The Isle of Harris Mountain Festival takes place mid September. Billed as a 'week-long celebration of the mountains of Harris' this is the fourth annual event run by the North Harris Trust. The organisers promise this year's festival will be bigger and more ambitious.

'We’re getting really excited about the festival this year' said North Harris Ranger Matt Watts.

'The programme is looking packed full of events, with some exciting new additions as well as the established festival favourites. There’s been a lot of people asking about it – I’m hoping we will easily beat last year’s attendance figures of around 570 people at all the events.' 

'We hold the festival in September as a way of boosting tourism in the area at the end of the season, plus we want to share Harris’ spectacular walking and wildlife watching opportunities with as many people as possible!'

This year's programme builds on the winning formula of previous years, with a mix of guided walks, other outdoor and wildlife-related activities, and a number of evening slots.

The guided walks range across the full variety of Harris landscapes, from rugged ridges and remote glens to some of Europe's most stunning coastlines. Headline walks include the classic Clisham Pass Horseshoe and the famous Golden Eagle Walk (sightings are likely).

New for 2014 will be a set of Gaelic in the Landscape classes, and a short course of Mountain Training accredited Hill and Mountain Skills Awards, aimed at new and improving hill walkers.

To broaden the focus away from walking there will also be a range of outdoor sports sessions, boat trips, a hill race, a raft race and a festival ceilidh.

Guest speakers for 2014 include author & activist Alastair McIntosh and biologist and author John Love, as well as photographer and festival regular Laurie Campbell.

And Chris Townsend introduces screenings of two films by Terry Abraham: The Cairngorms in Winter (see review here) and Life of a Mountain: Scafell Pike (reviewed here). 

• The festival takes place Saturday 13 - Saturday 20 September 2014.
• For more info and bookings see the festival website here.