Accessible paths

Accessible paths

Accessible paths are walking routes for everyone. They are more accessible than the “easy” routes and suitable for people with limited mobility. This includes wheelchair users, families with pushchairs, mobility scooters, people with visual impairments, and anyone who wants an easier walk with no steps or steep slopes. Accessible paths have the ‘easy / wheelchair’ path symbol.

Our countryside accessible paths all meet a defined national standard, so rest assured they will be step-free, flattish with gentle slopes, and a mostly smooth, firm path surface of a decent width. As these paths are in the countryside, there might be an occasional short moderate slope or a few loose stones, occasional tree root or rough patch, but these will be minimal and will be mentioned in the path description so there won’t be any nasty surprises around the next corner. There will also be benches and resting points to catch your breath and enjoy the sounds and sights of the Cairngorms countryside.

Easy access paths

In addition to the accessible paths, there are many more easy-access paths that are likely to be suitable for many people to use to explore the countryside. They might just miss meeting the defined standard for an accessible path due to, for example, having a step or two, having a slope just steeper than the accessible standard or being narrower. These are graded as “Easy” paths and have the ‘easy’ path symbol. Listed here are some of the most accessible ‘easy’ paths.