also links up with the Fife Coastal Path (see page 46). In addition, Cambo boasts magnificent gardens, and offers arts and crafts courses and family events – including ‘snowdrops by starlight’, a series of evening walks in February.

FURTHER INFO Falkland Estate, open all year, free admission. Big Tent Festival, 21–22 July. www.centreforstewardship.org.uk Cambo Estate and Garden, open year round, admission £5. Snowdrops by starlight runs from 11–19 February. www.camboestate.com; www.snowdropsbystarlight.com

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EXPLORE • FIFE AND TAYSIDE

Living Lomonds FIFE’S MOST prominent landmarks, the Lomond Hills – one of Scotland’s three Regional Parks – loom up out of the landscape close to Glenrothes and the village of Falkland. With their highest point at 522m, they are by no means giants, but nonetheless offer fantastic walking and cycling.

The main access points are at the Pitcairn Centre near Glenrothes, also the base for the park’s ranger service, and Lochore Meadows Country Park – a mix of woodland, rolling grassland and reclaimed coal mining wasteland, with Lore Ore at its centre.

Facilities at Lochore include a visitor centre, wheelchair-accessible bird watching hide at the west end of the loch, watersports and plenty of footpaths to explore.

The Lomond Hills were recently earmarked for significant funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the Living Lomonds Landscape Partnership – a project that covers not just the Lomond Hills but also communities to the north and south, including historic mining areas such as Benarty.

Led by Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, the scheme aims to celebrate the built and

natural heritage of the area. It will see the restoration of woodlands, dry-stone walls and historic pilgrim routes as well as the creation of new all-access paths. In addition, volunteering, training and employment opportunities will be created in heritage skills while a programme of activities aims to provide a stronger connection between people and the landscape.

FURTHER INFO Fife Coast and Countryside Trust www.fifecoastandcountrysidetrust.co.uk

Be blown away ST ANDREWS may be best known as the home of golf, but it is also increasingly recognised as the main venue for a rather more high-octane pursuit. Established by brothers Guy and Jamie McKenzie – recipients of the 2010 Scottish Thistle Award for Young Tourism Entrepreneurs – Blown Away Experiences offers land yachting on St Andrews’ West Sands, although other sites such as Lunan Bay, Arbroath and Belhaven Bay, Dunbar are also frequently used.

Billed as combining the grace of sailing with the roar and buzz of motor-racing, land yachting requires no previous sailing experience, with the main skills such as basic manoeuvres and stopping (just turn into the wind) mastered following a short briefing.

Looking a bit like a three-wheel dragster with a sail, land yachts can reach speeds of up to

35mph, with occupants hurtling along with their backsides just inches above the sand – terrific fun, particularly when racing in a group.

It may sound ‘extreme’, but land yachting is suitable for all ages – the oldest participant so far was well into his eighties. You don’t have to be super fit either, but having grappled with the sail on a really windy day, you’ll know you've had a proper workout.

In addition to land yachting, Blown Away offers a variety of other beach-based activities including stand-up paddle boards, surf kayaking and ZapCatting – speeding around in ridiculously fast inflatable catamarans.

FURTHER INFO Blown Away is one of the very few VisitScotland five-star activity companies.

Three-hour land yachting experience (including coffee and snacks): £55.00 per person. Available year-round (wind allowing). www.blownawaylandyachts.co.uk

ESSENTIALS GETTING THERE By road: Compact and easy to get around, much of Fife is connected by the A92 (from Dunfermline to Dundee) although the coastal roads are much more interesting.

By rail and air: Regular trains between Edinburgh and Dundee, with smaller towns connected by the Fife Circle. If travelling from further afield, Dundee Airport (www.hial.co.uk/dundee-airport) is served by flights from Belfast, Birmingham and London City.

