A campaign has been launched to raise £300,000 for path repairs on one of Scotland’s most spectacular mountains.
The It’s Up to Us campaign will raise vital funds for paths on An Teallach — Gaelic for “the forge” or “the anvil” — in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands.
The ambitious three-year scheme also aims to raise awareness of the desperate need for investment in the repair and maintenance of mountain paths on land outside of Scotland’s national parks and estates.
Mountain path project
Mountaineering Scotland and the environmental charity Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS), launched the scheme in Perth last night.
They say An Teallach -which has two Munros Bidean a’ Ghlas Thuill 3484 ft, and Sgùrr Fiona 3473 ft – is “a clear example of a popular mountain path on privately owned land with no government funding currently available”.
The restoration project will address decades of erosion on the hill path from Dundonnell on An Teallach caused by the cumulative impact of increased human activity and the extremes of Scottish weather.
Stuart Younie, of Mountaineering Scotland, said: “Scotland’s informal hill and mountain path network plays a vital role in helping us to enjoy the physical and mental benefits of being active outdoors, which was never more evident than during the pandemic.
“Active tourism also makes a significant contribution to the Scottish economy and to local communities across the highlands.
“We need to recognise the cumulative impact of recreational activity and extreme weather due to climate change on our landscape and do something positive to address it so it can continue to be enjoyed by future generations.”
Walking tourism in Scotland is estimated to be worth around £1.6billion, but there is currently no public investment from the UK and Scottish Governments to support essential mountain path and habitat restoration work outside of national parks and NGO estates.
Most of Scotland’s hills and mountains, the majority of which are on privately owned land, are excluded.
Brexit has exacerbated the situation for private landowners with once significant funding from Europe no longer available and not replaced.
Meanwhile, NatureScot has estimated path repairs at an average of £90 per 3ft though costs are often substantially higher.
The It’s Up to Us campaign will encourage outdoor enthusiasts, active tourism businesses and organisations that care about Scotland’s hills and mountains to give something back by donating to the fundraising appeal.
The partners also want to develop a sustainable and long-term funding model for hill path maintenance projects to improve access to investment for all Scotland’s mountain paths.
Dougie Baird, of OATS, said: “The fundraising appeal will highlight how hillwalkers, mountaineers and conservationists can come together to solve path erosion problems on mountains on private land throughout Scotland.
“However, we no longer have access to European funding, which has provided significant support for path and habitat restoration projects in the past, with no funding from the government to replace it.
“It is vital to the success of the It’s Up to Us campaign that we engage with Governments and all stakeholders to highlight the desperate need for investment in mountain paths, and a long-term sustainable model that gives all landowners access to funding for essential mountain path maintenance is developed.”
Mountaineer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish, who is an ambassador for the campaign, said: “It’s Up to Us is such an important project for every person who loves walking on Scotland’s hills and mountains.
“The original tracks and trails on our hills were never built to sustain the numbers that use them now, so it’s up to all of us to pull
together in every way we can and keep them well maintained.”
An Teallach — a mountain massif with ten distinct summits over 3000 feet — has already been awarded a £100,000 Diamond Grant from the Scottish Mountaineering Trust
Conversation