Month: May 2024

Paddle-Out at Porty!

Protesters to take to the water at Portobello beach as sewage backlash intensifies

Thousands of protesters will take to coasts and rivers across the UK today to protest against the state of the nation’s waterways. The protests have been coordinated by Surfers Against Sewage (SAS), who are calling for an end to the sewage discharges plaguing the UK’s rivers and seas, as sewage overflows continue to have a devastating impact on ecological and human health.

Over 30 protests are set to take place at local beaches and rivers, spanning locations from Edinburgh to Cornwall. Flagship protests are taking place at West Pier in Brighton and at Gyllyngvase Beach in Falmouth, with Olympian and keen paddle-boarder Dame Kelly Holmes set to join protesters on the south coast.

Edinburgh protestors will gather on Portobello beach at 10.30am.

Charlie Allanson-Oddy, founding member of the Porty Water Collective and SAS regional representative, who is helping to organise the Portobello protest, said: “Walking the beaches in Portobello, the reality of sewage scandal is clear with thousands of baby wipes washed up weekly.

Testing has repeatedly found dangerous levels of E.coli and chloroforms in the Figgate Burn, a freshwater source that runs through Scotland’s capital. Unlike England and Wales, Scottish Water is publicly owned: however they continue to ignore us.

“We are united in protest in Edinburgh to raise awareness of the shocking pollution of our waterways and demand change. Sewage dumping in our waters must stop.”

Giles Bristow, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Once again, the public face a grim choice this summer – risk swallowing shit or forgo a dip in the water.

“This year offers an opportunity to turn our collective anger into action and end the sewage scandal, with panicked politicians in listening mode, desperate to ride the waves of popular sentiment.

“A general election is imminent, and the public are out on the beachfronts and riverbanks making it clear that the issue of sewage pollution is at the top of the agenda. Ahead of the election, all parties need to show people genuine and quantifiable commitments to eliminate sewage pollution, or suffer the consequences.”

This year is a huge opportunity for action on sewage pollution. Water quality is predicted to be a core issue influencing voters in the next general election, which must happen before January 2025.

Meanwhile, in June, regulator Ofwat – whose role is to challenge and scrutinise water companies to ensure they deliver safe and reliable water to people and protect the environment – will deliver recommendations on water companies’ investment plans for the next five years (2025 – 2030). 

Water companies have proposed plans for £11 billion in investment for reducing sewage discharges for this period, with customer bills increasing in tandem – a move that has sparked outrage among the public, particularly in the context of the profits paid out to water company bosses and shareholders year on year.

According to analysis by the Financial Times, water companies in England and Wales paid out £2.5bn in dividends in the two financial years since 2021 and a total of more than £78bn in dividends in the 33 years since privatisation.

Giles Bristow added: “Thousands are protesting on the water this weekend to let politicians, regulators and water companies know that the public aren’t going to let them wriggle out of demands for clean seas and rivers.

“We’re calling for plans that are ambitious enough to end sewage pollution in high-priority nature sites and the waters we surf, swim and paddle in by 2030, putting people and nature before profit. We won’t tolerate this broken system any longer.”

Sunrise at Barafundle Bay, Pembrokeshire national park, Wales

Double Gold medal-winning Olympian Dame Kelly Holmes, who will be paddling out with protesters in Brighton, said:“I love nothing more than getting out into the open water on my paddle-board – it does wonders for my mental health, and there’s such a sense of community amongst those who use our wild waterways for sport and recreation.

“But this incredibly special pastime has been tainted for all of us by the persistent risk of getting sick from pollution. The poor state of our rivers and seas is shocking and infuriating.

“Whole generations are being deprived of the right to safely enjoy the benefits that blue spaces offer. Our waterways are for us and should be here to enjoy as they are so important for our collective health and wellbeing. Events costing thousands are getting cancelled. To see our rivers and seas being treated so appallingly by those responsible for looking after them is nothing short of a national scandal.

“I’m paddling out with Surfers Against Sewage and thousands of water-lovers across the country because I’m passionate about our waterways, I’m angry about what’s being done to them, and I want the polluters and those in power to hear our demands to end sewage pollution now.”

