The John Muir Way

[Bobgord]

I have just read that the Central Scotland Green Network is developing a path from Helensburgh to Dunbar that they are going to call the John Muir Way. The John Muir Way already runs from Musselburgh to Cockburnspath, so how can there be two paths with the same name?

[laconic surf]

They are just extending it from Musselburgh to Helensburgh. For some reason some Central Scotland Green Network are advertising it will be from Helensburgh to Dunbar, i'm guessing as from Dunbar down to the English border (technically stage 1 of the trail) is outwith its remit but it's all the same thing.

[Bobgord]

No, it's just stopping at Dunbar, but the other John Muir Way continues to Cockburnspath. There is detail on the SNH web site http://www.snh.gov.uk/enjoying-the-outdoors/year-of-natural-scotland-2013/celebrate-john-muir/john-muir-way/. It just seems to be bits of existing paths joined together and doesn't look very inspiring to me! They have been advertising it as the John Muir Trail up until now. I had a look at the Central Scotland Green Network web site and they have an article about the John Muir Festival in their news section. This refers to the John Muir Trail and the John Muir Way. It all seems rather confusing to me and why use the name of an existing path for a new path?!!

[rohan]

In feed back to the Green network on their proposal and idea of calling it the John Muir Trail, there were concerns that it would compare unfavourably with the tremendous John Muir Trail from Yosemite to Mount Whitney. Also the other long distance routes in Scotland (and I think England) are called "ways" not "trails".

It just seems to be bits of existing paths joined together and doesn't look very inspiring to me!

. I agree, but they wanted to mark John Muir's Centenary with it. I hope people are inspired to learn more about the man himself whatever the path.