Volunteers’ crucial mountain path work

Local volunteers have played a vital role to repair and conserve mountain paths.

Volunteers from Perth and Kinross have been working with the conservation charity Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland on a five-year project called‘The mountains and the people’.

A total of 32 people from the local area have spent hours doing conservation work and training with the project, which brings together Scotland’s two national parks, the Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund.

‘The mountains and the people’project, which is now in its fourth year, began with the vision of repairing and conserving upland mountain paths in the Cairngorms National Park and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.

Since the project began, 258,000 square metres of habitat have been improved, 86,000 metres of path has been conserved and landscapes have been restored.

Those leading the project say their goal of restoring 125 kilometres of path, the equivalent distance of Dundee to Aberdeen, would not have been completed without the efforts of the volunteers giving their own time.

Tom Wallace, activity project manager, said:“All the work carried out is crucial in repairing damage to the fragile upland landscapes, and volunteers from Perthshire have helped to make a huge difference on several projects.

“Our teams have helped with the preservation of some of Scotland’s most famous trails, including the nearby Cairngorms mountain range - a place that is important to many who live in Perthshire and the surrounding areas.

“It is hoped the ground maintenance that has been completed will preserve the mountain paths for the next 10 years, and help keep Cairngorm mountain paths safe.

“‘The mountains and the people’project is championing the small things we can all do to keep mountain paths fit for purpose, such as kicking debris away from water run-offs.

“The project has a number of volunteering days penned in for 2019, with half a dozen groups already signed up to complete conservation work in the hills for what is proving to be a productive year ahead.

“It is the work of local volunteers, the basic maintenance of the parks and the educational training opportunities which are essential for the future sustainability of the Scottish mountains.”