ACCOMMODATION As befits the ‘home of golf’, there is a lot of golforiented accommodation available, particularly in and around St Andrews (see www.visitfife.com for plenty of options). Elsewhere, foodies will love

54

the Peat Inn (www.thepeatinn.co.uk) near St Andrews, a celebrated Michelin-starred restaurant with rooms, while those who want real peace and quiet can check into the lovely Gateside guest house (www.edensheadstables.com), near Falkland, which is set in several acres of mature woodland.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS Where better to start than exploring the delightful East Neuk fishing villages of Elie, St Monans, Pittenweem, Anstruther and Crail? If in Anstruther – the main departure point for the Isle of May – be sure to stop at the multi-awardwinning Anstruther Fish Bar (www.anstrutherfishbar.co.uk). Further along the coast, the ancient university town of St Andrews has fine beaches and an atmospheric

ruined cathedral – once the largest in Scotland – in addition to world-class golf. Talking of beaches, St Monans and Elie both have great stretches of sand, while those further south at Lower Largo and Aberdour are pretty good too.

For a change of scene, the Scottish Deer Centre (www.tsdc.co.uk) near Cupar provides an entertaining day out for the whole family, while the National Trust for Scotland-owned Falkland Palace and Garden (www.nts.org.uk) is also well worth a visit.

EVENTS The annual Fife Outdoor Access Festival (www.fifeoutdooraccessfestival.co.uk) in September offers a mix of events and activities, many of them family-friendly.

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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EXPERIENCE • WINTER WALKING

SLEEPING ROUGH PHOTOGRAPHY:

USING NATURE’S OWN RESOURCES – GRANITE, PINE AND SNOW – AN INTREPID ROB FLETCHER PROVES THAT YOU DON’T ALWAYS NEED A TENT TO ENJOY OVERNIGHT WINTER EXPEDITIONS

B

ALTIC TEMPERATURES, howling winds and poor visibility are well-known hazards in the Cairngorms in January and precisely such conditions greeted us as we shouldered our packs at the ski centre and set forth on a three-day trip.

Having been told to prepare for the worst, it was almost reassuringly unpleasant as we trudged our way over the shoulder of Cairn Gorm, then down towards the frozen expanse of Loch Avon below. But, as we settled into our shelter that evening, it was not the harsh weather but one of the region’s least ferocious mammals that was proving the main cause for concern.

For we had chosen a granite cavern to sleep in and, if the visitors’ book was to believed, the chamber was also the domain of Hamish – a resident rodent whose gluttony was matched only by his agility and speed. Given that we were carrying enough supplies for three days, we hoped the mouse was either absent or not hungry. Surely such a small creature would not be enjoying the snow-laden wind that whistled in from the north?

After a good feed and a dram or two to mark Burns Night we blew out the last guttering candle and settled down to sleep, mildly fearful of the scenes of destruction that might meet our eyes in the morning. But, despite the

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Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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experiences of previous visitors, Hamish left us unmolested. Either he had moved on for the winter or was nothing more than the ‘wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim’rous beastie’ of Rabbie Burns’ imagination.

Fortified by a cup of tea and having escaped the unwanted attentions of Hamish, we headed onwards and upwards from the shores of Loch Avon to an altitude where the snow and the slope combined to make crampons and ice axes a must. It was my first time in the

“ ” Cairngorms and, as we ascended, it became increasingly apparent why much of the higher reaches of this vast region, not just the ski centre, is a Mecca for lovers of snow.

While now far away Aviemore had offered only the merest glimpse of the white stuff the previous day, it all looked very different now. As we neared the frozen waters of Loch Etchachan – Scotland’s highest – we entered a monochrome landscape with barely a hint of exposed rock, let alone vegetation. With the icy surface moulded into a series of shallow troughs and ridges, viewed through the yellow tint of ski goggles it resembled a high altitude beach.

But it was spindrift, not sand that would have been blown into our sandwiches and, with visibility down to no more than 20 metres, we decided to abandon our ini-

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tial objective for the day – the summit of Derry Cairngorm, below which we had planned to dig a snow hole for the night. We headed instead for lunch in the shelter of the Hutchison Memorial Hut to wait for a break in the weather. However, the persistent high winds and heavy snow showers helped to formulate an alternative plan – taking us down along Glen Derry, then west up the Luibeg burn, where stately Caledonian pines offered an alternative shelter for the night.

Having not even seen a stunted shrub, let alone a tree, since the previous lunchtime, the sight of the first of the towering pines that still cloak much of the sides of Glen Derry was very welcome.

