26 Aug 2024

Your Gift in Action – autumn 2024

Two people one wearing hi-vis and both wearing helmets and microphones sit in a helicopter next to the window.

Thanks to donations to the Footpath Fund, the Footpath team have benefitted from airlift training

As the season turns to the vibrant hues of autumn, we’re reminded of the enduring beauty and history that your support helps to preserve, from our wild spaces to historic buildings. Thanks to your support, our dedicated teams – rangers, conservationists, property experts, volunteers, and more – continue their vital work safeguarding Scotland’s remarkable heritage.

From repairing footpaths and preserving our collections to nurturing diverse habitats and protecting precious wildlife, our mission remains steadfast: to care for the places we all love.

We’re excited to highlight some of the recent projects made possible by your donations. These stories are a testament to the difference your gifts make in preserving Scotland’s history and natural beauty for generations to come. Thank you for your support.

A gravel path with heather on the right hand side and trees and a hedge on the left runs between mountains.

The Glencoe Greenway is a 5km traffic-free shared-use path

Glencoe Greenway Project – Emily Bryce, Operations Manager, Glencoe & Glenfinnan

Glencoe National Nature Reserve is one of Scotland’s most famous and popular mountain landscapes. It attracts tourists worldwide, with over 2 million vehicles travelling through the Glen on the A82 every year. Many people stop to enjoy the views and explore the hills, but the opportunities to do this without a car have always been limited.

We’re passionate about welcoming visitors while reducing the pressure popularity can have on our habitats and our local community. We were, therefore, thrilled to begin construction on the Glencoe Greenway last winter. This 5km traffic-free shared-use path will offer the chance to walk and wheel into the heart of this iconic Glen from our Visitor Centre for the first time, where it will connect with other existing paths. It’s an ambitious £2 million project that we’ll complete this autumn and is the first step towards our long-term goal of a continuous traffic-free route from west to east through Glencoe.

We want to offer an appealing alternative to driving, reducing reliance on car travel and enhancing access to the glen for a broader range of users. Now, visitors can push a buggy, use a wheelchair, or travel by foot and bicycle, immersing themselves in the Glen’s sights, sounds, nature, beauty and heritage more sustainably. This project has been made possible thanks to generous funding from the Scottish Government through Sustrans Scotland and the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund.

A crowded car park in a mountainous landscape.

The Glencoe Greenway is the first step towards our long-term goal of a continuous traffic-free route from west to east through Glencoe

Fyvie Tapestry Project – Gille Young, Interim Conservator North

At Fyvie Castle, we embarked on a project with Vikki Duncan, one of our Regional Curators, to conserve the castle’s impressive tapestry collection and shed light on its historical significance. Once highly prized and costly to produce, these tapestries not only showcased their owner’s wealth but also provided entertainment with their dramatic depictions of biblical, mythological and classical stories.

Vikki’s assessment of our tapestries revealed one that appeared in the backdrop of a portrait of Ruth, Lady Forbes-Leith but had not yet been located within the castle. Determined to find it, we eventually discovered a fragment in storage, repurposed into a door curtain, a common practice in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which had once hung in the castle’s Morning Room.

With the expertise of textile conservator Sophie Younger, we’ve repaired and conserved this remarkable tapestry, which was dirty and deteriorating. Sophie addressed age and weight-related tears, reinforced failed stitching, and added a supportive backing for safer hanging. She also conducted simple cleaning trials. The tapestry will be mounted for public view in a specially designed case crafted by a skilled team of local woodturners.

This project was made possible in part thanks to Jean Shennan, a Trust supporter who kindly left a gift in her Will to our charity. The impact of her generosity and foresight is significant: with this funding, we’ll be able to better understand the needs of larger and more damaged tapestries and ensure the preservation of the remaining collection at Fyvie Castle. We are so grateful for this kind gift and for all our supporters who include a gift to our charity in their Will.

Find out more about supporting our charity with a gift in your Will.

A close-up of a narrow curtain covering a wooden door panel. The curtain is made of tapestry panels, and hangs between two framed large tapestries.

A portrait of an older lady, shown seated in front of a large tapestry. She wears a turquoise blue silk shawl over a royal blue dress. She has a silver necklace with red jewels, which matches her earrings.

The Footpath Fund: Lowlands – Bob Brown, Upland Path Manager

Did you know the Trust maintains just over 275 miles of upland footpaths and 155 miles of lowland paths? These diverse paths, varying in terrain, structure and design, are enjoyed by millions of visitors each year. Their upkeep is essential to ensuring the accessibility and enjoyment of our places and spaces.

Thanks to donations to our Footpath Fund in 2023, we began mapping our lowland path network this year. This crucial work helps us pinpoint where repairs are most needed. The data collection, conducted by a dedicated team of colleagues and volunteers, involved a mix of advanced technology and traditional tape measures, all integrated into a data app.

Our initial focus is on repairing lowland paths in the North East, which have been significantly impacted by increased footfall and extreme weather linked to the climate crisis. Restoration efforts have already begun at several properties, including the Old Wood of Drum Castle, Garden & Estate, Fyvie Castle, Garden & Estate, and Crathes Castle, Garden & Estate.

Additionally, colleagues at St Abb’s Head National Nature Reserve recently completed an upskilling programme led by our Footpath team. This training equips rangers and staff at this coastal headland to proactively identify and address path issues. The team was also taught how to work with airlifts and when repair materials had to be imported via helicopter. We’ll also restore a section of the flooded path at Dunkeld later this year.

These efforts ensure everyone can experience Scotland’s most beautiful places while preserving the natural landscapes, built heritage and wildlife that make these areas so special. Thank you to everyone who supported this work by giving to the Footpath Fund.

A helicopter with a rope hanging from it hovers above land with three people in hi-vis clothing underneath.

Thanks to donations to the Footpath Fund, the Footpath team have benefitted from airlift training

Everything the Trust achieves is made possible thanks to the generosity of our visitors, members and donors. Your support is essential in preserving the places and collections under our care and in keeping Scotland’s history alive for future generations. Without you, our mission to protect and share these treasured places and the stories they tell wouldn’t be possible.