Rapid erosion appearing on Munro paths
A doubling of visitor numbers t o s o me o f S c o t l a n d ’s mos t accessible Munros has caused u n p r e c e d e n t e d d a m a g e t o footpath networks as people seek respite in the mountains during lockdown.
National Trust for Scotland said rapid erosion was now visible on B en Lomond and B e n L awe r s , w i t h d e c a d e s o f c o n s e r va t i o n wo r k n ow unravelling and irreparable damage now a risk.
Social distancing guidelines intro duced during the pandemic has led to people stepping off the side of paths to let others pass– which wrecks the fragile verges and widens the route in the process.
NTS said that damage is most acute at Ben Lomond, which u s u a l l y s u s t a i n s 4 5 ,0 0 0 t o 60,000 walkers a year but by mid- October had registered 70,000 visitors.
At p e a k t i me s , p o s t- l o c k - d o w n n u m b e r s o n B e n Lomond are showing to b e twice those of 2019.
At B e n L awe r s n e a r L o c h Tay, wich around 30,000 people visit each year, monthly figures recorded after Spring lockdown lifted are more than double those seen in 2019.
H e l e n C o l e i s t h e Na t i o n - a l Tr u s t f or S c o tl a n d P r o p - erty Manager at Ben Lawers National Nature Reserve. She said: “It’s wonderful seeing so many walkers and runners enjoying the hills, esp ecially people who haven’t expe - rienced this incredible place b efore. B en Lawers is quite easy to get to from most parts of Scotland and when you’re at the car park, you’re already a third of the way to the top so we’re very popular
“It’s heartbreaking though, s e e i n g a c c i d e n t a l d a m a g e being done. People don’t know they’re doing it but something as simple as walking off the path can be quite a big problem if it’s done in the numbers that we’ve had recently. Social distancing has got a major part to play too, as people tr y and avoid getting too close to others.
“I’ve been working on footp a t h s a t B e n L awe r s f o r 3 0 years and I’ve never seen the damage quite as rapid as this. We’ve got some of the rarest moun t ai n p la n t s i n B r i t a i n here and we’ve spent decades and hundreds of thousands of pounds balancing our conservation work with public access but what’s happened in the last few months has put our work back by years.
“The Trust’s footpath team has been working exceptionally hard to keep up but we’re a l r e a dy b e h i n d b e c a u s e o f lockdown and furlough.
“Vi s i t o r s c a n h e l p a t B e n L awe r s , a n d a l l a r o un d t h e path net work, by staying on the paths as much as they can. Avoid making your own routes where possible and take your time.
“If you meet someone coming the other way and have t o s t e p o f f t h e p a t h , p l e a s e remember to get back on it as soon as you can after wards. The paths can be rocky, but are robust, and while the verges around them can be softer they get muddy and boggy very quickly which is the start of the erosion process.”
Groups should try and walk single file along the paths especially on narrow sections.
N T S h a s r e c o m m e n d e d t h a t m e t a l - t i p p e d wa l k i n g poles can damage the ground and have recommended that those with rubber tips are used instead.