Easter Holidays in the Cairngorms National Park

Easter Holiday time is around the corner...... and it's time to plan where to go and what sort of holiday you prefer. If you dislike the hustle and bustle of busy hotels or living in a city apartment what are your options!  

You can rent a caravan or hire a tent, all just a bit cold, or you could decide to take a cozy cottage holiday. Holiday cottages and homes come in all shapes and sizes tiny ones for two people or large ones for ten to twelve people or more. They can be quaint and crooked or up to date with all the mod cons.

You can find one with a loch view which is every ones picture of a real country cottage, or many of them have a hot tubs or games rooms for kids!   They can be in the depth of the Cairngorms National park away from it all, where woodland and wild flowers are in abundance, or in a small village where the local shop sells anything and everything.

For the first time in 15 years it looks like we are going to have an Easter holiday with full skiing and snowboarding available on all three of our Ski resorts, Lecht near Tomintoul, Glenshee in Royal Deeside and the Cairngorm Mountain near Aviemore.  Why not let the kids enjoy a Scottish ski holiday like the old days before easy jet.

If you like the idea of farming life where the children can see the animals and feed the hens, you’re in luck because many highland farms rent out the little cottages on their land some even have a horse to ride.

Climbing, hiking and mountain biking holidays are very popular for the fit and hardy in the Cairngorms National Park, you can find a cottage or a cozy wooden chalet on the side of a Cairngorm Mountain in the Scottish Highlands.

Many cottages allow dogs; imagine their delight with so much open space and all the different smells that send them ecstatic with joy.

What ever you decide, check www.CairngormsHolidayCottages.com for the widest range of holiday accommodation in the Cairngorms National Park

Going Wild for Wildlife in the Cairngorms

If you are wild about wildlife in the Cairngorms National Park why not sign up for the first ever Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum next month?

The event on Saturday 17th April at Boat of Garten Community Hall is designed to get people with a passion for biodiversity across the Park together to help build on the collection of data already available regarding wildlife in the Park.

The Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum is being organised by the North East Scotland Biological Records Centre (NESBReC) with support from the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA). There will be a number of talks and presentations from countryside rangers, CNPA staff, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Butterfly Conservation Scotland as well as ample opportunity for networking with fellow wildlife enthusiasts.

Dr Annie Robinson project officer with NESBReC, based at Aberdeen University said: "We are lucky to have some great speakers and a very interesting and varied programme for this up and coming event. Similar NESBReC events have had large turnouts and we are hoping for a great success for this inaugural event in the Cairngorms National Park."

Willie McKenna, CNPA Board member said: "This will be a great day for people to share their passion for recording wildlife, to learn more about it and help contribute to the National Park Plan by collecting data on the Park's rich biodiversity."

April's event marks an important stage in publicising the Cairngorms biological recording system that collates and manages all species and habitats records for the Park, which is one of the actions outlined in the Cairngorms National Park Plan.

The Cairngorms Wildlife Recording Forum is a free event, however booking is essential. For more information or to book please email Annie Robinson or phone: 01224 273633.

in reference to: Cairngorms National Park Authority: News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Some Facts About the Capercaillie

The capercaillie, once widespread throughout Europe and Asia, is Britain’s largest game bird – so large that its nickname in Gaelic is ‘horse of the woods’. Having been hunted to extinction in the eighteenth century, the bird was successfully reintroduced into Scotland fifty years later. Now, however, the species is under pressure once again.

Some Basic Facts About the Capercaillie

The capercaillie (scientific name Tetrao urogallus) is a member of the grouse family. It is noted for its size (roughly the same as a small turkey) with the males reaching 86cm in height with a wingspan of up to 125cm and weighing around 4 kg. The female is substantially smaller. Male birds are blackish grey in colour and the females are reddish brown.