In 2023, there were 584,001 recorded discharges across England, Scotland and Wales – a 51% increase on the previous year – with sewage released into waterways for a total of 12,966,322 hours.

Of the 11 water companies with monitoring in place, United Utilities was the worst offender, reporting 97,537 discharges in 2023. Yorkshire Water and Severn Trent Water were hot on its heels, reporting 77,761 and 60,253 discharges respectively. SAS analysis has found that Welsh Water had a total of 108,860 discharges, although this is not directly comparable to England due to differing methods of reporting.

Paddle-outs will be taking place in the majority of water company catchments this weekend – including Scottish Water, where there were 15,289 spills last year, and Northern Ireland Water, where discharge figures are unavailable due to a lack of monitoring.

The Environment Agency boasts that 100% of storm overflows in England are now fitted with monitoring devices. However, analysis of this year’s Event Duration Monitoring (EDM) data by SAS has revealed that EDM monitors at 1,930 storm overflows, 13.3% of the total monitored overflows, are operating at less than 90% capacity – which means the discharge figures for England in 2023 are an underestimate.

Sally McGee, Tynemouth protest organiser and SAS supporter, said: “Every surfer across the UK knows that they run the risk of getting sick if they surf. Many beaches on the beautiful coast around Tynemouth are subject to the discharge of raw sewage immediately after or during storms.

“You can smell and taste the difference in the water. It’s really upsetting and feels like we are going backwards in time.

“As a surfer, I believe we have a beautiful relationship with the ocean – we see it in all its glory, and we see it suffer. Up here, we share the ocean with bottlenose dolphins and common seals, whilst fulmar birds fly above us.

“When I surf and the water is brown from pollution as untreated sewage leaves the Tyne, I can only imagine how marine life endures it. We can choose if we surf, but it’s their everyday habitat.

“We are protesting in Tynemouth because we are outraged that water companies and our politicians have allowed this to happen. They have a vital role in society and are abusing their position. They must stop the greed, invest and do better. We demand an end to sewage discharges in our bathing waters by 2030.”

SAS is calling for an end to sewage discharges into all bathing waters and high-priority nature sites by 2030.

The Botanist Unveils Summer Menu

Packed with Sharing Plates and Mega Upgrade to Fan-Favourite Dish

Award-winning bar & restaurant, The Botanist, has announced its offering for the summer season with brand-new food and cocktail menus launching on Tuesday 21st May. Guests can expect fresh seasonal flavours, sharing plates, lighter and brighter dishes and super-fresh botanical cocktails as they tuck in around the table with friends. 

Encouraging everyone to share the joy with loved ones this season, a new selection of small plates has been added to the menu, giving an instant al fresco summer dining feel. Diners can choose from eleven different dishes highlighting seasonal ingredients including roasted harissa cauliflower with houmous, pomegranate molasses, pickled red onion, crispy shallots and mint, Korean fried chicken with sriracha mayo and red chilli and patatas bravas made with baby hassleback potatoes on a bravas sauce with garlic aioli. 

Alongside the small plates are three sharing boards. Choose from baked camembert, the mezze platter or crispy aromatic duck served with pancakes, cucumber, spring onion and hoi sin sauce. 

Diners can also enjoy lighter seasonal salads including Asian noodle salad, with yakisoba noodles in a sweet chilli and sesame dressing with mangetout, coriander, mint and kimchi slaw topped with a choice of Korean chicken or plant-based schnitzel and goat’s cheese salad with melted goat’s cheese and red onion marmalade on a sourdough crouton with courgette ribbons and beetroot, chicory and rocket. 

The botany-inspired venue has become somewhat famous for its head-turning hanging kebabs, reporting that it sells three quarters of a million (780,000) per year with three kebabs being served to diners every minute. Fans of the iconic dish can get excited about the new giant piri-piri chicken kebab, which comes served with additional coleslaw and warm pitta bread, alongside seasoned fries or coconut rice. 

The Botanist grill is now also serving up bavette and sirloin steaks, along with house burgers including the new ‘Dirty Chicken Burger’, with crispy fried chicken, mac and cheese fritter, bacon, melted cheese, baby gem, pickles, garlic mayo and hot honey BBQ sauce.  

