Wildlife to watch out for

At any time of year Scotland is a brilliant place to watch wildlife, but now that Autumn is well and truly upon us and with winter approaching, here are a just a few things you should be looking out for in particular. Red Deer – Early summer is the best time to...

Hostile Habitats

This is a great read, and a book that I’ve looked at on quite a number of occasions now, either just for interest or for example, when I was looking for information in the lead up to my Summer Mountain Leader assessment. A great idea for a Christmas pressie,...

Great Glen Canoe Trail

This guide is an essential resource to help you plan your journey through the Great Glen across Scotland. As well as the calm waters of the Caledonian Canal there are the challenging open waters of Loch Lochy and Loch Ness. Here you will find advice on how to deal...

Path of the Paddle

Lessons from the master: A short film from canoeist Bill Mason illustrates the joy and poetry of paddling solo.  All the basic strokes used to control the canoe are rendered with perfect clarity through animated lines. Like what you see?  Share it with your friends on...

Beachwatch Cleanups

According to the Marine Conservation Society, Scotland has the highest average litter levels in the UK of six out of the seven sewage-related debris items: condoms, cotton bud sticks, nappies, tampons/tampon applicators, toilet fresheners, and sanitary...

Outdoor activity fatalities

Did the headline grab your attention?  Good. Having recently attended an event in Edinburgh (the SYHA Youth Residential Experiences Conference, which was very good I have to say), I was wowed by some stats that Gavin Howat (Inspector, Health & Safety Executive,...