BIG COUNTRY
How mountain biking put Scotland on the world map
On the pull with Scotland’s coastal rowers
THE ROAD TO THE ISLES
Explore by kayak, boat, train and more …
THE TROUBLE WITH SEABIRDS
International study examines a worrying decline
PLUS: Top five Scottish trail runs • How mountains are ‘heighted’ • Tales from a wildlife filmmaker
www.scotoutdoors.com
Spring 2013 £3.80
STICKING THEIR OAR IN
! s t s e r o F g n i Your Surpris ngantach! B hu r Coil lt ea n Io
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A word from the editor
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Orkney p58
Inchnadamph p16
his issue opens with both a welcome and a goodbye. Not to mention a thank you. After five years and 19 editions of this magazine, I am taking a break and leaving Scotland Outdoors in the extremely capable hands of new owners. Launched in summer 2008 – just in time for the recession! – the magazine has come a long way since its first edition; built around a passion for exploring Scotland’s outstanding natural riches, and a desire to showcase them to others, our small team has sought to create a magazine that inspires, entertains and informs in equal measure. That will continue under the guiding hand of new owners, who are not really new at all; Edinburgh-based, the team at CMYK Design has been with us from the beginning and are as much a part of the magazine as our writers and photographers. Experienced publishers as well as accomplished designers, they know this magazine inside and out, and are the perfect people to take it forward. Scotland Outdoors is in very safe hands. All that leaves me to say is thank you – to our readers, advertisers, distribution partners, contributors and all who have championed the magazine, particularly in the early days. A special note of thanks goes to my colleague and, often, guiding light, Ida Maspero, whose personal and professional support, and sheer instinct for magazines, has helped me stay the course. I hope you enjoy our latest issue; it’s one that I’m particularly proud to bow out on. Richard Rowe Editor, Scotland Outdoors
Outer Hebrides p28 Spey Bay p36
For J. Always.
Boreraig p16
WINNER Best small publishing company magazine PPA Scotland Awards 2009, 2010 p45
Glen Doll p16
EXPLORE ROAD TO THE ISLES
Scotland Outdoors online You can find our website at www.scotoutdoors.com Cambo Estate p24
Look out for special online features and sign up for our e-newsletter to receive regular updates
Inner Hebrides p28 Isle of Seil p38 Ardcastle p16
Join us on Facebook and tell your friends! www.tinyurl.com/somagfb Yarrowford p16
You can also follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/scotoutdoors
PHOTOGRAPHY: COVER: ENJOYING THE TRAILS IN FISHERFIELD, NORTHWEST HIGHLANDS, ON A COAST TO COAST JOURNEY. PHOTOGRAPH: ANDY MCCANDLISH/WWW.ANDYMCCANDLISH.COM ABOVE LEFT: RIDERS AT THE MOUNTAIN BIKE WORLD CUP, FORT WILLIAM, WWW.FORTWILLIAMWORLDCUP.CO.UK
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CONTENTS
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Contributors
John Aitchison
Fiona Russell
Fresh from filming a groundbreaking new series on the Hebrides for the BBC (to be aired in May), BAFTA- and Emmywinning wildlife filmmaker John Aitchison talks about his love of wild places and why his home patch in Argyll is every bit as special as more exotic locations. Outdoor passions, page 28
Outdoor writer and blogger Fiona Russell thoroughly enjoyed her trip to the Isle of Seil near Oban to learn about the Scottish Coastal Rowing project – and how the local community is building its own traditional skiff to race in the growing number of regattas held around the Scottish coast. All at sea, page 38
CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPHY: STEVEN MCKENNA; ULLAPOOL COASTAL ROWING CLUB; ANDY HAY/RSPB; DOUGLAS WILCOX; JIMMY PRENDERLEITH; VICKI FELGATE; SUSIE ALLISON; CAMBO ESTATE; THE MUNRO SOCIETY; MARAMEDIA/OTTER FILMS; ANDY MCCANDLISH
Douglas Wilcox
Ellie Owen
Rarely found too far from his sea kayak for any length of time, Douglas Wilcox has an encyclopaedic knowledge of paddling around the Scottish coast. However, he has a particular love for the clear waters and magical seascapes around Arisaig on the Road to the Isles. It’s easy to see why. Casting a spell, page 45
RSPB research scientist Dr Ellie Owen has worked with seabirds around the world for ten years, but has been hooked on them for much longer. As Ellie explains here, she now heads a team studying the foraging secrets of vulnerable seabird species as part of a pioneering European project. FAME and fortunes, page 58
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58 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 (2013) 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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FEATURES SPOTLIGHT The wheel deal
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With its acclaimed trail centres and vast network of natural trails, Scotland has become a major player on the world mountain biking stage. Richard Rowe asks what’s next for the development of a sport that has seen extraordinary growth over the past decade
ADVENTURE All at sea
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Fiona Russell looks at an inspiring project that has seen coastal communities collaborate to raise funds, build and race traditional skiffs in regattas around the Scottish coast
EXPLORE ROAD TO THE ISLES
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Casting a spell
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Road tripping
The waters off Arisaig are a magnet for sea kayakers, with Douglas Wilcox just one of many paddlers to have lost his heart to this magical area
WILDLIFE & ECOLOGY FAME and fortunes
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With our seabird populations facing seriously declining fortunes, a pioneering international study hopes to reveal Atlantic seabirds’ foraging secrets by using GPS technology. Ellie Owen, RSPB Scotland conservation scientist, explains
Steeped in history and romance, and famed for its spectacular scenery, the route west from Fort William to Mallaig offers some true wilderness to be explored
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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Competition Win a guided mountain biking experience – plus extras!
Big picture Spey Bay, Moray Firth
Reader survey Tell us what you think of the magazine – and enter our competition to win a fantastic holiday in Glencoe!
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News Outdoor news from around Scotland
Subscribe Order a personal or gift subscription today!
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Top Five ...
Trail runs
From easy routes close to urban centres to epic backcountry journeys, Scotland has trail runs to suit every taste
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Events Get active with our round-up of outdoorsy events
Board and lodging
Cambo Estate, Fife
Decadent yet homely, Cambo House offers a stately – and botanically-rich – sanctuary on the Fife coast, discovers Richard Rowe
Day in the life Ever wondered how the heights of mountains are determined? David Batty lifts the lid on the ‘heighting’ work of The Munro Society
Outdoor passions Argyll-based wildlife filmmaker John Aitchison may have filmed around the world – collecting two BAFTAs and an Emmy in the process – but remains in awe of the wild beauty on his doorstep
Innovations A glance at some of the most innovative new outdoor products
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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
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Torridon by microlight, Jimmy Prenderleith En route to Tunskeen bothy, Galloway, Bobby Owens Ardfern Marina, Argyll, Susan Rowe Readying the BBQ, Kinshaldy Beach, Fife, Fiona Leslie Doggy paddle, Rothesay, John Fraser A Buddhist monk posing at the Falls of Dochart, Killin, Frank Wenzel 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 Alternatively, you can share them on our Facebook page: www.tinyurl.com/somagfb
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Scotland Outdoors Spring 2013
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