Expertly crafted by in-house chefs and created lovingly from scratch, this is feel-good food designed to celebrate the season of sunshine and good times. There is also now a dedicated vegan and gluten-free menu available. 

And those with a sweet tooth haven’t been forgotten. The restaurant’s signature cookie dough can now be topped with a choice of crunchie pieces and crushed honeycomb or S’mores toasted marshmallows, chocolate brownie chunks and a biscuit crumb. 

The Botanist’s talented bar team have also been busy, launching a completely new cocktail menu served up in stylish glassware.

Showstopping photo-worthy serves include the Disco Fizz, with prosecco, lychee liqueur, Fever-Tree raspberry and orange blossom soda served with a raspberry ‘fizz bomb’, the Lilypad Martini, with Portobello Road Bergamot Citrus Vodka, peach liqueur, peach puree, apple and lemon juice, and the eponymous ‘The Botanist’ served in a botany boiling flask.

Long-time fans of the brand can try the freshly updated signature plant pot cocktail, a complex blend of Maker’s Mark bourbon, Lazzaroni Amaretto, kiwi puree, lemon juice and honey. 

Development Chef at The Botanist, Guy Greaves said: “As a chef, it’s amazing to work with the vibrant ingredients that spring provides, and we’ve really brought those lighter, brighter elements through on this new menu to celebrate the season of socialising with friends, whilst working hard to make our classic signature dishes even more impressive.” 

Dishes start from £6.75 for small plates, £14.50 for mains and £5.95 for desserts.

To find your nearest venue and book your table visit https://thebotanist.uk.com/. 

53% of UK Parents Don’t Buy Books for Their Children

Troubling Trend Revealed by New Survey

In an era where digital screens dominate our lives, the importance of nurturing a love for reading in children cannot be overstated. However, a recent survey commissioned by Awesome Books has uncovered a concerning trend among parents in the UK. 

The survey, which involved 3,000 parents with children aged 2-12, revealed that 53% of parents do not buy books for their children. This statistic raises significant questions about the future of literacy and the cultural value placed on reading within families.

The Importance of Early Reading

Reading is a fundamental skill that forms the foundation of a child’s education. Early exposure to books has been linked to numerous benefits, including improved language skills, increased empathy, and better academic performance. Books open up new worlds, stimulate imagination, and foster a lifelong love of learning. Despite these well-documented advantages, the survey results suggest that more than half of the parents surveyed are not investing in this crucial aspect of their children’s development.

Possible Reasons Behind the Decline

Several factors contribute to this decline in book purchases for children. According to the survey, the reasons are varied:

Digital Distraction: The prevalence of digital devices is a significant factor. Of the parents who don’t buy books, 35% stated that their children prefer using tablets, smartphones, and televisions for entertainment. These devices are often loaded with educational apps and ebooks, which parents believe can substitute for physical books. The convenience and engaging nature of digital content make it more appealing than traditional reading materials.

Economic Factors: Financial constraints also play a significant role. The survey found that 28% of parents cited affordability as a barrier to purchasing books for their children. For many families, budgeting for essential needs takes precedence over buying books, which might be seen as a non-essential expense. The rising cost of living and other financial pressures make it challenging for some parents to prioritise book buying.

Lack of Awareness: Some parents may not fully understand the importance of reading or might believe that their children are getting enough exposure to literature through school alone. About 20% of the parents surveyed mentioned that they rely on schools to provide sufficient reading materials and do not feel the need to purchase additional books.

Limited Access: A smaller yet notable group, 10% of parents, reported limited access to bookstores or libraries in their area as a reason for not buying books. This is particularly relevant in rural or underserved communities where access to a variety of books can be restricted.

Impact on Children

The lack of books in the home can have far-reaching consequences. Children who are not regularly exposed to reading material may struggle with literacy skills, which can affect their performance in school and their ability to succeed in life. Moreover, children who miss out on the joys of reading may be less likely to develop a love for literature as they grow older.

What Can Be Done?

Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach:

Promoting the Value of Reading: Educating parents about the benefits of reading and encouraging them to make books a priority can help shift attitudes.

