This comprehensive guide with over 1250 photographs of mushrooms and other fungi has been described by David Bellamy as a masterpiece of identification.  It has a wealth of descriptive detail and is an essential encyclopedia for mushroom hunters.

Mushrooms – Roger Phillips – Macmillan – 2006- ISBN 0-330-44237-6

We found this book to be a humorous & informative read in the run up to the festival.  Charles MacLean spoke at a few festival dinners and tastings, if you get the opportunity to hear him speak you will be guaranteed a very amusing as well as educational couple of hours.

In last week’s blog, there is a close up of me in my new tangerine helmet climbing the Coich Nose. Not only is this helmet easy to spot anywhere on the hill.  it is the only helmet that meets requirements for adventure sports such as mountaineering, canoeing, kayaking and mountain biking.

As all sport is also about the kit – this PETZL METEOR III is the perfect choice and weighing just 235 grams it’s hardly noticeable in the rucksack or on your head! If you don’t like tangerine – it comes in two more subdued colours – but hey, you want to be seen

We have Gumotex Palava, inflatable  canoes at Sporting Scotland because we find them to be the most versatile canoes on the market. However, we have reached a stage when battling against wind and currents in an inflatable is sometimes more challenge than we want to take on. After some research we came across “Pimp my Palava”, which we hope to replicate. We are looking at a different engine, electric outboard and there will more on that soon. In the meantime, this is an amazing innovation with a 1000Km trip down the Danube from Vienna to the Iron Gate.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQVbkhBADmQ

“These durable hardshell are the first choice of mountain guides, ski instructors and many other outdoor professionals.”  In the torrential rains here in Moray on the back of Hurricane Bertha I can confirm that they are the best waterproof trousers I ever had. no water gets through even after hours out in heavy rain… In winter I use them also for skiing, ski mountaineering and climbing.

Thule self-tensioning snow chains. Mounting time about 2 minutes without having to drive onto the chains or move the car. Dismantling time 30 seconds – you might need to drive off the chain. We import them from Italy. Price on request.

Für unsere Kunden haben wir ein Gratisexemplar hier in Schottland vorliegen wenn Sie mit uns einen Event oder eine Reise buchen.

Das Buch bietet einen Einblick in die traditionelle Küche der schottischen Highlander und ihrer gälischen Kultur.

Schottland, auf drei Seiten umgeben vom Atlantischen Ozean und der Nordsee, war und ist bis heute reich an hoch geschätzten Spezialitäten. In diesem Buch finden Sie sowahl eine Auswahl an ursprünglichen und rustikalen Rezepten von den Feuerstellen der Schäfer, Fischer und Kleinbauern, als auch von den weltbürgerlichen Taflen der Clanchefs. Darüber hinaus bietet dieses Buch Einblicke in die damaligen Tisch – und Tafelsitten und viele Informationen rund um die historischen Kochküchen und Utensilien.

http://www.felix-ag.de/look/044_lookinside/

CAMERAS
Camera – OLYMPUS µ 790 SW
Being interested and keeping up-to – date on the equipment side of adventure, we bought a small digital camera a few months ago. With the vast amount of these cameras on offer, it was difficult to pick the right one, but we found one that had all the features we needed and was – above all – waterproof. It was always a hassle on river trips, during fishing or canyoning to get good pictures, as most of time the camera was safely stored away in waterproof bags or containers – by the time the camera was out – the good photo opportunity was gone!

The OLYMPUS µ 790 SW is great for this kind of outdoor activity; it will survive snowstorms with sub-zero temperatures, heavy rains and will even take pictures under water – all this … Read More »

My eye fell on an article in this Saturdays’s Times, 31.5.2008 titled “Angel” about the Sunrise Festival – “the only UK festival to use 100% renewable energy” and composting toilets. According to the sunrisecelebration.com web site, “2008 is the Year of the Compost Toilet”.

Well, it might be the only festival using 100% renewable energy, but not the only one using composting toilets. Sporting Scotland has been using them for the past 3 years with really good client response and feedback, in so far as one gets a comment where toilets are concerned. We have one site solely serviced by composting toilets and by the middle of this year our second site will have the same green facilities, which will be a small but valuable contribution to the environment as no run-offs or soak-away pits are needed.

Incidentally, Sporting Scotland has the … Read More »