Our spirits were lifted further as, between the snow flurries, we Change of plan (clockwise were treated to a brief appearfrom opposite top): a first glimpse of Glen Derry; ance from the sun, and by dusk heading for the shelter of the ragged clouds had cleared to the pinewoods; emerging reveal the next day’s destination: from a granite home the summit of Ben MacDui. With tired legs, full bellies and bivvy bags nestled between the roots of ancient pines, sleeping al fresco was surprisingly cheering – all the more so as an array of constellations began to emerge from a clear and moonless sky.

Dawn brought unbroken blue skies and, over breakfast, we watched a group of about 30 hinds and calves head out of the woods up to the higher ground to feed – a sign of their confidence that the good weather would

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hold. Packing our rucksacks, we looked beyond the deer to the pristine white slopes of MacDui, which appeared ideal for our ultimate objective: to spend the final night properly amongst the snow.

Given that we’d spent less time on the high ground than intended we decided to take a slight detour over the ridge of Carn a Mhaim, before tackling MacDui itself, and were soon strapping on the crampons and peeling off jumpers as we gained height and emerged into the warming rays of the sun.

While the first two days had afforded few views, by the time we reached the summit of MacDui, the full splendour of the Cairngorms had become apparent. Lined up across the deep gulch of the Lairig Ghru were a formidable array of peaks – Braeriach, the Devil’s Point and Cairn Toul – while further afield the summits of Beinna’ Ghlo, Lochnagar, Ben Wyvis and Ben Nevis roughly picked out the points of the compass.

It was soon a question of finding a suitable snowfield to sleep in, however. Having found a deep drift with the aid of an avalanche probe, we duly set to work with our shovels, in two hours creating a chamber big enough for

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three weary souls and their belongings as well as communal space in which to cook.

As the sun dropped and the temperature headed in the same direction, it seemed strange that we were relying for warmth on our snowy abode. But, helped by some spicy pasta and the last of the whisky, a warmth and contented silence descended; the prospect of sleeping in a snowdrift just below the summit of Scotland’s second highest mountain suddenly seemed tempting, rather than just an option for the desperate or the insane.

The final reward came as the morning sun edged up over the eastern horizon, revealing a cloud inversion in the surrounding glens from which emerged an archipelago of insular peaks. Our final day’s walk over the sparkling snowfields was almost ethereal as we floated over the clouds and it was with reluctance that we made our descent to the rather dreary and earthbound lowlands below.

The three days had offered a memorable glimpse of the scenery of the Scottish sub-arctic, while the three nights had shown us how to live in comparative comfort by merely making the most of the basic materials on offer – granite, pine and snow. g

Blue sky thinking (clockwise from top): Braeriach across the Lairig Ghru; the author on the slopes of Ben MacDui; otherworldly wanderings above the clouds; sunrise eskimo-style

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STEMMING THE INVASION

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WILDLIFE & ECOLOGY • INVASIVE SPECIES

THEY MAY LOOK PRETTY ENOUGH, BUT SOME INTRODUCED PLANTS – AND ANIMALS – HAVE CAUSED HAVOC AMONGST NATIVE SPECIES, WITH PARTS OF THE HIGHLANDS PARTICULARLY BADLY AFFECTED, AS RICHARD BAYNES DISCOVERS

PHOTOGRAPHY: RICHARD BAYNES; LORNE GILL/SNH; JULIE PATON; SWT; JAMIE URQUHART; NORMAN TAIT; GRANT HOLROYD

A

SK MOST people to make a connection between rhododendrons and salmon, and they’d struggle. But along the banks of the River Orrin in Ross-shire, getting rid of invading rhododendrons has become a major part of maintaining and increasing salmon stocks.

As I walk up a gravel track above the river, the glossyleaved bushes cover the entire woodland floor to my right in a dense, monotonous mass which looks impossible to shift. On the left, however, as the land falls to the Orrin, it’s been cleared of bushes, leaving the woods open and attractive, and showing what can be achieved by a determined landowner. The river is on the 18,000-acre Fairburn Estate and factor Peter Hingston has undertaken a 15-year programme to eliminate the Rhododendron ponticum – rhodies, as those who battle them call them – which infest around 400 acres of the estate.

Down on the river-bank Hingston points to a small sidechannel. Ponticum roots had blocked it, so it silted up, but this one and others nearby are flowing again. He says: “It just needs a little bit of work to open the channels up and get them going – and then it’s the perfect habitat for planting eggs or young fish, or the hen salmon can come in when the river is high and actually lay her eggs.”

