The start of the festival's community walk

Organisers of the inaugural mountain festival in the Outer Hebrides plan to repeat the event next year.

The first Harris Mountain Festival featured a talk by broadcaster and journalist Cameron McNeish, a photography workshop and a series of guided walks culminating in a 12-mile hike marshalled by the newly formed Harris Search and Rescue Team.

Mr McNeish’s presentation on Mountains: Earth’s Enduring Monuments proved the main draw of the festival, but a workshop by natural history photographer Laurie Campbell, who is undertaking a year-long commission for the North Harris Trust, also proved popular.

He also gave a 90-minute presentation of his life’s work following a day in which festival goers were able to benefit from one-to-one tuition on photographic technique.

The mountain festival also saw the launch of the Harris Five Peaks Challenge, involving summing five of the island’s mountains. For the festival week only there was a free dram of whisky and a complimentary Mountain Festival Miniature to those who climbed three or more of the Five Peaks.

A film package from the Best of Kendal Film Tour 2011 was shown, along with the Triple Echo production the Triple Five, detailing Dave MacLeod’s and Tim Emmett’s attempt to climb five routes on five islands in five days – a world first – before their televised Great Climb on Harris last year.

The festival closed with the 19km walk along the Miabhaig to Bogha Glas path.

A festival spokesperson said: “Unfortunately, the changeable Harris weather meant the sea-kayaking taster sessions and the guided walk to Molinginish had to be cancelled.

“However, the interest shown in these events means that they may feature in next year’s programme.

“Planning for next year’s festival will begin soon. If you have any ideas or feedback you would like to share then get in touch with us.”

Organisers can be contacted by email. Next year’s programme will appear in due course on the festival website.