Active Outdoors

ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Black and blue after taking on the blue route on the Kelpies Trails, John Davidson looks back at a great family fun day on the bikes

ACTIVE OUTDOORS: John Davidson picks up a coffee before heading out onto the trails to enjoy the classic circuit of Loch Morlich in Glenmore

John Davidson looks at the anniversary of Scotland’s ‘right to roam’ being enshrined in law, and says access to the outdoors is vital to our wellbeing

Scotland’s avalanche warning service downed tools in January when there was too little snow, and climate change is having a significant impact

The Highland festival brings together talks, films, activities and adventures. John Davidson looks ahead to a long weekend of motivational fun

Four new charities have been selected to benefit from a share of hundreds of thousands of pounds likely to be raised at this year’s Highland Cross.

Forest trails lead off from the Rogie Falls car park, where John Davidson goes in search of a route beyond the dramatic river crossing

John Davidson takes his family for a wild night at a lonely shelter in Torridon, where they enjoyed a night stargazing and awoke to glorious sunshine

A new mountain bike skills loop opened to pupils and the public at Inverness Royal Academy at the weekend.

World record endurance cyclist Jenny Graham says the new mountain bike trail unveiled at Inverness Royal Academy should be replicated in every school.

A 24-hour endurance relay race overlooking the shores of Loch Ness will not take place in 2025 but will return in 2026, its organisers have said.

John Davidson returns to take part in the Strathpuffer for the first time since 2016 – and finds it’s just as tough as ever in special snowy year

John Davidson speaks out against plans for a massive pumped storage hydro electric scheme in the Central Highlands

Making Space for Nature by Jenny Grant

Mountain rescuers were given royal recognition of an astonishing 227 years of combined service at a ceremony in December.

Keen walkers will be lacing up their boots for a long-distance challenge in the Highlands next summer.

Get yourself ready for 2025 with our list of outdoor events taking place across the Highlands and Islands, and Moray and Aberdeenshire.

ACTIVE OUTDOORS: John Davidson looks back at some of the best bits from Active Outdoors during 2024 – and finds plenty of fond memories to recall

Heading for a quick trip to the hills, John Davidson ventures to a bealach below the silver peak to enjoy magnificent views across Kintail

ACTIVE OUTDOORS: Even in the winter, there are ways of enjoying the dark evenings, John Davidson finds as he heads to the Cairngorms National Park