Cairn Gorm poo chute a success, say rangers

Cairn Gorm’s poo chute is helping keep the mountain clean, as the winter season gets underway.Mountaineers, many of whom bivvy in snow holes on the tops, were asked to use the facility, rather than burying human waste, the volumes of which were starting to cause problems in the fragile arctic wilderness of the mountain’s summit plateau.The poo chute was set up in November last year so walkers and climbers could seal their waste in specially designed bags and bottles and dispose of them in the tube, which was set up in the Cairngorm Ski Area car park.

Estate owner's grant cut after poisoning case

A landowner whose gamekeeper was convicted of trying to kill protected birds of prey has had his farm subsidy cut.The Scottish Executive has lopped nearly £8,000 from the European grant due to James McDougal, who employed George Aitken on his Borders estate near the Southern Upland Way.Aitken placed dead pheasants containing poison along with traps holding live pigeons on the moorland at Lauder in Berwickshire.

Campaigners' thumbs-down to Devon windfarms

Conservation campaigners have backed objectors to two windfarm applications in north Devon.Two separate companies are seeking permission to build wind turbines close to the sites of other planned windfarms.

Torridon walker safe after night on mountain

An experienced walker is safe after spending a night on a Scottish Corbett.The unnamed, middle-aged man was found by rescuers after being reported overdue yesterday morning.

Top cop's trek aids mountain rescuers

Mountain rescuers are quids in after an ex-police chief’s mammoth trek round his beat.Former Chief Constable of Derbyshire David Coleman walked the length of his county to mark his retirement – and raised £31,500.

Cragfast mountaineers rescued from Scafell

Two men were rescued from Scafell at the weekend, after becoming cragfast at a mountain blackspot.Wasdale Mountain Rescue Team (MRT) took to the hills to help the two, from Liverpool, who had been attempting to ascend Scafell via Lord’s Rake, one of three notorious accident sites listed by the team.The two, in their late 30s and early 40s, called for help around 3.30pm when they could go no further after getting stuck on a rock terrace overlooking Deep Gill.

Henley footpath dispute rumbles on

The spat between the Oxfordshire dinner-jacket brigade and the waterproof jacket squad continues, after a meeting failed to resolve a footpath dispute.Organisers of the black-tie Henley Festival want to close the Thames Path national trail for prolonged periods over nine days.

Woman dies after Dorset sea cliff fall

A woman died after a fall on sea cliffs where a climber was also seriously injured.Rescuers discovered the woman about 300m from the stricken climber they had been called out to help.

Scots' shame as wildlife poisoning breaks record

The Scottish Borders claimed another shameful record in wildlife persecution this week.A record number of poisoned baits was found within a square mile area near Greenlaw, Berwickshire.