Making Books Accessible: Initiatives such as book exchanges, libraries, and affordable book sales can make it easier for families to access books without significant financial strain.

Integrating Digital and Physical Reading: While digital devices are here to stay, finding ways to integrate both digital and physical reading can cater to modern preferences while still emphasising the importance of traditional books.

Joanne Williams a book expert from Awesome Books says: “The survey highlights a critical issue that needs immediate attention.

“With 53% of parents not buying books for their children, largely due to economic constraints, the allure of digital devices, and limited access, there is a pressing need to address the barriers that prevent families from engaging in this vital activity. 

National Care at Home & Housing Support Awards 2024 celebrates homecare workers in Scotland

 A prestigious evening Awards Ceremony celebrating the best of the independent care at home and housing support sector will be held tonight (Friday 17 May) at Radisson Blu in Glasgow. 

The awards are a perfect opportunity to recognise the workforce in the homecare sector, who work tirelessly day and night to allow people to live independently in their own homes. 

Scottish Care, the representative body for independent social care services across Scotland and organisers of the event are encouraging those working in the sector and the wider public to join the Awards Ceremony to recognise and celebrate the role of homecare workers. 

Winners will be announced by the Awards Host – Pop Idol winner, Michelle McManus. 

Awards will be presented over ten categories:  

  • Emerging Talent Award 
  • Care Services Coordination/Administration Award  
  • Care Learning Award  
  • Leadership Award  
  • Outstanding Achievement Award  
  • Care Worker of the Year  
  • Care Innovation Award  
  • Technology & People Award  
  • Provider of the Year  
  • Positive Impact Award  

Dr Donald Macaskill, CEO of Scottish Care and the co-host of the Awards Ceremony said:  “Homecare services and the remarkable individuals behind them play a vital role in fostering connections, independence, and community inclusion for those they support.

“They serve as lifelines for thousands across Scotland, enabling others to flourish and thrive. It’s essential that we acknowledge and appreciate the invaluable contributions of these dedicated professionals who make such a profound difference in people’s lives every day.

“The awards ceremony serves as a platform to honour and recognise the exceptional dedication and commitment of our workforce and sector as a whole.”

The awards have been hailed as a huge success in recognising individuals, teams and companies, with more entries than ever flooding in each year from employers, homecare staff, service users and relatives nominating their peers, colleagues and local services.  

The Care at Home and Housing Support Awards follow a full-day conference for the homecare sector. 

The title of the conference is ‘Care Revolution: Time to Act’, bringing people together from across the sector and addressing key themes like evidencing social value and effective voice. Through a range of insight sessions, delegates will explore topics as diverse as experiences of ethical commissioning; international recruitment; wellbeing; homecare software; technology, digital and data. 

The conference, exhibition and care awards are the largest of their kind for the care at home and housing sector in Scotland. 

Care_at_Home_Awards_2024_FinalistsDownload

Walker Fraser Steele – March House Price Index

  • Strongest Scottish house price growth for a year
  • Scotland outpaces England & Wales
  • Higher prices in most local authorities
  • Sales closely matching year-earlier levels
  • Midlothian becomes fifth local authority with average property prices above £300,000
  • Average Scottish house price now £223,525, up 1.4% on February, up 1.9% annually

Scott Jack, Regional Development Director at Walker Fraser Steele, comments: “In March, average property prices in Scotland increased by 1.4%, or almost £3,000, following a five month decline.

“This was a far stronger performance than that witnessed in the English and Welsh markets. Scotland’s average house price is currently just over £223,500, which is about £300 less than its high price from June 2023.

“This significant turnaround speaks volumes about the negligible movement we have seen in recent months.

“Four authorities—Midlothian, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk, and Inverclyde—achieved new heights in terms of their regional average values and the total number of local authorities reporting rising prices was twenty-one, the highest since May of last year – another clear and welcome sign that the market is beginning to stabilize.

“Of particular note is the 1.5% increase for Midlothian which made it the fifth local authority with average property prices above £300,000.

“It’s too early to assume the cost of living pressures are abating but mortgage pricing has been keen over the last couple of months as lenders fight for borrowers. With a general election due this year, we know housing is a key issue for voters and we may yet see some further promises made to buyers and owners before a vote later this year. That would give further impetus to this positive trajectory.”