Hingston is working with Simon McKelvey of the Cromarty Firth Fisheries Board and Trust, which is committed to maintaining healthy fish stocks and river environments. McKelvey, in waders, knee-deep in the river, tells me: “There’s a huge benefit to the fisheries and the whole freshwater environment by removing rhododendron from the river banks. There’s more light gets into the river and this lets the algae grow on the stones.

That’s good food for invertebrates and then the fish of course can eat the invertebrates.

“By replacing the rhodies with native trees the insects that live on the trees fall into the river and are eaten by the fish – whereas the rhodie has very little insect life on it and in fact suppresses growth underneath it. The rhodie actually sterilises the whole area on the edge of the river.”

Shifting the estate’s ponticums will also let birds, mammals and other plants thrive, and make timber extraction easier.

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ROOT AND BRANCH It’s a prime example of the benefit of eliminating such an invasive species, and the Fairburn project is music to the ears of Julie Paton. She’s the rhododendron control officer for the Northern Highlands, backed by the Forestry Commission and other organisations. Employed by the woodland charity, Highland Birchwood, she has a major job on her hands.

While most rhododendrons are harmless, ponticum is invasive and has spread across vast tracts of the Highlands since it was introduced by the Victorians for flowers and game cover. Paton has to persuade estates to take on rhodie clearance, and then help them lever money out of the Scottish Rural Development Programme – up to £9,500 per hectare.

Sitting in the sunshine at Fairburn she spreads a map out on her lap. Each grey square on it is a tenby-ten-kilometre box in which rhodies have been found: much of the Highlands is covered in grey squares. Elsewhere, in Argyll and Bute, it’s estimated there are at least 12,000 acres of rhodies.

On the front line (clockwise One of the few Highland areas from opposite top): rhodie clearance on Rum; rhodie to declare itself rhodie-free is the blooms; the bud zone of isolated Knoydart Estate, north the plant showing the of Mallaig. Foresters there took ten shoots that grow from it; collecting salmon fry in the years to clear 500 acres at a cost of River Orrin; checking the £250,000. When I ask Paton if salmon fry; giant hogweed, another invasive species it’s possible to clear the Highlands of rhodies, she says wryly: “If your chequebook’s big enough ...”

Nevertheless, ridding private estates in the Highlands of ponticum is still her aim. (The Forestry Commission has a 15-year eradication programme for its own land).

Paton is initially trying to clear Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conservation. Fairburn is a leading light: “When an estate’s neighbours see what has been done it will help to persuade them to follow suit,” she says. “It’s going to be a long job, but if we just left it then in 50 years’ time we would see massive damage to the woodland environment.”

Especially at risk are the unique oak woodlands on the west coast. Where rhodies move in, she explains, they kill off the small native plants. Although the big trees carry

”

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WILDLIFE & ECOLOGY • INVASIVE SPECIES

on growing, the ponticum blanket will prevent their seed from growing: eventually just the ponticums remain.

Getting rid of the rhodies is labour-intensive. The standard method is chain-sawing the bushes, burning the brash and then poisoning the stumps. Mulching machines can be used, but levering and mulching, where bushes are pulled out by the roots and left to rot, is becoming popular. It can be quick and efficient, and is environmentally friendly.

Fairburn’s Peter Hingston has been impressed by a trial of it. He shows me a root ball that has been ripped out in a levering and mulching session: “The critical thing with the ponticum is to smash the root ball: if you can do that you will kill the plant.”

One of Paton’s biggest headaches comes in the form of landowners who insist on keeping ponticums. It just needs one to put an area at risk of reinfestation, and some people still enjoy the blooms and the privacy dense bushes can give them. But, she says: “I just have to keep trying.”

ANIMAL WORLD Rhododendron ponticum is without doubt the most serious alien threat to the Highland environment. Other invasive plant species are present but in nowhere near the same quantities. The principal plant offenders include Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, and Himalayan balsam, with heavy patches in some river catchments on the east coast and small amounts elsewhere.

In the animal world, even the energetic advances of the grey squirrel are being kept at bay by the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels project, with hopes high that greys can be pushed south of the Highland line and contained in the Central Belt. The isolated pocket of greys in Aberdeenshire is earmarked for eradication.

