New trails of discovery
Visitors to mainland Argyll have several new trails of discovery to explore, highlighting great places to snorkel, wild swim, beach hunt, catch a cracking sunset or marvel at the dark skies.
During lockdown, NatureScot commissioned work to find new innovative nature-based green recovery initiatives which would aid recovery and respond to the trends associated with people wanting to be active and explore the great outdoors.
Above and Below was one of three initiatives piloted in different locations across Scotland over winter and was formally launched at the Argyll and the Islands Tourism Co-operative (AITC) tenth anniversary tourism summit this week in Oban.
Above and Below was piloted by AITC in partnership with NatureScot and has been co-ordinated by Keira Anderson from Tayvallich.
Cathy Craig, AITC chief executive officer, said: ‘These new trails have been developed through close working with local experts, community interests and local businesses. Scotland and Argyll are both well-known for their outstanding terrestrial scenery characterised by mountains, glens and lochs. However, the marine and celestial environments of the west coast offer even more points of interest and experiences which many don’t yet take time to enjoy.’
The five themed trails include a North Argyll snorkel trail, developed in partnership with the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Living Seas project, adding to its existing snorkel trail network.
The wild swimming trail focuses on good locations to get in the water and provides tips from wild swimming coach Dan the Merman.
Working with the Heart of Argyll Wildlife Organisation, the beach hunt trail highlights locations where low tide exposes beaches and rockpools with fascinating wildlife and geology. And for those opting to stay on dry land and looking for evening activities, the sunset trail and dark skies trail showcase great locations to catch the setting sun and enjoy some of the darkest skies in Europe.
Above and Below also aims to highlight the fantastic work of charities and projects working to improve access to the outdoors and to restore Argyll’s marine habitats.
Adventure Oban is a community-led charity brought together by a shared love of the outdoors. It is piloting an Adventure Library this year, where outdoor equipment can be borrowed.
Seawilding, based at Loch Craignish, is the UK’s first community-led native oyster and seagrass restoration project. Its aim is to restore lost biodiversity, sequester carbon and to create green jobs.
A key feature of Above and Below is promoting sites which are safe to access, have adequate infrastructure for visitors and where habitats will not be damaged. Safe and responsible visits are foremost and businesses will have access to a toolkit to help them make their premises more suitable for guests undertaking these experiences and to develop new collaborative experiences with other businesses.
An early example is Heathery Heights working with Dan the Merman to offer foraging and wild swimming experiences in Knapdale this summer.