The range of the capercaillie is large, extending through the pine forests of northern and central Europe, northern Asia and Siberia. They thrive in natural pinewoods, where they feed on seeds and forest fruits, especially blueberries, and can also live in man-made plantations, as long as their basic requirements are met. Where habitats are not ideal the birds may still survive but there will be a significant impact on their breeding.
The birds nest on the ground, often at the base of trees, where they will typically lay 5-8 eggs. The males are notably territorial and aggressive – they have been known to attack large mammals - and even to take on humans if threatened. In spring the male birds come together to perform a ritual known as a ‘lek’, in which they display their tail feathers and produce a range of spectacular wheezing, popping and gurgling noises.

The Capercaillie Under Threat

There are many threats to the successful existence of the capercaillie. Once native to Britain, the birds were hunted to extinction in the eighteenth century, the last pair thought to have been killed in Aberdeenshire in 1785. After several failed attempts at reintroduction, thirty-two birds were brought from Sweden in 1837. The reintroduction was a success and the birds are currently found throughout the Scottish pinewoods, most notably in the Cairngorms National Park. For more info check www.capercaillie-life.info and for info on the Cairngorms www.Cairngorms.co.uk

Insider 2010. 17th to the 20th June 2010, Inshriach House.

In April 2009 the owners of Inshriach House, Ord Ban Restaurant and Backwoods Productions decided to have a party. They had a venue and some friends and 6 weeks to convince the cream of Scottish folk and contemporary artists they weren’t joking. They sprinkled in the finest local food and washed it down with tasty ales and called it The Insider.

www.insider2010.com

Fast forward to January 2010 and the Backwoods board re-convened (down at the Old Bridge Inn, again with ale) and all were in agreement. The Insider should happen again, a bit bigger and with another stage and lots more bands.

Forward planning was never a Backwoods strong point but The Insider 2009 generated a huge dollop of goodwill so you can expect us to pack a cutting edge and eclectic line up, the best food in the valley and some right tasty beverages.

For now we are keeping our full line up close to our chests but to whet your appetite here is a little taster; Joe Acheson Quartet, Sparrow and the Workshop, Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers, King Arthurs Men, Mike and Solveig (with Mike Heron, of Incredible String Band), Jo Mango, Three Blind Wolves, Donna Maciocia, The Banana Sessions (of course), Horndog Brass Band, Jack Sandison and the Holy Ghosts, The Injuns, Claes Cem, John Langan Band, Over the Wall...

Video postcard from Cairngorm

If you've never skied in Scotland then check out the video of what it like. It's had a good winter with bumper levels of snow and record number of visitors, so it seems a pretty good time to visit.

There are many myths about skiing in Scotland. Some love it and swear it is the soul of British sking, while others simply turn their noses up at just the prospect of it.

The PlanetSKI content editor, James Cove, takes a personal and objective look at skiing in Cairngorm - the skiing, the resort and the surrounding area.

in reference to: PlanetSKI | News | Video postcard from Cairngorm (view on Google Sidewiki)

Big BioBuzz Day Saturday 22 May 2010

Your chance to get involved in a unique wildlife and plant recording event happening in the Cairngorms National Park!

The Cairngorms Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) is running three 24 hour events in the Cairngorms National Park to celebrate the International Year of Biodiversity 2010.

The Park communities of Grantown-on-Spey, Kingussie and Ballater will play host to the Big BioBuzz Day on Saturday 22 May 2010 to coincide with International Biodiversity Day and Scottish Biodiversity Week .

The Big BioBuzz Day is aimed at getting folk involved in exploring and recording wildlife on their doorstep, with the ultimate goal of collecting as much information as possible on local animals, plants and habitats.

Staff from the Cairngorms National Park Authority, local ranger services and other nature experts will help to identify plants, birds, mammals, insects and amphibians, and how and where they live. They will pass on knowledge and showcase obscure or unusual species. Local schools are also being encouraged to participate.

As well as providing the perfect opportunity to get out and about to explore what’s happening right on your own doorstep, you can also enjoy other activities. These will vary from community to community, but are likely to include storytelling, puppet shows, green woodworking, chainsaw demonstrations, lathe woodworking, nature games, building wildlife homes and much more. Evening events focusing on nocturnal species and dark skies are also planned.