————————————————————————————————————————–

Housing market commentary

After falling for five months in a row, average house prices picked up in March by 1.4%, some £3,000, and a positive outcome compared to markets in England and Wales. Scotland’s average house price now stands a little above £223,500, that is within £300 of its peak level reached in June 2023. The seemingly marked turn-round speaks volumes about the narrow tramlines within which the market has moved over the past year.

Figure 1. Weakness in prices appears to have ended

Scotland’s brief flirtation with annual price falls last December has been short-lived. The market swung firmly back into positive territory in March, climbing by more than £4,000 and 1.9% from a year earlier, as Figure 1 shows. This is the strongest performance in more than a year and compares favourably with that seen south of the border over recent months.

Table 1. Average prices in Scotland for Mar 2023 – Mar 2024

Local Authority prices

Table 2. How prices in March 2024 compare

Twenty one local authorities experienced rising prices in the month – the highest number since May last year and a further sign that the housing market is stabilising. Higher values helped four authorities – Midlothian, Argyll and Bute, Falkirk and Inverclyde – to reach new peaks.

The five most expensive local authorities all reported higher prices in March, albeit marginally so in the case of East Lothian. A 1.5% increase for Midlothian made it the fifth local authority with average property prices above £300,000.

Figure 2. How prices have changed between March 2023 and March 2004, by local authority

As can be seen from the heat map, in March the vast majority of local authorities (24) reported stronger prices than a year ago, the highest number since February 2023.

Inverclyde reported a double-digit percentage increase in prices over the year for the second month in a row. That said, we would not read too much into these figures, distorted as they are by a period of price weakness the year earlier.

Transactions analysis

Figure 3. Monthly sales over the most recent year compared with a year earlier

The housing market has been lacklustre over much of the past year. For 2023 as a whole, sales totalled 91,600 properties, which is 12% down on 2022 and not much above the Covid-induced lows of 2020.

But the headwinds have eased over the past few months, helped by more attractive mortgage pricing and easing cost-of-living pressures. As can be seen in Figure 3, monthly sales are no longer lagging materially below year-earlier levels.

A positive shift in market sentiment helped lift sales in January marginally above those in January 2023 and sales for both February and March appear to be closely tracking year-earlier levels. Sales of property in the capital and of properties worth more than £750,000 already appear to be modestly outpacing the corresponding 2023 numbers.

For the time being, it is hard to know whether this is just a degree of stability returning to the market or a more significant recovery story.

Sales are still down on pre-Covid levels and market confidence is likely to be sensitive to changing market expectations of interest rates and political uncertainties.

However, without doubt analysts’ expectations of significant price falls across Scotland, Wales and England in 2024 have fallen away over the past few months and forecasts have been revised upwards to suggest Scotland may see modest price growth over the year.

While there remain uncertainties around interest rates and mortgage pricing, there is a general sense that the worst is behind us. The pent-up demand that built up over 2023 and into 2024 is beginning to come through and that should be reflected in prices.

There may also be a move by the UK government to help support first-time buyers in the run-up to the General Election which could add further momentum.

Expansion of life-saving opioid overdose treatment

New 10-year plan to expand and improve the drug and alcohol workforce published

  • Police officers, probation workers, paramedics, nurses and other professionals will be able to provide take-home supplies of opioid overdose treatment to save lives.
  • New 10-year plan to expand and improve the drug and alcohol workforce published.
  • Part of government mission to reduce drug deaths and support people with recovery

More professionals such as nurses, paramedics, police officers and probation workers will be able to supply a life-saving opioid overdose antidote without a prescription to save the lives of the most vulnerable, the UK government has announced. 

The government will shortly update legislation to enable more services and individuals to provide take-home supplies of naloxone, which almost immediately reverses the effects of an opioid overdose by reversing breathing difficulties. 

This means the medicine can be given to a family member or friend of a person who is known to be using opiates – such as heroin or opioids including potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl or nitazenes – or to an outreach worker for a homelessness service working with people who use these drugs, to save lives in the event of an overdose. 

