SNIPPETS
Rob Mackay
- Beinn a’ Ghlo path given a new lease of life
- Overseen by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS), extensive
path repair and upgrading works on the Carn Liath path on Beinn a’Ghlo
have been finished. Beinn a’Ghlo was identified as a priority as part of
the five year National Lottery Heritage funded ‘The Mountains & The
People’ (TMTP) project with the total cost of repairing and upgrading
this route being just over £226,000, with £60,000 coming from the ‘Mend
our Mountains: Make One Million’ campaign.
There was a ceremony to mark the occasion in September 2019 when local
constituency MSP, John Swinney was there to see for himself the vast
improvement to the path and the surrounding habitats and soils. He also
met with some of the people who were involved in the repair of this
much-loved route, including contractors, path trainees and volunteers.
- Coul Links
![](images/Coul.png)
The long sweep of the sand from Embo to Loch Fleet, Julian
Paren, CC BY-SA 2.0
In February the Coul Links golf course development was refused planning
permission by the Scottish Government on being called in after the
Highland Council gave it approval.
- Glen Etive Hydro Schemes
- Last year, Highland Council approved a number of hydro schemes in Glen
Etive. There was considerable outrage and numerous objections to the
plans, particularly to the three schemes on the east side of the Glen.
It was felt by many that these were wholly inappropriate in what is both
a National Scenic Area and a Wild Land Area. NEMT submitted objections
or comments on these three schemes.
What has been happening since the schemes were approved? While work has
started on a new overhead powerline, new passing places on the road and
on a couple of the schemes in the forestry on the west side of the glen,
no work has started on the now confirmed schemes on the east side.
Planning for the Allt Chaorainn scheme seems to be the most advanced.
The intake weirs for this will be of significant size with no clarity as
to how they will withstand severe weather events. Equally troubling are
plans to blast and ‘peck’ a trench through the bedrock to accommodate
the penstock (pipe). This sort of large scale engineering simply should
not be happening in a designated landscape.
- Climate change alters Highland red deer gene pool
- Researchers on the Isle of Rum have found that climate change has had
an impact on the breeding patterns of the red deer on the island. Not
only do warmer temperatures encourage deer to give birth earlier in the
year, it has also meant the gene for breeding earlier has become more
common among Rum deer. A team of scientists made the discovery using
data collected over a 45-year period. They described this finding as
“documented evolution in action”. The gene which causes earlier births
is much more common amongst the deer that give birth earlier in the
year. Studies have shown that the deer are giving birth earlier since
the 1980’s at a rate of about 3 days per decade. This is partly due to
the effects of warmer temperatures and a milder climate on the deer’s
physiology and behaviour.
- Wild Cats bred in captivity to be released into the wild
- A major reintroduction of Scottish wild cats project has been
established with the support of SNH and EU funding of £3.2 million.
The project is being led by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and
the plans include the establishment of a re-introduction centre at the
Kincraig Wildlife Park. The intention is to release 60 animals over a
six year period starting in 2022. Potential release sites are being
explored within the Cairngorm National Park. A spokesperson stated that:
“Using wildcats from the existing captive population, as well as cats
from Europe to boost the gene pool, the reintroduction centre will
provide a sustainable source of wildcats for years to come."
- Huge £5.4 m. project to plant a million trees alongside the River Dee
- The River Dee Trust, working in partnership with the Dee District
Salmon Fishery Board, has already started the ambitious project by
planting species like alder, willow, rowan, birch, aspen and Scots pine
along the tributaries of the famous Aberdeenshire river. It is thought
this may help to lower the water temperature which is harmful to young
salmon and also benefit biodiversity in the area. The partnership has
already planted 200,000 trees with the co-operation of the Invercauld
and Balmoral estates. The target of a million trees planted may be
reached within a 15 year time period.
A SNH project is also using the plantation of 8,000 broad-leafed trees
in North Highland and the construction of six new culverts to aid the
passage of salmon and trout up the tributaries to spawning grounds. This
project also discovered a new colony of freshwater pearl mussels; the
success of pearl mussels is closely linked to having a healthy fish
population in rivers.
- Aspen champion wins Nature of Scotland Award
- Stewart Taylor has made a huge contribution to the preservation and
encouragement of aspen within the Cairngorms National Park. He recalls
many years ago seeing “little aspen survivors hanging on a windswept
cliff top” and in recent years has been a key member of the Aspen
Steering Group. Stewart moved to the Cairngorms in 1976 as the first
RSPB Osprey Warden at the Loch of Garten. He comments about the Aspen
tree: “It’s a beautiful tree that supports many overlooked species”
- Attempt on winter continuous round of Munros
- Kevin Woods, climber, is currently in the process of attempting to
climb all the Munros – he is calling it ‘Winter 282’. He is using a car
to travel from area to area and is being supported by a variety of
family members, friends and fellow climbers. Not surprisingly he has
encountered stormy conditions with gales, heavy rain and snow.
Martin Moran was the first climber to make a successful Winter round and
the other one I recall was Steve Perry. Anybody else? At the time of
writing Kevin Woods has completed 228 with 54 more to do – he is posting
on Facebook
with a wee commentary of every day, photos and the occasional video.
This is his latest commentary at the time of writing:
“Really good day today above the north side of Loch Cuaich with Helen.
Pretty wild at points, but breaks of sun too - definitely dramatic.
Spindrift on Sgurr a' Mhaoraich, river crossing below Gleouraich,
Spidean Mialach at last light. Saw moonbows (?) on the way down as
showers were passing through. Finished the evening changing Helen’s car
tyre and dinner at midnight!”
- NEMT on Facebook
- We are now active on Facebook!
Please look us up (@NEMTScotland), follow us, post comments, and
participate whenever you can.
NEMT
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