We’ll be publishing more information about the Big BioBuzz Day over the next few weeks and months, as the programme is finalised, along with details of other events taking place throughout the year (see below). So bookmark this page to keep up to date with what’s happening and don’t miss out on being part of this unique event!
Contact

For more information, please contact Stephen Corcoran, Cairngorms biodiversity officer:
Email: stephencorcoran@cairngorms.co.uk
Tel: 01479 870528

in reference to: Learning (view on Google Sidewiki)

Mossie Housing Development Refused

The planning committee of the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) has refused an application for 193 houses in Grantown-on-Spey at its meeting in Boat of Garten this morning (5th March)

The recommendation put forward by planning officers was to refuse the application to develop the area known locally as "The Mossie". Planning committee members turned down the proposals because of the potential for flooding, the area's high nature conservation value especially for breeding waders and invertebrates, and the unsuitability of the design of the proposed houses.

in reference to:

"Mossie Housing Development"
- Cairngorms National Park Authority: News (view on Google Sidewiki)

New Event on 20 and 21st March. Skier and Boardercross Competition

News and events
New Event on 20 and 21st March. Skier and Boardercross competition sponsored by Salomon and ESP(Elgin).

There will be a new Boardercross slope build close to the Buzzard lift. Plans still to be finalised but afternoon of Staurday 20th there will be a practice period with individual non-stop timmed runs. Top 30 will qualify for the competition on afternoon Sunday 21st. Rest will be through heats on Sunday.

Ski and Boardercross is a high risk event and helmets will have to be worn and other protective gear is recommended. More details to follow soon. Planned race days.
11 March 2010 Scottish Schools Senior Championships
13/14 March North East Childrens Championships

http://www.lecht.co.uk/8.html

in reference to:

"New Event on 20 and 21st March.  Skier and Boardercross competition sponsored by Salomon and ESP(Elgin)."
- Welcome to the Lecht 2090 - Scotland's ski and snowboard destination. Lecht resort, skiing scotland, snowboarding scotland, mountain biking scotland, ski aberdeenshire, snowboard aberdeenshire, ski resorts, snowboarding scotland, skiing scotland, snowboar (view on Google Sidewiki)

Pubs, Bars and Clubs in the Cairngorms National Park

The towns and villages dotting the Cairngorms National Park offer the holiday maker a great selection of pubs, bars and clubs, from Blair Atholl, north to the nightlife hub in Aviemore, over to Grantown-on-Spey, Ballater and beyond. The list below details some of the 'best of the best' pubs, bar and nightclubs in the Cairngorms National Park. For more formal places to wine and dine, check out our Cairngorms Fine, Wine and Dine information page.

in reference to:

"The towns and villages dotting the Cairngorms National Park offer the holiday maker a great selection of pubs, bars and clubs, from Blair Atholl, north to the nightlife hub in Aviemore, over to Grantown-on-Spey, Ballater and beyond. The list below details some of the 'best of the best' pubs, bar and nightclubs in the Cairngorms National Park. For more formal places to wine and dine, check out our Cairngorms Fine, Wine and Dine information page."
- Cairngorms Holiday Cottages (view on Google Sidewiki)

Bears, lynx, wolves and elk considered for reintroduction into Cairngorms

A report compiled for Britain's largest national park, The Cairngorms, has identified 23 species of mammals, birds, amphibians and fish that once thrived in Britain and have the potential to live here again.

Ecologists who wrote the report, which is still in draft form, claim that large carnivores such as wolves, brown bears and the Eurasian lynx can all have beneficial impacts on the environment and act as a huge draw for tourism.

in reference to: Bears, lynx, wolves and elk considered for reintroduction into British countryside - Telegraph (view on Google Sidewiki)

AREA WALK 3 - GLEN BANCHOR TO CLUNY OR LOCH DUBH

Cairngorms National Park - Newtonmore

AREA WALK 3 - GLEN BANCHOR TO CLUNY OR LOCH DUBH

From the village square take the Glen Road (opposite the village hall), marked in yellow on the map above, and continue, crossing three cattle grids, till you reach the end of the tarmac road. This area is shown as Lurg (An Lurg -- the ridge) on OS 1:25,000. At the end of the public road cross the Dalchurn Bridge, also known locally as Shepherds Bridge. This area is known as Dalchurn (Dail a’ Chaorainn -- the meadow of the rowan tree) and up to the right from the bridge can be seen the remains of the old township that was inhabited until 1874.

