A new Highland nature trail opened at the weekend in one of Europe’s most stunning locations.
The resource, in northwest Sutherland, is part of the Coigach and Assynt Living Landscape Partnership Scheme created by the Assynt Foundation with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Scottish Rural Development Programme.
It passes through native woodland, surrounding Glencanisp Lodge and offers elevated views of iconic Suilven.
It also links with the longer walks through the surrounding estate.
The trail was opened on Saturday by Bella MacAskill, Assynt’s youngest school pupil, and Jonny Hughes who is chief executive of the Scottish Wildlife Trust.
Mr Hughes said: “This new trail is just one of a huge range of projects benefiting people and wildlife in Coigach and Assynt thanks to players of the national lottery and many other funders.
“The partners in this exciting initiative are showing how to deliver conservation on a truly landscape scale and demonstrating that partnerships can achieve much more than working alone.”
Scheme manager Boyd Alexander added: “As one of the first projects to be completed as part of the scheme, this trail not only supports the community-owned Assynt Foundation, but also allows both visitors and the community to easily explore the fantastic nature in this part of the Highlands.”
The scheme involves 14 organisations working to deliver 28 projects to enhance the area’s natural, built and cultural heritage.
The ventures include creating and expanding native woodland, offering outdoor learning to local schools, carrying out major repairs to the approach and summit paths of Suilven, and work to excavate and stabilise the Iron Age Clachtoll Broch.
Assynt Foundation chief executive Gordon Robertson said: “We are extremely grateful for the support to create a trail that has been proposed for many years.”