Alongside this, the government is today publishing a new 10-year strategic plan to expand and improve the drug and alcohol treatment and recovery workforce.  

This is the first national workforce plan for this specialist part of the health workforce in England and outlines key milestones to grow, train and develop staff. This will include bringing more new and experienced professionals into the sector and developing better training for roles that are currently unregulated such as drug and alcohol workers.   

Health and Social Care Secretary Victoria Atkins said:  “Opioid addiction can ruin lives and is responsible for the largest proportion of drug-related deaths across the UK.  

“We are working hard to reduce those numbers by expanding access to naloxone to save the lives of the most vulnerable. 

“Our 10-year workforce plan will expand and boost the training of the next generation of drug and alcohol workers to improve services and support people to get their lives back on track.”

The workforce plan builds on the government’s 10-year drugs strategy to combat illicit drug use and reduce drug deaths. Expanding access to naloxone will contribute to the government’s ambition to prevent nearly 1,000 drug-related deaths in England by the end of 2025, reversing the upward trend for the first time in a decade. 

As part of the strategy, an additional £532 million is being invested between 2022 and 2025 to improve the capacity and quality of drug and alcohol treatment.

This additional funding is supporting the expansion of the workforce by the end of 2024/25 with:  

  • 800 more medical, mental health and other regulated professionals
  • 950 additional drug and alcohol and criminal justice workers
  • more drug and alcohol commissioners in every local authority to commission services more effectively

More than 3,900 additional staff have already been recruited using drug strategy funding.  

The new workforce plan, developed by the Office for Health and Improvement (OHID) and NHS England (NHSE), builds on this progress and maps out the next 10 years of workforce transformation with key 1-year, 3-year and 10-year milestones.   

This includes: 

  • New training curriculums for three currently unregulated roles by March 2025. These roles are drug and alcohol workers, children and young people’s drug and alcohol workers and peer support workers. Accredited training will be available for these roles by March 2027 and the first cohorts of trainees will complete their training by March 2029.
  • More addiction psychiatry training posts to expand the bank of posts currently available by March 2025.
  • More regulated professionals working in the sector will mean services have high-quality clinical governance and clinical supervision in place by March 2027.

Naloxone can currently be administered by anyone in an emergency but can only legally be supplied without prescription by a drug and alcohol treatment service to a person to take home for future use.    

The government will update legislation via a statutory instrument to expand the number of services and professions which can supply the medicine over the next few weeks. 

It follows a public consultation in which the responses were overwhelmingly supportive of proposals. 

Opioid-related deaths make up the largest proportion of drug-related deaths across the UK, with an average of 40 deaths a week, and widening access to naloxone for those at risk of overdose will make a substantial difference.  

In 2022, opioids were involved in:  

  • 73% of drug misuse deaths registered in England
  • 60% of drug misuse deaths registered in Wales
  • 82% of drug misuse deaths registered in Scotland
  • 60% of drug misuse deaths registered in Northern Ireland

FREE Pollinator Picnic at Lauriston Farm tomorrow

✉️✉️ INVITATION to a local PICNIC! Drop-in to Lauriston Farm Agroecology Open Day this weekend where I will be hosting a ‘Pollinator Picnic’. Free, family friendly food and fun.

🖲 Lauriston Farm, next to Toby Carvery on Lauriston farm Rd, EH4 5EX, Edinburgh.

📆 SAT 18th MAY : 12.30-2.30

👥 Everyone welcome! Picnic blankets supplied.

Part of the co-design stage of artist Natalie Taylor’s proposal development for Granton Gas Tower.

Edinburgh Local Heritage Network celebrates its first birthday

We’re celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Edinburgh Local Heritage Network (ELHN).

This network was launched on the May 10, 2023 and was attended by 17 representatives from a variety of local community groups, organisations, and societies.

The ELHN has gone from strength to strength over the past year and now has 30 members who represent local heritage groups and societies from across the city.

This network is specifically for local groups and societies with a focus on the heritage of Edinburgh, with the Lord Provost Robert Aldridge as Honorary President.

The purpose of this network is to develop and maintain partnerships between local heritage groups and with Council services, chiefly Archives, Libraries, and Museums and Galleries. This is to better safeguard, enrich, and promote the city’s heritage together.