Lurgan, Dalchurn and other settlements that you will pass on your way up Glen Banchor were the original habitations lived in before Newtonmore was founded. The Glen was heavily populated at the beginning of the 19th century, but gradually, as their small farms became uneconomic or as the land was let for sheep farming, the people moved into the new community of Newtonmore, which was growing in the area, or left the vicinity. The type of houses they lived in at the start of the 18th century can be seen at the Highland Folk Museum at Newtonmore. The final big exodus was in 1876 when five families from the townships of Westerton and Easterton had to leave because the land on which they lived and worked was let as a sheep farm. Continuing along the road you will see the remains of Westerton, to the north just before you cross the bridge over the Allt Fionndrigh (Allt Fionn-ruighe -- the burn of the white sheiling-ground). Having crossed the bridge you pass Glenballoch, until recently the last inhabited house in the glen. Turn left to the River Calder and continue along its bank past Dallballloch (Dail Ballach -- the meadow of the mottled place) till you reach Carnegies Bothy, marked Dail na Seilg (Dail na Seilg -- the meadow of the hunting), on the OS 1:25,000 maps.

1. Continue to Cluny,

At Dail na Seilg cross the River Calder by the footbridge and take the estate track through the Strath an Eilich (Strath an Eilich -- the valley of the mill-lade) and reach Cluny on the Laggan Road, 6 miles from Newtonmore. To avoid having to walk back to Newtonmore along the road, walkers can take the morning post bus from the Post Office, get off at Cluny Lodge and tackle the walk in reverse direction. In the summer months there is also a bus to Fort William which will set you down at Cluny.

 2. Continue to Loch Dubh

For Loch Dubh: turn North-west and either follow the path from Dalballoch along the north bank of the Allt an Lochain Duibh (Allt an Lochain Duibh -- the burn of the black lochan) or the path which converges with it from Carnegies Bothy. Loch Dubh is a picturesque but sombre lochan under dark cliffs 2 miles from the junction of Allt an Lochain Duibh and the River Calder.

For more infomation on walks and other activities please check the local village web site www.Newtonmore.com for accommodation ideas why not check www.NewtonmoreHolidayCottages.com 

WIN a Winter White Family Outdoor Activity Break to Aviemore!

Experience a 4-night outdoor activity break for a family of up to four, at the luxurious Cairngorms Holiday Cottages near Aviemore. Nestling in the heart of the Cairngorms

in reference to: Wild Day (view on Google Sidewiki)

Wild Camping Crack down at Loch Morlich

Shocked to read that local authorities and the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) are considering actions to reduce OUR rights to wild camping in the Cairngorms National Park.

They say the police were called to the beauty spot of Loch Morlich & Glenmore on four occasions last year, but Northern Constabulary confirmed none of these were serious incidents. I’m not sure how this makes it a problem area? As they get more calls in an hour to the Aviemore high street, at the weekends. Loch Morlich will just have to get used to having people wild camping in the area and start to offer better facilities, just as more litter bins, dog waste bins, and a recycle station for cans, glass paper and plastics. Why don’t we start to embrace all who want to wild camp, whether young or old? Even before the Outdoor Access Laws, teenagers from all over the Cairngorms have headed out to key spots to camp and enjoy themselves, this a right to passage to become an outdoor enthusiast. There is room for everyone from teenagers to families, wild camping is a right.

Below are some wild camping tips for all you wild campers!

Whether you are a beginning camper or an experienced one, it’s always good to have a list of camping equipment you need to take with you.


