April 21, the 175th anniversary of his birth has been declared John Muir Day in Scotland. To celebrate, there will be activities taking place across the country from wildlife photography workshops in Kilmartin Glen to a treasure hunt in St Cyrus or outdoor theatre in Aberdeenshire. Details of all the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) events on April 20, 21 and 22 can be found at the SNH website.
Ian Jardine, SNH Chief Executive, said: “John Muir spent his life exploring wild places and was the founding father of national parks in America. His legacy continues today and here in Scotland, the land of his birth, we are hoping our events will inspire people to explore and enjoy the outdoors.
“John Muir Day is a great opportunity to discover how easy it is to explore Scotland’s wild places, see our special wildlife and enjoy the benefits of being outdoors and active, especially in the Year of Natural Scotland.”
Next year will also mark the centenary of John Muir’s death. The anniversary will co-incide with the opening of the John Muir Trail in April 2014. This new long distance route starts from his birthplace of Dunbar and follows the existing John Muir Way along the coast almost to Edinburgh. The route will then head through the leafiest and most attractive suburbs of the city before heading across Central Scotland mainly on canal tow paths before heading through the Campsie Fells. Soon the Trail will pick up the Sustrans cycle route on the Strathkelvin Railway Path. From Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond the route will follow the first section of the Three Lochs Way to end at Helensburgh.
John Muir was born in Dunbar on April 21, 1838 but spent his adult life in America. An adventurer, botanist and explorer, he ranged across the continent recording the wildlife he encountered and the landscape he travelled across. He is often called the Father of the National Parks in America and his birthday has been a day of celebration there since 2003.
There are a number of other events happening across Scotland to celebrate John Muir Day, including a slow marathon being organised by Deveron Arts, John Muir nature celebrations at the Falkirk Wheel, and a “My Boyhood and Youth” exhibition at John Muir’s Birthplace House in Dunbar. The John Muir Trust opens its new “Wild Space” centre in Pitlochry on 22 April and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh gardens have special ‘big tree’ events on the weekend.