I have been nervously watching the weather forecasts over the past few days. It is looking like there is going to be a bit of a lull in the wind this weekend. I’m going to grab the opportunity and head to the far west. A rugged coast lashed by waves, a bothy fire and my mate Reuben for company. A perfect way for a misanthrope to see in the New Year.
Lets hope the ferry gets me back in time for work………
It’s easy to get complacent and think that certain things are sacred. You would think that the world famous Rannoch Moor would be totally safe from industrial development? Last night just before bed I was reading an excellent blog post called ‘The fall of the wild: Part three – why nothing is something‘. Ben’s blog is excellent if your interest in the outdoors extends beyond the weight of technical fabrics.
There are a few lines that had me awake for longer than I would have liked. A reference to a proposal for a wind farm on the edge of Rannoch Moor. Rather than go into the proposals myself, here are a couple of links.
http://www.mcofs.org.uk/news.asp?s=2&id=MCS-N11319&nc=
http://www.mcofs.org.uk/assets/access/talladhabheithewf.pdf
And what is the reason for mentioning this depressing news? The Wild Land Map Consultation closes tomorrow. If you truly care about wild places please take a few minutes out and follow this link.
You have until the 20th December to give your views on the Wild Land Map. This has been drawn up by Scottish Natural Heritage. If you truly care about the wild places in Scotland I urge that you spend some time filling out the consultation form. It took me twenty minutes and job done.
David Lintern has written a post far more eloquent than this one. It can be found here.
A link to the consultation and guidelines via the John Muir Trust website can be found here.
Backpackingbongos 