Food
It is a good idea, just to prepare food. Make a list before you want to prepare meals and go shopping. You can always check the Internet for a good camping recipes. To hand dry spices like salt, pepper, spices, sugar and cream in powder form. Be sure to staple foods such as coffee, bread, potatoes, Tommy K, mustard, onions, bacon, put eggs, and marshmallows.
Sleeping Equipment
The tent is a very important part of the campsite. Make sure it is waterproof and has a roof drain for rain. Add a tarp or ground cloth under the tent. Make sure the tent is stored in a dry place so that it is free of mould. Include sleeping to keep you warm and keep an air mattress for you off the ground. Do not forget the Pillow.
Lighting
There is nothing worse than walking around a campsite without a light. Bring a lantern powered by either propane or batteries. A good heavy torch and it's always good to have a spare one. Do not forget the extra batteries.
Cooking utensils
Ladle, stove with fuel (much better for cooking than open fire), pot with lid, grill, spatula, coffee pot and tongs. Tin foil
First Aid Kit
A great idea is to together a watertight box filled with the following supplies that you always stored with your camping equipment and is always ready to go. Such antiseptic, band-aids/bandages, tweezers, allergy medications, if needed, sunscreen, bug repellent (Skin so soft is the best),

Cairngorms Naturally -
Remember that you're going to enjoy nature and that means caring for the environment, so that others can have the same experience after you've left.

We all know the cardinal rule "Leave the area just as you found it," but here some other tips to keep in mind on your camping trip:

Use reusable dishes: Do not use Styrofoam and plastic picnic dishes and flatware. Washing dishes can be a chore, but it will reduce the amount of waste you produce onsite.

Sort your waste: Bringing different waste bags to separate food scraps and other waste from paper waste can be helpful. When sorted, recycled fibre paper napkins, can help you start a campfire later.

Repackage food: Remove all food packaging and repack it in reusable containers. Don't bring individual packed food items, and clean up all food scraps while camping. Food left out will attract unwanted wildlife.

Bathroom Etiquette: Bring and use one-ply bathroom tissue because it's made from 100 per cent recycled fibre, and breaks down faster. Did a hole and make sure you cover it up afterwards.

Respect others – Have fun but do remember to respect other people.

AREA WALK 2 - MACPHERSON’S ASHES

From the village square take the Glen Road (opposite the village hall), marked on the map in yellow, up on to the open moor beyond the cattle grid. Carry on along the road till the signs for the Wildcat Trail at Milton are reached. On the left are two plinths showing on one, the skyline of the Glen, and on the other the information on the old Milton township that was a settlement used in the early 19th century until the people moved out to make way for sheep. 

 Follow the road till just past the second cattle grid a quarried out knoll is reached. Two tracks diverge here onto the moor. Take the left hand one leading up towards the nearest hill, Creag an Loin (Creag an Loin -- the crag of the pool), and follow it to a point just below the nearest prominent crags on the hillside. Here you will find a plaque inscribed to "Lt-Col. Duncan Iver Macpherson O.B.E. of Banchor whose ashes are interred at this spot". From here there is a wide ranging view over the strath of the Spey and the surrounding hills.  After a grassy start this path climbs into thick heather, which is a glorious sight when in bloom in late August and September.

For more info on walks and other things to do in the village of Newtonmore. Check the community web site - www.Newtonmore.com for Accommodation ideas in the Cairngorms Nation Park check out www.CairngormsHolidayCottages.com 

Wildcat captured on the prowl by camera

THERE has been much excitement at the Highland Wildlife Park in Aviemore after staff captured on film a wildcat roaming at night.

Wildcats are an endangered species with only 400 thought to exist in the wild throughout Scotland.

In the first week in January eight movement-activated cameras were installed throughout the park, and what appears to be a wildcat was recorded on the infra-red camera just after midnight in mid-January.

Animal control officer at the park, Doug Richardson, said the keepers were really excited with the find.

He said: “The keeper was going through the images, rabbit, rabbit, rabbit, wildcat, rabbit – and had to go back to make sure he saw what he thought he did. He was so excited he nearly fell off his chair.

