Friday 22 January 2016

John Muir Trust Suilven Path Appeal


Back in October I posted about the John Muir Trust's success in winning £18,000 for footpath repairs on Suilven in Assynt in the North-West Highlands and reposted a report on a backpacking trip over this magnificent mountain.

Now the Trust is seeking to raise another £50,000 towards the total cost of around £200,000 via a public appeal. If this money is raised the rest of the funding will be provided by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish Natural Heritage. The path repairs will be carried out by the John Muir Trust and the Assynt Foundation (which manages the land for the local community) under the umbrella of the Coigach-Assynt Living Landscape (CALL) Partnership, one of Europe's largest landscape restoration projects.


Why is this work needed? The John Muir Trust says 'due to increasing popularity, fragile soils and a harsh climate, the most popular approach to Suilven, beginning at Glencanisp, is rapidly deteriorating. The Suilven path restoration project will set out to repair an eroded 2.5km section of the route to prevent further damage and maintain public access, helping support tourism in the local community. It also aims to protect this rare habitat of peat bog and wet heath, and the plant species and wildlife it supports.'

Donations can be made here.


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