Access issues

Scheme launched for hillwalkers’ to ‘Adopt a Path’ in our National Parks

Posted on June 8, 2016 by Paul Webster

An exciting new campaign encouraging people to help look after Scotland’s most iconic and popular mountains, has been launched today on Conic Hill in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. The ‘Adopt a Path’ campaign is part of a major £6.1 million project – The Mountains & The People – and is launched on its one year anniversary. ‘Adopt a Path’ asks volunteers who go hillwalking to adopt a favourite hill route in Scotland’s National Parks – Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and Cairngorms – that they will inspect when they go walking and then report back on the…

Posted in Access issues, Nature

Scottish Land Fund allows Moffat to buy local hill

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Helen Webster

A Dumfriesshire community is poised to take control of its local woodland, thanks to a £171,622 Scottish Land Fund award. The award to Moffat Community Woodlands is one of the first to be made from the newly re-launched Scottish Land Fund. Moffat Community Woodlands will use the funding to purchase 33.4 hectares of land on Gallow Hill, which overlooks the town of Moffat. The group intend to work with the Forestry Commission to replant the land with a broadleaf woodland and begin the process of returning the hill to the way it looked when Moffat was a renowned Victorian spa…

Posted in Access issues, Nature

Political Priorities

Posted on May 25, 2016 by Cameron McNeish

VERY few folk would have been surprised if the SNP had not been the dominant party in the recent Scottish election but what should the new Scottish Government’s priorities be for the next five years? The SNP manifesto was fairly light in terms of the Scottish outdoors, although I have been heartened by the party’s stance on the Scottish National Trail, which they see as a link to promoting and strengthening our Great Trails network of long distance trails. The whole idea of the SNT was to link up existing trails and footpaths into one continuous route through Scotland from…

Posted in Access issues, Features, Magazine, Nature

Walkers requested to keep dogs on lead during nesting season

Posted on April 15, 2016 by Paul Webster

The Cairngorms National Park authority is urging all dog owners to keep dogs on a lead this springtime when ground nesting birds are sitting on eggs, and into the summer months when they have chicks to care for. “The National Park is home to some of the UK’s most endangered species and for our birdlife especially, springtime is a really important time of year, when we hope to see populations boosted with new life.” Ground nesting birds like capercaillie, lapwings and dotterel are at their most vulnerable from bad weather and predation at this time of year so the Cairngorms…

Posted in Access issues, Nature

Ben Lomond access – road closure at Rowardennan

Posted on April 13, 2016 by Paul Webster

Road access to the very popular car park at the foot of Ben Lomond is set to be affected by temporary closures from next Monday 18th April until Friday 6th May. Repairs to a retaining wall at Rowardennan will see the road completely closed during the following timeslots each day: 9:00am to 10:30am 11:00am to 1:00pm 1:30pm to 4pm The closure times have been chosen so that walkers will still have some access to Ben Lomond.

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Work parties – possible restrictions on use of bothies

Posted on March 30, 2016 by Helen Webster

Intending users of bothies maintained by the Mountain Bothy Association should be aware that maintenance work will be taking place at a number of bothies over the April- June period. Inevitably, this will mean that there will have to be restrictions on use at some, but not all, of these bothies while the work is being undertaken, and intending users should be prepared to camp while this essential maintenance is taking place. As much information as possible will be posted on the Association’s website www.mountainbothies.org.uk but it is not, of course, possible to be totally precise in advance about how…

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Ben Lomond path temporary closure tomorrow

Posted on March 29, 2016 by Helen Webster

The main path up Ben Lomond – one of the most popular of the Munros – will be closed tomorrow (Wednesday March 30th). The closure will be for one day and is to allow the delivery of stone by helicopter. There will be ground personnel onsite during the works to prevent access, on grounds of public safety. This is part of the preparation for the path upgrade works that are planned to start in May and is part of a wider project called ‘The People and the Mountains Project’ funded by Heritage Lottery Fund Scotland in partnership with the Loch…

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Strathfarrar Summer Access starts 31 March

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Helen Webster

The summer access arrangements for Strathfarrar will begin on 31 March this year. Strathfarrar has a locked gate and only a certain number of cars are allowed into the Glen each day. There are no restrictions on pedestrian access or taking a pushbike beyond the locked gate and wild camping is allowed within the terms of the Scottish Access Code but you cannot park overnight in the Glen. There will be no vehicular access all day on Tuesdays and on Wednesday mornings. The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) negotiates access along the private road with the landowner on behalf of…

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New section of John Muir Way opens through Kilpatrick Hills

Posted on March 24, 2016 by Paul Webster

A new section of the John Muir Way heading through the Kilpatrick Hills is now open. The new section of path – which heads past Burncrooks Reservoir – replaces the old stage between Balloch and Strathblane which made more use of minor roads and the West Highland Way. The latter option is now a John Muir Way variant for cyclists. The new route cost £500,000 was funded by Forestry Commission Scotland, SportScotland and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH); it is part of the Central Scotland Green Network project. Alan Stevenson of Forest Enterprise Scotland said about the opening: “This a great…

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Camasunary bothy temporarily closed after storm damage

Posted on March 7, 2016 by Helen Webster

The bothy at Camasunary on the Isle of Skye has suffered major storm damage. Many of the tin roof sheets have been blown off along with some timber work. Due to the possibility of further sheets becoming detached, the bothy should not be used until emergency repairs have been effected. A full assessment of the damage will be carried out as soon as possible. The new bothy at Camasunary is not yet ready for use, although it is hoped that it will be available shortly. In the meantime therefore, there is no bothy accommodation at Camasunary and intending visitors should…

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