“The wildcat just strolled in front of the camera.”

There are three single females and a pair as well as two kittens in captivity at the park and they will be keeping an eye open around their enclosures as mating season approaches to see if any wild ones come into the area.

Apart from rabbits, the cameras have also recorded hares fighting, a fox, roe deer and a white domestic cat.

The £3,000 cost of the cameras was funded by the keepers collecting money for wildcat conservation.

in reference to: Wildcat captured on the prowl by camera - Press & Journal (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sustainable Tourism Programme

How Sustainable is your Business? Aims to inform 1,000 Scottish Tourist businesses with £600,000 European Regional Development Fund Money

Scotland aims to be the most sustainable destination in Europe by 2015.

VisitScotland launched its first sustainable tourism programme today to help businesses understand how sustainable practices can improve their bottom line and in turn aid into growth in Scottish tourism.

Today’s launch at the new John Hope Gateway in Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens marks the start of a series over 20 free seminars and workshops being held throughout 2010. Workshops are taking place across Scotland to encourage the maximum number of businesses to take part but minimising the impact of travel.

The Scottish government says it knows that the environment plays a large part in why people come to Scotland. VisitScotland research shows that this is a huge draw - visitors from Denmark, Spain and the US listing it as their top reason to visit from their recent Visitor Experience survey.

Three quarters of visitors also feel that Scotland protects and cares for its natural environment.
With millions of people coming to Scotland because of the landscapes and scenery and increasing pressure for businesses to show sustainable practices to visitors, Scotland feels that it has the opportunity to take a lead in line with the Scottish Government’s plans to establish Scotland as Europe’s most sustainable destination by 2015.

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Sustainable Growth, John Swinney, launched today’s programme supported by ERDF funding, with the unveiling of a new booklet, ‘Sustainable Tourism for Dummies to Sustainability’ - produced in partnership with the Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, Keep Scotland Beautiful, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and Cairngorms National Park, Scottish Environment Link.

Mr Swinney said: “Sustainable development is at the heart of this Government’s purpose and it is something we all need to recognise as the way forward. Encouraging tourism businesses to incorporate sustainable practices will produce cost savings, and attract the environmentally-conscious visitor to view Scotland as a must-see, must-return destination.”

Aiming to attract participation from more than 1,000 businesses, the programme is working in partnership with some twenty organisations across Scotland to demonstrate the value of sustainability. Sustainable tourism isn’t just about being ‘green’ and protecting the environment, it also addresses the economic and social issues facing businesses - helping to create a sustainable community and in turn ensuring that visitors have a great experience when they come to Scotland.

Each workshop will features a range of topic including: waste, water, energy use, community engagement and local and seasonal procurement They will combine advice from experts and local sustainability champions, sustainability surgeries and one to one mentoring sessions.

Philip Riddle, Chief Executive, VisitScotland said: “Tourism growth is critical to the future of Scotland. Sustainable tourism aims to ensure that economic development as a result of tourism is a positive experience for everyone involved; the local community, tourism businesses and visitors.”

“These workshops will help equip tourism businesses across the country with the information they need to minimise the impact of their activities on the environment and community, whilst securing economic growth and importantly we are working in partnership with many organisations across Scotland to help promote the benefit of sustainability.”

“At the same time, we are developing our own Sustainable Tourism Strategy to ensure VisitScotland is recognised as a leader in sustainable tourism development through our internal operations, engaging with visitors, businesses and working in partnership with key tourism players.”

in reference to: Visit Scotland Launches £600,000 New Sustainable Tourism Programme-09 February, 2010 (view on Google Sidewiki)

Walks in Newtonmore - Cairngorms National Park

 Walks in Newtonmore - Walk 1

From the village square take the Glen Road (opposite the village hall next to Blasta), up onto the open moor beyond the cattle grid. Carry on along the road till the signs for the Wildcat Trail at Milton are reached. On the left are two plinths showing on one, the skyline of the Glen, and on the other information on the old Milton township that was a settlement used in the early 19th century. 

