Loch Tay & Ben Lawers from the Rob Roy Way
The recently-completed Berwickshire Coastal Path and the Great Glen Canoe Trail join the Rob Roy Way to bring the total number of routes in the network to 23. Co-inciding with the launch of Walkhighlands’ coverage of the Rob Roy Way, the national trail network now extends to over 1500 miles of walking and paddling route.
With the addition of the Great Glen Canoe Trail, people can now paddle from coast to coast between Fort William and Inverness, and see the Caledonian Canal and Loch Ness from a totally different perspective. The Rob Roy Way, which runs between Drymen and Pitlochry, follows the tracks and paths used by the notorious outlaw Rob Roy MacGregor in the 17th and 18th centuries. And the most southerly of the three, the Berwickshire Coastal Path, is along one of the most spectacular coastlines in Britain. Linking Cockburnspath to Berwick-on-Tweed, it takes in dramatic cliff top scenery complete with arches, stacks and crumbling castles.
Pete Rawcliffe, people and places manager at Scottish Natural Heritage said: “In Scotland we’re very lucky to have so many long distance trails running through some of our finest scenery, so it’s great to add another three routes to ‘Scotland’s best’. The trails offer people the chance to go out and enjoy the countryside close to where they live as well as exploring further afield. And the beauty of these trails is that you can just dip in for short trips as well as going the whole distance.”
Riddell Graham, director of partnerships at VisitScotland, said: “VisitScotland is delighted to be working closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and other interested countryside partners in the development and promotion of ‘Scotland’s Great Trails’. As we prepare to celebrate the Year of Natural Scotland in 2013, as part of our Winning Years programme, the addition of three new routes will add greatly to the visitor appeal of the extensive paths network already in place and provide great opportunities for tourism businesses to benefit from the natural experience on their doorstep.”
If you are planning a walking break on any of the 23 national trails check out the detailed descriptions and free OS mapping on Walkhighlands which also has tables and maps to allow you to compare the routes and is available on all smartphones and tablets including iPads as well as desk and laptop computers. If you fancy paddling the length of the Great Glen see the useful information on Great Glen Canoe Trail website.