Membership of the ELHN is available to heritage groups and organisations based within the city. If you belong to a group that you think might benefit from this network, please contact us at archives@edinburgh.gov.uk

The network meets quarterly and focuses on subjects of interest to local heritage groups. Groups can also raise any specific issues or questions facing them that network members might be able to help with.

Currently, the key focus of the ELHN is the development of a new online membership directory and collaboration on the Edinburgh 900 programme with a focus on supporting local communities to celebrate this anniversary.

The full ELHN online directory can be found on our website. 

Further details on the Edinburgh 900 programme are also available on our website.

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh and ELHN Honorary President, Robert Aldridge said: “I’m delighted that the ELHN has reached this milestone and I’d like to sincerely thank all the members, supporters and colleagues who have worked hard to grow and enhance this network.

“Edinburgh is a city of rich history and stories. We’re committed to sharing these as part of our Edinburgh 900 programme and the ELHN has a key role to play in these celebrations.”

Record breaking Munro challenge opens for entries

RHASS Mighty Munro Muster will see all 282 Munros conquered within the same 24-hour window

Scotland’s leading agricultural charity, RHASS (Royal Highland & Agricultural Society of Scotland), seeks avid adventurers to participate in an ambitious, and worthy fundraising feat.  

Taking place on 21 September 2024, the challenge will involve a group of no less than 600 individuals split into teams of two or more, collectively ascending all 282 Munros within the same 24-hour window. 

To succeed, each team is required to reach the summit of their selected Munro and return safely back down before the 24 hours is up, all while raising money for RHASS-funded projects aimed at those living and working in rural Scotland, safeguarding the rights of landowners, and preserving access to Scotland’s breath-taking landscapes.  

The challenge is part of the society’s 240th anniversary year. Other activities include a year-long audio and visual storytelling project, 240 Years of Stories, to contribute towards the legacy of Scotland’s agricultural and rural community, and a series of Harvest Thanksgiving services will also take place.  

RHASS will work with a range of partners to support participants in the run-up to the event, providing safety advice, training programmes, and guidance to ensure everyone is well equipped to take on the challenge. 

Various resources will also be provided to support participants in their efforts to raise funds for the challenge. 

In order to make sure all Munro’s are covered, applicants will be entered into a ballot, choosing their desired area and level of difficulty on entry. They will be assigned either their first or second choice of location and a Munro suitable to their abilities. People of all skill levels are encouraged to take part in what will be an exhilarating team challenge. 

Alisdair Caulfield, RHASS Director of Advancement, said: “The collective effort involved in this challenge will not only be a testament to community spirit, but it will also be a wonderful celebration of Scotland’s rich rural heritage. 

“We are aiming to sign up at least six hundred participants to ensure that no one faces the ascent alone, the logistics in that alone will be no easy feat.  Additionally, we have also set ourselves an ambitious fundraising target, which will help RHASS and our partnering beneficiaries drive positive change and leave a lasting impact on rural communities.” 

Munro-bagger Hollie Jenkins and her two spaniels Hugo and Spencer (@theedinburghspaniels) stepped up to support the drive for sign-ups, encouraging fellow dedicated hikers to take part in the daring challenge.

Hollie met with members of the RHASS team to share her passion for hiking in the Scottish Mountains and discuss the importance of preserving Scotland’s rural heritage.

Speaking on the challenge, Hollie said: “As an avid Munro bagger, I am honoured to be part of this remarkable challenge and encourage everyone to take part in the amazing opportunity to celebrate the natural beauty of our country’s landscape.” 

Land & Property Partner at Turcan Connell, Grierson Dunlop, said: “As sponsors of RHASS 2024, we are delighted to be part of the society’s assortment of activities and look forward to supporting this ambitious challenge and creative fundraising initiative.

“The Mighty Munro Muster Is a fantastic opportunity for individuals to help our rural communities prosper, stay active and take in the immense views from our impressive Scottish mountains.”

Those who think they can muster up the courage to take part can now sign up online at: https://rhass.org.uk/  

Participants will receive a branded event t-shirt to wear during the climb and to capture that all-important selfie at the top.