One of Scotland’s most impressive and recognisable mountains will have its walking paths restored after hillwalkers and charities clubbed together to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds. Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (Oats) launched a campaign last May to raise £300,000 for essential path repairs on An Teallach in Wester Ross, in the north-west Highlands, asking walkers and climbers to “give the hill a few quid”. The It’s Up to Us campaign has announced that £218,000 has already been donated.
More than 3km (two miles) of paths on An Teallach, a popular target for “Munro baggers” who try to climb all 282 mountains in Scotland, need repairing. The funds raised so far have already allowed contractors and volunteers to repair 340 metres of badly eroded path. Walking tourism is worth £1.
6bn a year to Scotland’s economy, according to the campaigners. A 2019 study identified more than 400km of Scotland’s path network in need of repair, at an estimated cost of £30m and at least £400,000 a year for maintenance. Over time, mountain paths can become damaged by rainwater, heat and footfall, with the problem spreading as visitors divert from damaged paths and put additional strain on surrounding land.
As well as ensuring hillwalkers, climbers and runners can safely access mountains, keeping them to paths is essential for protecting local plants and animals. View image in fullscreen Julian Digby, founder of Cairngorm Wilderness Con.