Winter 2012 taster

UP IN THE

AIR

How Scotland’s ski centres are planning for the future

A photographic year in the life of North Harris

MEANDERING WITH MINISTERS A two-day jaunt through the Angus Glens

RIDING TO THE RESCUE

Restoring Scotland’s ravaged montane woodland

PluS: Star-gazing hot spots • life as a reindeer herder • The rise of Scottish freeski • Creag Meagaidh

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Winter 2012 £3.80

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A word from the editor

T

ime sure does fly. Scotland Outdoors has now been in existence for a little over four years, clocking up a total of 18 issues during that time. We’ve covered a lot of ground editorially, grown substantially and developed a good feel for what our readers would like to see in these pages.

Like all publications, we hope that the balance is about right, but it’s always wise to pause for a moment and check that we are on the right path. That’s why this issue carries a short reader survey – one that asks some questions about us, plus a few questions about you. We’d be hugely grateful if as many readers as possible could complete the survey. It shouldn’t take more than a few minutes to fill in – with the chance to win a fantastic self-catering break in Glencoe for those who do. See page nine for full details, or go online at www.scotoutdoors.com/survey We’ve already anticipated one area of improvement by revamping our subscriptions offer. As you will see on page 15 (and online at www.scotoutdoors.com/subscribe) we now offer one-, two- and three-year subscriptions for wherever you are in the world. Dare we say it, buying a Christmas gift subscription for your nearest and dearest has never been easier.

But enough about us, you’ve got a magazine to read!

And there’s plenty to get your teeth into, including a look at how Scotland’s ski centres are planning for the future, a visually stunning portrait of North Harris and a dip into the outdoor riches on offer in the Angus Glens and Eastern Perthshire. As ever, we hope you enjoy it.

Richard Rowe Editor, Scotland Outdoors

North Harris p38 Moray Coast p16 Isle of Skye p16 Cairngorm Reindeer Centre p26 Lecht p30

CairnGorm Mountain p30 Creag Meagaidh p30 Glen Nevis p16

Nevis Range p30

Glenshee p30 p48

EXPLORE Glencoe p30

ANGUS AND EAST PERTHSHIRE

Blair Atholl p24

WINNER Best small publishing company magazine PPA Scotland Awards 2009, 2010 Scotland Outdoors online You can find our website at www.scotoutdoors.com Look out for special online features and sign up for our e-newsletter to receive regular updates

Edinburgh p16

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

Galloway Forest Park p16

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

PHOTOGRAPHY: COVER: GLASGOW’S GARETH MCLEAN THROWS A HUGE FLIP AT BUTCHART’S CORRIE, GLENSHEE SKI CENTRE. STEVEN MCKENNA/SKI SCOTLAND, WWW.STEVENMCKENNA.CO.UK ABOVE LEFT: ALL SMILES ON A WINTER WALKING COURSE, GLENSHEE, JANEY ANDREWS

www.scotoutdoors.com

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CONTENTS

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Contributors

Tilly Smith

Laurie Campbell

One of a team of herders at the Cairngorm Reindeer Centre at Glenmore, Tilly Smith highlights just what is involved in caring for an animal that is very much at home in Britain’s only arcticalpine environment.

Day in the life of, page 26

Celebrated wildlife photographer Laurie Campbell is renowned for a dedicated approach to his art.

He needed all of that commitment on his most recent assignment – to chart the natural history of the North Harris Estate over a year.

Hebridean challenge, page 39

CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPHY: NEVIS RANGE/CHARNE HAWKES; LAURIE CAMPBELL; JAMES CARRON; SHEILA WESTWATER; ALAN TOUGH; ALEX SMITH; MARTIN THACKERAY; STEPHEN FARTHING; NEIL MACGRAIN

James Carron

Billy Bodles

Regular contributor James Carron is our go-to man for longdistance walks. Here, he jumps at the chance to savour the wonderful wildlife, history and landscape of the Angus Glens on a two-day jaunt through the hills.

