Accessibility in the wild

As part of Disability Awareness Month, find out how we have made the places we care for more accessible to offer everyone the opportunity to get out and explore our wonderful wild places.

In the Breadalbane region of the Scottish Highlands, you can find the fairy hill of the Caledonians, also known as Sìth Chailleann or Schiehallion. With its distinctive pointed summit, Schiehallion is a popular Munro and attracts more than 20,000 people to its summit each year for the fabulous views across Loch Rannoch, looking over the wilds of Rannoch Moor and the hills of the central Highlands as far as Glencoe and Ben Nevis. People have inhabited and cultivated this area from more than 3,000 years ago until around 200 years ago.

In 1999, the John Muir Trust took ownership of East Schiehallion, which covers an area of 871 hectares (equivalent to 1,219 football pitches). This includes the eastern part of Schiehallion and the quieter and wilder Gleann Mòr to the south. East Schiehallion lies within the Loch Rannoch and Glen Lyon National Scenic Area (NSA) which was identified as such due to having areas of exceptional scenery and therefore ensures its protection from inappropriate development by restricting certain forms of development.

This wide range of habitats supports a vast array of different flower, insect, bird and wildlife species - there is always something interesting to see whatever the season. In Spring, black grouse perform their impressive lekking display and in summer, flowers like rockrose bring a riot of colour. Autumn sees migrating geese overhead and foraging bullfinches in the developing woodland and in winter you might be lucky enough to spot ptarmigan in their white coats, blending in perfectly to the snowy mountain. It's also a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) for its geology and limestone influenced habitats.

Easier access

We believe everyone should have access to wild places and the knowledge and awareness of how to best connect with the natural environment and the actions they can take to protect it. This connection builds value and those who value wild places are more likely to care for and take action to protect them. To do this, we are always looking into ways to help increase accessibility on our properties.

Founded in 2017, the Heart of Scotland Forest Partnership connects six areas of land to create a woodland corridor stretching across more than 3,000 hectares from the eastern flank of Schiehallion to Loch Tummel. The Partnership has a shared vision for a restored, vibrant landscape that provides the opportunities and freedom for wildlife to thrive, for local employment and enterprise, and for people to enjoy, access and learn. Volunteer sharing has enabled a huge amount of work to happen, including clearing path drainage ditches, removing bracken around young trees, repairing fencing and carrying out tree surveys. Local volunteers generously give their time to a range of partnership projects, through ad-hoc volunteer sharing and monthly Heart of Scotland Forest Partnership work parties. Sharing other resources such as quad bikes, loaning people counters and re-using tree guards are just a handful of practical examples of Partnership working.

In August of 2022, to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the Partnership, the Foss Loop path was opened. The 1.5km easier access path links three of the Partner properties: Dùn Coillich managed by the Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust, Braes of Foss managed by Forestry and Land Scotland, and the East Schiehallion estate managed by the John Muir Trust.

The path is made from a combination of boardwalk and stone chips and includes seating along its length to ensure there are plenty of opportunities to rest. At the opening of the Foss Loop, Mark Ruskell MSP said: "The path is a real gem that will enable thousands of people of all ages and abilities to share in the magic of Schiehallion and its dramatic setting. Restoration of the environment should go hand in hand with enhancing our enjoyment and access, this project is an exemplar of how to do it.”

It’s vitally important that we continue to monitor and maintain these paths. The John Muir Trust has agreed with Highland Perthshire Communities Land Trust and Forestry and Land Scotland to undertake any necessary maintenance on the path until 2028.

Maintaining paths

Since the opening of the Foss Loop, almost 2,600 people now use this path each year. This increase in footfall coupled with the continuous rainfall experienced in this part of Scotland can cause severe damage. If the paths themselves become uneven and inaccessible, more people begin to stray off the path, trying to avoid these damaged sections causing degradation of the surrounding land. Without the funds to manage this impact, these fragile habitats don't have the chance to recover. To help keep these paths well maintained and accessible for everyone, we rely solely on your donations.

By donating to our Wild Ways Path Appeal you can help us keep these paths maintained, ensuring everyone can access our wild places safely. Your donation will not only help care for and maintain these important paths, but will also contribute to protecting fragile plants, animals and soils from erosion and disturbance. You'll be helping deliver local employment and training to volunteers, students and conservation groups and assist local communities in places like Schiehallion with their path repairs.

Paths offer us routes to adventure and ways to unwind, but it’s easy to take them for granted. We believe wild places should be safe and accessible for everyone and we continue to seek ways in which we can help more people to experience these wonderful landscapes.