29 Oct 2018

Creating pathways to recovery

A small group of people work at repairing a mountain path. The man in the foreground is digging a space to add large rocks. There is snow on the hillside surrounding the narrow path.

We’re taking bold new steps to protect our mountains by repairing the 245 miles of paths at our upland places.

Firmly putting our feet down on our crucial commitment to protect Scotland’s natural environment, we are appealing for donations to the Footpath Fund. This fund helps us to maintain some of the country’s most beautiful and popular hiking spots, such as Ben Lawers, Goatfell and Mar Lodge Estate.

Due to Scotland’s ever-changing weather and the thousands of welcome and well-placed footprints each year, erosion to the path network is one of the largest challenges we face, especially as it could lead to irreversible damage to our magnificent countryside.

Neil Oliver stands on a mountain path talking to a man who is working on repairs. Large white bags of path material are scattered by the path. A woman with a walking pole stands beside Neil.

Neil Oliver meets the Footpath Team.

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“It’s easy to take our footpaths for granted – people think they have always been here and always will, but it’s quite the contrary.”

Bob Brown, Footpath Team Manager

Bob continues: ‘There’s been a huge increase in footfall to our wonderful hills, mountains, woodland and coastline as people flock to enjoy the beauty of our landscapes, but this puts huge pressure on the pathways. Public donations can help us care for and love these areas in a sustainable and sensitive way.’

A donation of £25 will allow the team to stabilise the edge of collapsing pathways; £50 will allow a draining solution to be implemented to 4 metres of walkway; and £60 will help restore up to 10 metres of path.

Our footpath team, made up of four people, travels the length and breadth of Scotland year-round, maintaining 245 miles of path network, for the 1 million people who visit every year.

At Ben Lawers alone, there are 187 cross drains, 434 water bars, 944 metres of pitching and 2,974 metres of drains, showing the scale of the work involved at just one site.

To make a donation to our Footpath Fund, visit our Footpath Fund page.

The National Trust for Scotland works every day to protect Scotland’s national and natural treasures. From coastlines to castles, art to architecture, wildlife to wilderness, we protect all of this For the Love of Scotland.