Mix and match, page 48

Botanist William (Billy) Bodles is project manager for Action for Mountain Woodland – a new initiative that aims to reverse the decline in Scotland’s vulnerable montane woodland habitat and spread the word about its plight.

Cliff hangers, page 60

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60 The Scotland Outdoors team Editor: Richard Rowe t 01721 588140 e richard@scotoutdoors.com Associate Editor: Ida Maspero t 0131 4676121 e ida@scotoutdoors.com Editorial Assistant: Hilary Little t 01721 588140 e hilary@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

Scotland Outdoors is published quarterly. It is available by 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 ISSN 1757-224X All contents © Big Bend Publishing (2012) This magazine is printed on Claro Silk, which is FSC-certified and produced using ECF pulp.

Subscriptions: Hilary Little t 01721 588140 e subscriptions@scotoutdoors.com Printing: J Thomson Colour Printers Published by: Big Bend Publishing Port Brae House, Port Brae, Peebles, EH45 8SW, Scotland

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Scotland Outdoors Winter 2012

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FEATURES

INDUSTRY

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Slippery slopes

Each winter, the first dusting of snow is met with nervous anticipation by Scotland’s ski centres – will the winter bring good conditions, and enough business to keep them going, or will they have to limp along for another year? Ida Maspero investigates how our ski centres plan to survive

PORTRAIT Hebridean challenge

39

Renowned wildlife photographer Laurie Campbell’s latest assignment involved a much broader brief than usual – to capture the natural history of North Harris through an entire calendar year. The results are nothing short of breathtaking

EXPLORE ANGUS & EASTERN PERTHSHIRE

48

Mix and match

54

Away with the fairies

An under-visited part of the Highlands, the Angus Glens offer fabulously wild walking full of history and interest, as James Carron discovers on a two-day jaunt from Glen Isla to Glen Clova

WILDLIFE & ECOLOGY Cliff hangers

60

Holding on for dear life, Scotland’s mountain woodland – one of our scarcest habitats of all – is now the subject of several conservation and restoration initiatives. Billy Bodles, co-ordinator of the Mountain Woodland Project, explains

As one of Scotland’s major snowsports centres, Glenshee – the ‘Glen of the Fairies’ – is an obvious hotspot for outdoor adventure, but the area is about much more than just its ski slopes

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

REGULARS

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Reader adventures Reader photographs of wild getaways

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Big picture

Innovations A glance at some of the most innovative new outdoor products

Creag Meagaidh, near Loch Laggan

Reader survey Tell us what you think of the magazine – and enter our competition to win a fantastic holiday in Glencoe!

News Outdoor news from around Scotland

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Top Five ...

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Places to enjoy the night sky The dark sky ‘movement’ is gathering pace in Scotland, with a host of sites now recognised as offering particularly impressive views of the night sky. Here are five of the best

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Events

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Get active with our round-up of outdoorsy events

Board and lodging

Blair Castle Woodland Lodges, Perthshire

Ida Maspero and family find a cosy hideaway where nature and history blend

Subscribe Order your Christmas gift subscriptions today!

Competition Win a four-night wildlife watching break in Speyside – plus an overnight canoe trip

Day in the life Tilly Smith spills the beans on life as a reindeer herder in the Cairngorms

Outdoor passions Neil MacGrain combines a coaching career developing Scotland’s promising young freeskiers with his own photography business

Reading Our pick of some of the very best new outdoor titles

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READER • ADVENTURES

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

Who done it?

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1 Quiraing view, Isle of Skye, John Newall 2 The rarely-spotted Giant Caledonian Thorny Stick Insect, Martin Booth 3 Paddling with the Paps of Jura for company, Ian Fairbairn 4 Doing battle with the foam on Dalmore Beach, Lewis during a photography workshop, Sheila Westwater 5 Clachtoll Beach, near Lochinver, Emma Crates 6 Feeling good after completing the Craggy Island Triathlon, Kerrera, Nikki Bester 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 Winter 2012

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