There is one alien mammal, however, that continues to make its mark in the Highlands. If you ever spot a plywood raft a metre long with a wooden tunnel on top in a Highland watercourse, you might wonder what it’s for. But if you look closely, you will see inside the tunnel a clay pad, and on this pad could be the footprint of a mink.

Since American mink were imported for fur farms in the 1930s and escaped, they have made steady inroads along our waterways. Unlike the otter with which it competes, it is a voracious predator that eats almost anything from fish to birds and their eggs, and its effect on watervole populations has been serious.

The Scottish Mink Initiative (SMI) is a new, three-year project that builds on smaller schemes in the Cairngorms, Aberdeenshire and the North West Highlands, which eradicated mink from some river catchments.

Following a survey that found no established mink in Sutherland, the initiative aims to link this area with other mink-free zones to create a 20,000 square kilometre area in the north of Scotland as a mink-free, safe haven for native species.

Blanket trapping for mink is labour-intensive – traps must be checked every day by law – so the SMI uses rafts instead. Buoyed by polystyrene, the rafts use an ingenious combination of materials: a wad of flower-arrangers’ oasis sponge soaks up water, keeping a pad of clay soft.

This is covered with a wooden tunnel, which curious mink

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cannot resist investigating. Volunteers check them, and when mink footprints are seen on the clay, it’s a one-off job for one of the four mink control officers employed by the project, or a trained volunteer, to set a trap and catch and dispatch the mink.

The project is funded by a variety of organisations including the Rivers and Fisheries Trusts of Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and will cost £920,000 over its three years.

Since it started in April, Hollie Walker, who heads the project, has signed up 100 volunteers to monitor mink rafts – from gillies and fisheries boards to interested local people. Volunteer involvement is key to its success, she notes, and to the project’s continuation once current funding runs out. “The mink control officers have done a lot of work getting the volunteers on board and we now have to keep the volunteers keen,” says Walker.

Rob Raynor is Scottish Natural Heritage’s mammal expert. He says this year there has been some worrying news, making the need for progress even more pressing: “We want to stop the mink colonising the far north. There are new records already of mink coming into Sutherland since we started, so we need to stop that now.”

Know your enemy (clockwise from above): American mink; rhodie bashing in Knoydart; watervole; captured mink in mid-snarl; mink raft

GETTING TOGETHER The organisations dealing with mink, squirrels, rhodies, knotweed, giant hogweed and other invasives all meet in the Highland Invasive Species Forum. Its Chairman is John Parrott, North Highland area manager for the

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charity Scottish Native Woods. He believes the scarcity of invasives other than rhododendron in the Highlands means it could be “ground zero” for removing all the invasives from Scotland, using it as a base from which to work.

But the rhododendron has to be dealt with first. “If you can’t bring it under control in the Highlands, there’s little hope of bringing it under control in the rest of the UK,” he says. “People have been playing at trying to get rid of rhodies for some time. There hasn’t been a concentrated effort and the finances haven’t been provided.”

That’s something he is hoping can be changed with Paton’s work and the enthusiasm of estates such as Fairburn. “We need to take a strategic approach to invasives control, rather than doing one bit at a time in isolation.

We need to clear them river catchment by catchment from the North.”

One source of help will be the new Wildlife and Natural Environment Act passed by Holyrood earlier this year. It makes it an offence to plant invasive species, and can even give control officers the power to order hold-out estates to take action.

Parrott says: “The powers required might seem draconian – you can imagine how landowners might respond, but it may be necessary. You can throw money at the problem for a few years and knock these plants back but getting those last few plants is always going to be extremely difficult.”

When I saw the Knoydart rhododendron clearance 18

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months ago, Head Forester Grant Holroyd said the key had been community involvement: using local people to do the work meant they bought into the scheme and were on the lookout for the reappearance of ponticums.

