Ben A’an footpath is now upgraded
Advisory experts check on the work done
The completion of a £195,000 upgrade of the Ben A’an hillpath in the Trossachs was celebrated this week with a visit from the Upland Path Advisory Group.
The path, which had last been upgraded in the 1980s, had been identified as being in need of urgent repairs by The Mountains and The People, a project led by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland, supported by Scotland’s two National Park Authorities, SNH, Forestry Commission Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
The path to the top has now been totally renewed using locally sourced materials and a new bridge built across a stream on the lower section.
Ben A’an’s popularity sees it attract high levels of footfall, however that, together with poor drainage in places, resulted in the path being quite badly damaged.
Thanks to the project there is now a solid, raised path that will take people to the top in relative comfort and safety, without any boggy, rough or ‘lost’ sections.
The works were carried out in three separate stages, with Cairngorm Wilderness Contracts Ltd (CWC) carrying out the upper, hand-build section, and McGowan Outdoor Access Ltd doing the work on the other two sections.
Will Huckerby, for the Forest Enterprise Scotland team in the area, said: “We’re very happy with the result. The works fit very well into their surroundings and we have no doubt that it will make for a much more enjoyable experience for visitors.
“In the summer, about 6,000 or 7,000 people are making the 1.5 hour trek up and down every single month. For many of those it will have been their first introduction to mountain access. Hopefully this new path will help them to decide to continue with their new pursuit. It will also provide longer term benefits both for the local area and communities further afield, that can enjoy this hill experience well into the future.”