Spring is settling in across Scotland — or trying to. While the hills are still throwing winter conditions at anyone brave enough to head high, there’s plenty happening in the wider mountaineering world this week. Here’s what’s worth knowing.
⚠️ Cairngorms Trails: More Closures Than You Might Think
If you’re planning any walking in the Cairngorms in the coming weeks, it’s worth checking the current trail situation carefully before you set off. Storm damage from the winter has been more extensive than initially reported, and the position as of this week is:
- Corrie Fee (Green) trail — currently the only waymarked trail open at Glen Doll
- South Esk Trail (Yellow), White Water Trail (White), and Jocks Road and Dounalt Trail (Blue) — all closed due to windblown trees
- Seven Bridges Walk — the riverside loop between Bridge of Gairn and Polhollick Bridge is closed following flood damage to the path surface; a high-level alternative via the A93 is available
- Dalwhinnie walkers car park crossing — the railway level crossing has been closed by Network Rail, with access now via an underpass to the south near Ben Alder cottages
Clearance works are ongoing and the situation is changing regularly. Always check the Cairngorms National Park alerts page before you head out. While the closures are frustrating, they’re a reminder of just how hard the winter has been on Scotland’s paths and trails.
🌤️ Weather Turning: Better Days Ahead
After a rough weekend — 50mph gusts across the West Highlands, snow above 600m, and wind chill making any exposed ridge a miserable place to be — conditions are improving through the week.
By mid-week, temperatures will be milder across the glens, with the heavy showers and gale-force winds easing off. The high tops will still be near freezing and carrying full winter kit remains sensible if you’re heading above 800m. But the trend is upward: higher pressure is forecast to build from Saturday 18 April, bringing lighter winds and some genuine spring sunshine. If you’ve been waiting for a window, next weekend could be the one to watch.
As ever, check the MWIS Scottish mountain forecasts before you leave home — they’re updated daily and cover all the key Scottish mountain areas.
🧗 New Routes: The Season’s Final Chapter
As the snow consolidates and winter conditions fade, the new route reports keep coming in from the 2025–26 season. A few additions worth highlighting on top of the headline ascents we covered last week:
An Teallach — arguably the finest ridge in the Scottish Highlands — got a significant new addition late in the season: Rime and Punishment (IX 9) on Lord Berkeley’s Seat by Guy Robertson, Ryan Balharry, and Ben Kent. An Teallach is already home to some of the most committing routes in Scotland; this sits firmly at the sharp end.
Further afield, Eral Maddox and Ben Cluett found new ice in the Trossachs — Unicorn Tiers (IV 5) and Cuckoos Cascade (V 4) on Stob Garbh — a reminder that Scotland’s more accessible southern hills are still yielding first ascents when conditions are right. Up in Sutherland, Huw Scott and James Milton added The Loyalist (IV 4) to Ben Loyal, a remote and often-overlooked peak that rarely gets the attention it deserves.
It’s been a season that rewarded those willing to travel. The full picture, including Dan Kingsbury’s landmark Beyond Euphoria (X 9) on Ben Nevis and Greg Boswell’s remarkable week on Lochnagar, is covered in UK Climbing’s end-of-season feature.
🚗 Strathfarrar: Summer Access Is Now Open
Good news for anyone with the remote Four Munros of Strathfarrar on their list — summer vehicle access to Glen Strathfarrar is now open as of 1 April 2026, with no prior notification required.
The glen’s gate is managed by the estate, with access available to all during the summer season (roughly April through October). You can simply turn up — though it’s worth checking the specific days and times the gate will be open and any seasonal conditions that apply. Full details are on the Mountaineering Scotland Strathfarrar page.
For winter access (November to March), Mountaineering Scotland members can still arrange vehicle access with at least two working days’ notice. Non-members should plan to walk from the gate during winter.
📋 Mend Our Mountains: Scottish Targets for 2026
The BMC’s Mend Our Mountains: Make One Million campaign has confirmed the two Scottish projects it’s targeting in 2026:
The first is the path up Beinn a’ Ghlo in the southern Cairngorms — specifically the eroded route to Carn Liath, which is in such a state that the damage is visible from the A9 road north of Blair Atholl. The campaign is aiming to raise £60,000 to restore this heavily used path sustainably. The second project is urgent repair work on Ben Vane in the Arrochar Alps, one of the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park’s more popular but less well-maintained peaks.
Path repair is unglamorous work, but if you’ve ever tried to pick a line up an eroded moonscape of a hillside, you’ll know how much difference a well-maintained path makes. The full list of 2026 volunteer events — if you want to get your hands dirty — is at the BMC’s Mend Our Mountains page.
🏛️ The Natural Environment Bill: What It Means for Walkers
One legislative update that deserves attention: the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 29 January 2026. It’s a broad piece of environmental legislation, but a few elements are particularly relevant to those of us who use Scotland’s hills regularly:
- National Park legislation updates — the Bill modernises the framework for Scotland’s National Parks, which matters given the Scottish Government’s stated commitment to establish at least one new National Park before the end of the current Parliamentary session in 2026.
- Statutory biodiversity targets — for the first time, Scotland will have legally binding biodiversity targets, which may shape how land in and around mountain areas is managed going forward.
- Strengthened land management powers — alongside the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025, which is now in force in key sections, the overall direction of travel is toward greater accountability from large landowners and more community involvement in how land is managed.
For walkers, the most immediate impact will likely come from how the new National Park (if and when it’s designated) affects access arrangements in whichever area is chosen. We’ll be keeping an eye on this one.
For a detailed look at what the Natural Environment Bill means in practice, ScotWays have a useful summary.
That’s the update for this week. Trail closures aside, the outlook is improving — a promising spring weekend could be just around the corner. Stay safe, check conditions, and enjoy the hills.
Sources: Cairngorms National Park · MWIS · UK Climbing · Mountaineering Scotland · BMC Mend Our Mountains · ScotWays