Call to '˜Mend Our Mountains' as peak damage sets in

A campaign to 'Mend our Mountains' has been launched to fund urgent repairs to paths on two of Scotland's most popular Munros.

A view of Beinn a'Ghlo where work is being carried out Carn Liath. PIC: Creative Commons.

At least £20,000 is needed for the work on Beinn a’Ghlo, in the southern reaches of the Cairngorms National Park, and Ben Vane in the Arrochar Alps.

Concerns have been raised about the condition of the routes to both peaks with deep erosion setting in over a number of years.

The Mend Our Mountains campaign, which is supported by Scotland’s national parks and Mountaineering Scotland, is calling on the public to donate to the maintenance costs.

The mountain massif of Beinn a’Ghlo contains three Munros with the lowest and most accessible, Carn Liath, a familiar sight for those driving north on the A9 at the Pass of Killiecrankie.

The path at Carn Liath has been described as “one of the most pressing mountain path repair priorities in Scotland.”

A spokesman for the campaign said the path was now a “badly eroded white scar which can be seen for miles around.”

Jonathan Binny, of Mountaineering Scotland, said: “We pay for the petrol to come to these hills but the actual hill you don’t pay to use.

“By the activities we are doing, we do inflict some damage on some hills so it is important that we consider putting something back.”

Dougie Baird, of Outdoor Access Scotland, said the eroded area on Carn Liath spanned 40 metres wide in some places.

Work has started at the bottom of the Munro but funds are needed to repair the worst affected at the sumit.

Mr Baird added: “What we are trying to do is make sure we are repairing 20 to 30 years of path erosion damage but also provide a path surface that people’s children and grandchildren can enjoy in the same way.”

Ben Van has become one of Scotland’s most popular walks over the years with the paths becoming increasingly trampled, according to the campaign.