Journal 51 Autumn 2011
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JOHN MUIR TRUST 10 The case for greater wild land protection 14 Examining the role JOURNAL of National Parks 22 Tales from the north 51 autumn 11 face of Ben Nevis Love wild places? Then join us. Glorious vistas, fresh air, freedom and well-being in the great outdoors – the John Muir Trust is about all of these things and more. For us and our members, wildness is essential. That uplifting feeling you get in the natural world, close to wildlife, absorbing distant horizons. That’s why we work to protect and enhance wild places for us and for future generations. If you’d like to join us, call 0131 554 0114 or email [email protected] CONTENTS 03 REGULARS 04 Foreword from the Chairman 06 News round-up 21 Testimonial Ben Nevis Distillery – the spirit of a wild place 32 Classic texts Island Years, Island Farm, Frank Fraser Darling 33 Book reviews A Dip in the Ocean – Rowing Solo across the Indian, Sarah Outen; My First Summer in the Sierra, John Muir, 100th Anniversary Illustrated Edition. Photographs by Scot Miller; It’s a Fine Day for the Hill, Adam Watson 34 Our properties: Glenlude, Scottish Borders Introducing the John Muir Trust’s latest property FEATURES 10 Time to act The John Muir Trust believes there is a strong case for improving statutory protection of wild land across the UK– with time of the essence 14 What next for our National Parks? A look back at the creation of the National Park system in England and Wales and some of the threats these special areas face today 18 Covering tracks Celebrating the successful restoration of a major hill track on the Mar Lodge Estate in the Cairngorms 22 Tales from the top Tall tales from a high-altitude day on Ben Nevis as part of the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games 24 Working with National Parks The John Muir Award’s links with a variety of National Parks provide an important UK-wide presence 26 Walk the line Thoughts from a mammoth walk along Scotland’s watershed JOURNAL 51, AUTUMN 11 PITLOCHRY OFFICE Editor: Richard Rowe John Muir Trust email: [email protected] Tower House, Station Road, Managing Editor: Susan Wright Pitlochry PH16 5AN telephone: email: [email protected] 01796 470 080 fax: 01796 473 514 Design and production: Various Creative email: [email protected] LEITH OFFICE This Journal is printed on Revive 100 Uncoated John Muir Trust stock, a recycled grade paper containing 100% 41 Commercial Street, post-consumer waste and manufactured at Edinburgh EH6 6JD a mill accredited with ISO 14001 environmental telephone: management standard. The pulp used in this 0131 554 0114 product is bleached using an Elemental Chlorine fax: 0131 555 2112 Free (ECF) process. We use a Scottish printer, Thomson Colour, who have excellent environmental www.jmt.org credentials, achieving environmental standard ISO 4001 in 2006 and the FSC and PEFC [email protected] standards in 2006. If you would rather receive your publications from the John Muir Trust electronically, please Cover photography email [email protected] First Light, Old Man of Storr, Isle of Skye © 2011 – LIGHTSTALKERS SCOTLAND The John Muir Trust is a Scottish charitable GLEN C CAMPBELL company limited by guarantee. Registered office: Inside front cover photography Tower House, Station Road, Pitlochry PH16 5AN Beinn na Caillich, one of the SHIRLEY GRANT Charity No. SC002061 Red Cuillin on Skye Company No. SC081620 © SHIRLEY GRANT WWW.SHIRLEYGRANT.CO.UK PHOTOGRAPH: PHOTOGRAPH: 04 FOREWORD Continuing our focus on JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNAL preserving wild land AUTUMN 2011 DOMINIC DONNINI PHOTOGRAPH: PHOTOGRAPH: From the Chairman John Hutchison introduces an issue of the Journal that does much to reinforce the John Muir Trust’s focus on highlighting the value of wild land and wild places Another character-forming walk for Elsewhere (p14), Ruth Chambers from me was my ‘First Class Journey’ while the Campaign for National Parks explores in the Scouts in the early 1960s, with the the question of whether National Parks 50-mile route finishing via Glenlude in in England and Wales are ‘working’ and the Scottish Borders. For this reason, to what extent they are achieving their the Glenlude estate which is now in aims. At the time of writing, I am involved our portfolio has a special resonance with a group that is assessing the need and John Thomas’s article (p34) takes for more integrated management of me back to those days when I tentatively Glencoe and Nevis, so this analysis ventured further afield from Edinburgh. is particularly useful for me. Our Chief Executive, Stuart Brooks, Talk of Nevis leads me to one of the most RORY SYME explores the need for a wild land inspiring days