The road crosses two more cattle grids reaching a parking area where the upper glen opens out and the first of the Calder tributaries, Allt a’ Chaorainn (Allt a’ Chaorainn -- the burn of the rowan tree) passes under the bridge known locally as Shepherds Bridge or Dalchurn Bridge. Looking to the north along the line of the burn you can see a conical summit, Sidhean Mor Dail a’ Chaorainn (Sithean Mor Dail a’ Chaorainn -- the big fairy hill of the meadow of the rowan tree) which is called locally "Johnny Blair’s Garden". Johnny Blair was a local man who made a garden with trees, flowers and vegetables on the top of the hill to prove that crops could grow even on such an unpromising site. Its unusual profile is due to its use in prehistoric times as a double palisaded enclosure. 

If you wish to make your way up to it cross the Shepherds Bridge and, going through the fence, follow the burn to the base of the hill. It is a steep but easy climb. On the summit you can make out the line of the wooden fortifications by the depressions on the ground where the timbers have rotted. During recent archaeological exploration the remains of burnt wood have been found in the sheep scrapes round the top of the mound. Return to the village by the same route. For more info check www.Newtonmore.com the village web site.  For more information on the Cairngorms National Park click here.

Discount available on innovative food waste disposal solution

Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), Green Cone Limited and Strathspey Waste Action Network (SWAN) are working together to encourage local homes and businesses dispose of their food waste in the most environmentally friendly way possible.

This is now achievable thanks to the innovative Green Johanna food waste digester from Green Cone Limited. The Green Johanna unit, which stands on flat ground in the garden and cleverly produces rich compost from ALL food waste including meat, fish and bones mixed with green garden waste, is now available to Park residents at £30 instead of the normal retail price of £130.

The patented action of the Green Johanna means residents can now help reduce their own carbon footprint by turning leftover kitchen waste into a valuable resource for growing healthy fresh vegetables, whilst simultaneously helping reduce CNPA's waste disposal costs.

Collectable from the Park Authority office in Grantown-on-Spey, in order to take advantage of this promotion and guarantee their product, residents should telephone 0800 731 2572 before the end of February, quoting 'Cairngorms Discount CNPA10'. Each Green Johanna will also be supplied with a 'winter jacket', designed to keep the composter working in colder weather.

in reference to: Cairngorms National Park Authority: News (view on Google Sidewiki)

The Lecht

The Lecht competition will be going ahead this weekend!! if you fancy hitting up the rail jam make sure you are around the nursery slopes for a 5 o'clock kick off, if the kicker jam takes your fancy that will be kicking off on Sunday morning around 10am . All runs complete with hard packed snow with all nursery runs open, we are expecting white cloud and temperatures of -3 on Saturday, on Sunday the sun will be popping through to say hi every now and then, and temperatures are set to be a little warmer, so that should set the scene for the kicker, there should be a good crew of people there so hope to see you all their!!

in reference to: unbez: Friday Forecast (view on Google Sidewiki)

“Olympic Flame Descents” at CairnGorm Mountain

To mark the February half term break and the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, Canada, CairnGorm Mountain invite the public to take part in and / or watch “Olympic Flame Descents” on Monday 15th and again on Wednesday 17th February 2010.
To take part in one of these descents you are required to be a competent skier or snowboarder of intermediate/ advanced standard (able to ski confidently from the top to the bottom of the mountain). Children wishing to take part should be aged 8- 16 years and need to be accompanied by a participating adult. Spaces are limited for both events. Participants will take the funicular railway to the top station from 4.30pm, where they will be given a hot drink and a beef roll. At dusk (which we expect to be around 5.30pm), 40cm light torches will be issued to every participant by ski patrol (flashing whistles are also available for a small charge). The CairnGorm ‘Olympic’ Flame will be carried by ski patrol who will lead and guide the descent

in reference to: Cairngorm Mountain - Survival Tips for Half Term (view on Google Sidewiki)