Parrott and his colleagues have learned the importance of getting communities involved too: “Spotting the last hanger-on is going to be almost impossible. We really need to rely at the end of a project on the local population buying into it and looking out for any new recurrence of the problem, and letting us know so we can literally nip it in the bud.” g

FURTHER INFO Fairburn Estate www.fairburn-estate.co.uk

Highland Birchwoods www.highlandbirchwoods.co.uk

Knoydart Foundation www.knoydart-foundation.com

Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels www.scottishsquirrels.org.uk

Scottish Mink Initiative www.scottishmink.org.uk

Scottish Native Woods www.scottishnativewoods.org.uk

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PHOTOGRAPHY:

READERS’ TALES • VISITING ST KILDA

Trip of a lifetime OUR SPRING ISSUE COMPETITION OFFERED THE CHANCE TO WIN A TRIP FOR TWO TO ST KILDA – THE MOST REMOTE GROUP OF ISLANDS IN THE BRITISH ISLES. OUR WINNER, JOHN WRIGHT, WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THE EXPERIENCE

I

HAD JUST returned from a holiday in Speyside and, having decided to give the computer a holiday too, reluctantly logged on to catch up with whatever emails were awaiting my attention. It was with great surprise that I opened a note from Scotland Outdoors to discover that I had won a trip to St Kilda.

I reread it a few times just to make sure, but, yes, it was true and I set about making the necessary arrangements.

The prize was for two – as can be imagined, this made me a very popular person. But my friend Alasdair, who was about to turn 21 and had just started as an intern with the RSPB, didn’t need asking twice.

In no time at all we were making the journey along Loch Lomond, through Glencoe, Fort William, Glen Shiel and over the bridge to Skye before arriving at Uig (via a necessary diversion to Talisker Distillery) for the evening ferry to Harris and our accommodation for the week.

Later that next evening, after some birding which included spotting a golden eagle hunting along a distant ridge, we were contacted by Angus Campbell, skipper at Kilda Cruises, to confirm the arrangements for the next morning.

It was a huge relief as I had been showing an unhealthy interest in weather bulletins and even the shipping forecast.

Our day of departure dawned cloudy but warm enough for the midges that attacked us at the pier. Thankfully, Orca II, our vessel, was there to meet us and we left the irritating brutes behind as we cruised out into the Sound of Harris. We were soon in the open Atlantic where, despite it being a calm day, there were some serious swells. However, skipper and boat

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Grand adventure (clockwise from above): John Wright by one of the old village houses; heading home; the towering Stac an Armin; village views; squabbling gannets

coped easily as we set course for St Kilda. As time went on, we started craning our necks to try and spot the first signs of the islands until there they were, getting nearer by the second in the hazy distance.

Once ashore, we were given a short briefing explaining what we could and couldn’t do by the resident National Trust for Scotland warden and were then free to explore. We could see the buildings of Main Street but decided to head through the nesting skua areas up to The Gap. Perhaps the bonxies were taking pity on us but we were only buzzed once before we were able to gaze across to Boreray, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin gleaming brilliantly in the sunshine, their towering ledges crammed with tens of thousands of gannets.

Nearer to us, fulmars nested on the ledges of Conachair, at 430 metres the highest sea cliff in the British Isles, while beneath our feet were interesting plants such as bright yellow tormentil, useful to the islanders for its herbal medicine properties.

We had just four and a half hours on Hirta [the main island] so we headed back down to Village Bay to explore the abandoned dwellings.

The National Trust for Scotland has restored a few of the houses and now uses them as stores and accommodation for summer work parties. One of the houses now operates as a museum which helps provide an insight into what life was like here for the islanders.

One constant of the trip were the wheatears that bobbed around, while we also spotted the St Kilda wren, which along with the St Kilda field mouse is separate from mainland populations.

It wasn’t long before we had to re-board for the return journey which began with a fantastic trip around the gannetries of Boreray, Stac Lee and Stac an Armin. This was one of the trip highlights. Angus took us around each towering stac and island, nesting gannets seemingly on every available ledge and thousands more wheeling in the skies above us. We spotted a couple of gannets on the water, fighting ferociously and oblivious to us as Angus skilfully nudged us ever nearer to get a wonderful view of these magnificent birds.

But all too soon it was time to head back to Leverburgh in Harris; we sat at the stern, enjoying the sunshine and watched as the archipelago slowly receded into the distance. g

Scotland Outdoors would like to thank Kilda Cruises and CalMac for making John and Alasdair’s trip possible. Turn to page 18 for details of this issue’s competition. For more from John’s trip, see our photo story at www.scotoutdoors.com

Scotland Outdoors Autumn/Winter 2011

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