I have had on the hill for designation and the role it can play in some time when I joined 25 others to be restoring, maintaining and preserving enthralled by climber Dave MacLeod’s PHOTOGRAPH: PHOTOGRAPH: outstanding parts of our landscape. guided exploration of the north face of We will continue to take a strong lead Ben Nevis. An event that was part of a in this, working with governments, UK-wide series of celebrations marking Welcome to the Autumn 2011 edition natural heritage and environmental ‘One Year to Go’ to the London 2012 of the Journal, as we again celebrate our protection agencies and other NGOs Olympic and Paralympic Games, the day work and the beautiful landscapes held throughout the UK. was blessed with excellent weather as we in guardianship for the future. That land, One of these NGOs – the National Trust learned first-hand of Dave’s mental and plus our members and staff, are our most for Scotland – features in Shaila Rao’s physical approach to his craft (see p22). precious assets. I hope you will agree that article on the often intricate ecological Whether a member, supporter or staff this Journal transmits our enthusiasm to work involved in the restoration of the in the John Muir Trust, I hope that you ‘educate, conserve and inspire’. Beinn a’ Bhùird hill track on the Mar enjoy this Journal as a celebration of As a Lochaber resident, I’m pleased to Lodge Estate (p18). While this is located our work and the landscapes in our care. see the testimonial from the local Ben deep in the Cairngorms National Park, Please come back to us with comments, Nevis Distillery, where Manager Colin we can read too in Rob Bushby’s account ideas and opinions or simply to let us Ross has been an enthusiastic supporter how our work with the John Muir Award know what you would like to see in of our work for some time. We deeply continues to forge strong links with other future editions. appreciate and are greatly encouraged National Parks around the UK (p24). by such support from our corporate members. John Hutchison chairman In this issue, our educational theme john muir trust runs through book reviews such as Frank Fraser Darling’s Island Years, Island Farm (see page 32) and Muir’s own My First Summer in the Sierra (p33), both veritable classics. I hope that Ribbon of Wildness, Peter Wright’s book about his epic watershed walk through Scotland, will become a classic, too. The interview with Peter (p26) provides an engaging segue from Nic Bullivant’s article in the last Journal which recounted a wild walk from Glen Clova to Beinn Alligin –pretty well reversing the route of one of my own TGO Challenges from a few years ago. ROB BUSHBY Wild ridge (opposite): Striding Edge in the Lake District National Park; PHOTOGRAPH: the north face of Ben Nevis (right) 06 NEWS JOHN MUIR TRUST JOURNAL AUTUMN 2011 WILDLIFE AWARD FOR ARGYLL The first beaver families were released WALK ON THE QUIET SIDE BEAVERS in May 2009 as part of a five-year trial Visitors to Loch Ness can now explore The Scottish Beaver Trial in Knapdale, reintroduction and are now settled in the less-travelled south side of this Argyll has won the prestigious Lonely their new home in Knapdale. The trial, famous Scottish loch with greater Planet Wildlife Comeback Award. The a partnership project between the ease, thanks to the opening of a new award celebrates the trial as a must- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, 45-kilometre trail taking in the best see tourist destination over the last the Scottish Wildlife Trust and host the area has to offer. partner Forestry Commission Scotland, 12 months and recognises the site’s The South Loch Ness Trail, which was growing popularity. aims to determine how beavers will prosper in Scottish habitats and to officially launched in August, creates “We’re absolutely delighted to have assess their impact on the current a continuous, managed track along the received this award as only 24 were Scottish environment. south side of the loch, offering an ideal given across the whole world,” way primarily for walkers, as well as commented Simon Jones, Scottish The independent scientific monitoring off-road cyclists and horse riders, to Beaver Trial Project Manager.“This of the beavers is being undertaken by enjoy the surrounding landscape. The is a huge accolade and fantastic Scottish Natural Heritage, and it is their trail, which runs from Loch Tarff near recognition for the project and for final report at the trial’s conclusion that Fort Augustus in the west to Torbreck the local area.” will help to decide the long-term future on the outskirts of Inverness in the east, for beavers in Scotland. connects existing and upgraded tracks Beavers are native to the UK and were with new sections along the way.