Loch Ness hosts world’s first rewilding centre

DUNDREGGAN, the world’s first rewilding centre, opens tomorrow at Glenmoriston near Loch Ness. The site will act as a visitors’ centre for the 10,000-acre Dundreggan estate, where conservation charity Trees for Life is restoring the Caledonian forest to help wildlife. The centre includes a café, a space for events, and 40 bedrooms. Steve Micklewright, Trees…

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Two tartans launched in Edinburgh

TEXTILE designer Araminta Birse-Stewart has launched two tartans at The Scottish Textiles Showcase, a boutique in Edinburgh. Her “Highlands at Dawn” and “Highlands at Dusk” designs were triggered by Scotland’s skies. Birse-Stewart, founder and creative director at Araminta Campbell, explained that her inspiration for the designs came from her childhood holidays spent exploring the Highlands,…

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Review: The Malt Vault at Karma Lake of Menteith

James Robertson visits the Malt Vault at the Karma Lake of Menteith hotel. AS SPRING emerges on the horizon, many distilleries start to gear up for an increase in whisky tourists. Nestled at the foot of the Trossachs is the Karma Lake of Menteith, a hotel that is now part of a collection of worldwide…

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Highlands Rewilding buys Argyll’s Tayvallich Estate

THE Highlands Rewilding project today revealed it has raised the £10.5 million it needed to buy the 3,500-acre Tayvallich Estate in Argyll. The initiative, which already owns Beldorney in Aberdeenshire and Bunloit near Loch Ness, raised the funds ahead of last night’s deadline. Highlands Rewilding announced in December that it was in exclusive talks to…

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Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture

THE Scottish Youth Award for Excellence in Mountain Culture has been presented to Steph McKenna from Lochaber. McKenna divides her time between local charity Lochaber Hope and local business Off Beat Bikes. Last summer, she worked as a seasonal ranger with the John Muir Trust and ran a junior ranger scheme. “We live in such…

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Scotland’s ‘ice age’ pinewoods on knife-edge

THE remnants of the Caledonian pinewoods could be wiped out within a generation, according to a study unveiled today. Four years of analysis by conservation charity Trees for Life – the first major research into Caley pines for more than 60 years – found that “high deer numbers, spread of non-native conifers, lack of long-term…

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Cairngorms star in new Markus Stitz bike film

A NEW film about a 165-mile bike journey through the Cairngorms has been released online for free. The film, made by biking veteran and author Markus Stitz, documents the connection between the environment of the national park and its residents, along with the businesses they run. “Home Is Where The Trails Take You” captures a…

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Highland women celebrated in podcast

THE stories of Highland women are being celebrated in a new series of podcasts. The programmes were commissioned by Museums & Heritage Highlands and XpoNorth Digital, which supports creative businesses. The series, which is hosted by Pauline Moore, uses archive material to tell the stories of women from the Highlands. Jewel thief Mary Marjory MacDonald,…

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St Andrew’s Day marked by kirk bells CD launch

PERTH marked St Andrew’s Day with the launch of a CD of carols featuring St John’s Kirk’s “carillon”, an instrument that controls ringing bells. St John’s Kirk in Perth has 63 bells, the largest collection in the UK. Eight were cast before the Reformation, including Perth’s oldest bell – the “Ave Maria” – which was…

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Airships could fly in Highlands and islands

AIRSHIPS could soon be flying over the Highlands and islands following the launch today of a concept study. Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has teamed up with Highlands & Islands Airports (HIAL) to investigate if its Airlander 10 airships could be used to carry passengers and freight. The airship, which uses technology from aeroplanes and helicopters,…

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