A north husky expert says milder Highland winters are forcing him to stop racing sled dogs.
Alan Stewart, who owns the Cairngorm Sled Dog Centre near Aviemore, has decided that next year will be his last season running his huskies as the weather is becoming too warm.
The 61 year-old said he’s known for years that this day would come – but not how quickly it would happen.
Mr Stewart explained: “Ten years ago I was invited to a major climate change conference in Brussels by the World Wildlife Fund.
“Ever since, I have been very aware of the issue but it’s just not cold enough now. There’s hardly been any snow and you can’t run dogs if the temperature is over 10 degrees.
“It’s not just that there’s no snow, but the temperature is the main concern. It can damage dogs when they are running around and it is too warm.
“Climate change is seriously destroying the training of sled dogs. There is no sled dog racing in Europe now either.”
Mr Stewart and his wife, Fiona, have lived in the Cairngorms for 18 years and the couple have 26 Alaskan huskies at the moment. The centre is the only daily working sled dog centre in the UK with just five in Europe.
He said: “It is a way of life for us and not a hobby. Huskies can live for around 16 years and ours are with us until the end. We have 17 working dogs while the rest are ‘oldies’. We have a huge paddock where the dogs can run about and I also go out with them on my quad bike.
“But the rise in temperature is affectively destroying my sport – the dogs are now moulting in the middle of winter.”
The couple’s son John lives in Wyoming and is one of the top dog sled racers in America.
Mr Stewart added: “He has been involved with the dogs practically all his life and runs with as many as 22 in a team in the States.
“But there’s been no snow there either and he had to take his dogs to Canada for training. However, it was cold enough there as it was -40 degrees.
“We will keep the Cairngorm centre ticking over and maybe have the odd training trip in the future.
“It’s very sad but we have to face up to reality.”
