The Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival has been and gone for another year. We were there for much of the w/end and had a brilliant time. It shot by in a blur of high-speed action with a host of slightly crazed mountain bikers, climbers, base-jumpers, slack-liners, kayakers and others strutting their stuff in gorgeous locations around the world.In between the extreme films, many featuring rather intense, unblinking types who always seem to be staring at something a thousand yards or so away, were some more whimsical offerings. They included a film about over-wintering on a scientific research station in the Antarctic; a location report on the conservation status of two of the world’s threatened species of bear; plus a brilliant piece from a Canadian ski-bum who voiced all the random thoughts that pinball around his head while killing time on a chairlift. Inspired!

Thanks to the many people who dropped by at the Scotland Outdoors stand to pick up a copy and enter our competition to win a year’s subscription to the magazine. Good luck – the draw will be made tomorrow. We are hoping for more of the same this coming w/end when we head to Perth for the Scottish Canoe Association’s Paddle 09 event. Maybe we will see a few of you there.

Bye for now
Richard

ps. Talking of competitions, readers have until 30 October to enter the competition in our Autumn issue to win a luxury weekend for two at the Fortingall Hotel in Highland Perthshire. It’s a brilliant prize, so get cracking if you fancy it. See the competition page for more details

After a shameful three-month absence, the blog is back. And maybe even on a weekly basis. We shall see – after previous lapses, I’m promising nothing.Anyway, lots going on at Scotland Outdoors HQ. Two of us have just returned from a w/end of learning how to stay upright in sea and river kayaks in Wester Ross. We stayed at The Torridon, a rather special place right on the lochside, and were taken out by the in-house instructor to sample some of the very different kinds of paddling available in the area. There were thrills, spills and a little bit of swearing. Look out for the article on the trip in our spring issue next year.

In the meantime, we are busy preparing for the start of what could be called the outdoor festival season with events in Edinburgh, Perth and Dundee all on the horizon. First up is the Edinburgh Mountain Film Festival this w/end. Now in something like its seventh or eighth year, the event has cemented its position as one of the very best festivals of its kind combining inspiring talks with jaw-dropping films from people with little or no regard for their own personal safety.

Scotland Outdoors will be there giving away free copies of the magazine. We are also proud to be one of the sponsors of the event this year. Do drop by and say hi if you are attending any of the sessions. You can even enter our competition to win a subscription to the magazine. Prizes just don’t get any better than that.

Bye for now
Richard