WARNING - By their nature, text files cannot include scanned images and tables. The process of converting documents to text only, can cause formatting changes and misinterpretation of the contents can sometimes result. Wherever possible you should refer to the pdf version of this document. Know The Code Enjoy Scotland’s outdoors. Everyone has the right to be on most land and water for recreation, education and for going from place to place providing they act responsibly. These access rights and responsibilities are explained in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. The key things are: When you’re in the outdoors: • Take personal responsibility for your own actions and act safely; • Respect people’s privacy and peace of mind; • Help land managers and others to work safely and effectively; • Care for your environment and take your litter home; • Keep your dog under proper control; • Take extra care if you’re organising an event or running a business. What does all this mean? Find out more by visiting: www.outdooraccess-scotland.com Within the area of the National Park, responsibility for many of the new access provisions lies with the Cairngorms National Park Authority and any queries about the provisions of the outdoor access legislation in general or in particular cases should be addressed to the Access Officer, at the Cairngorms National Park Authority. Loch Avon and Glen Avon The Cairngorms National Park The Park covers an area of some 3,800 sq km of which 39% is designated as being sites of special natural heritage importance. The Park is home to a quarter of the UK’s threatened species. Capercaillie, crossbill, crested tits, dotterel, red squirrels, wildcats and pine martens can all be found in the Park along with ospreys and golden eagles. The central mountain zone forms the largest area of arctic mountain landscape and ecology in the British Isles. Here the evidence of the last ice age can be seen in the high corries, and the glens which cut through hills. Many of these glens form the natural routes for the hill tracks marked on this map. The heather moorland which covers much of the lower slopes includes wide ecological diversity, while much of the woodland around the foothills contains remnants of the original pine and birch forests. Outdoor Access in the National Park Under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 the National Park Authority is the access authority in the Park. This Act gives the National Park Authority several duties including upholding outdoor access rights under the new law and publicising the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. It is also required to establish a Local Outdoor Access Forum to provide advice on outdoor access issues from users and land managers. Over the next few years it will also consult about and define a Core Paths Plan for the Park, which will plan for the provision of a network of paths and routes in the area, especially around communities for the use of both inhabitants and visitors. Hill Tracks Outdoor Access in Scotland Scotland’s law on access to the outdoors makes it one of the best places in Europe to enjoy outdoor recreation. Most of the routes on this map are existing rights of way with long established rights of use. However the new law will allow much wider access to land not crossed by rights of way. The new law creates a right of non motorised access to most land and inland water and allows wild camping. The new rights only apply if they are exercised responsibly by respecting the privacy, safety and livelihoods of others, and caring for the environment. The rights are primarily for recreation or passage, and can be exercised at any time of the day or night, always providing they are exercised responsibly, as outlined in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) approved by the Scottish Parliament. SOAC gives detailed guidance on responsible behaviour for people who will be using the tracks on this map on foot, horseback or cycle or who may be wild camping. It also gives guidance to land managers on how to manage their land responsibly in relation to access rights. Aims of the National Park 1) To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area; 2) To promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area; 3) To promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public and; 4) To promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities. The general purpose of the National Park Authority is to ensure that the aims of the Park are collectively achieved in a coordinated way. Much of the work in delivering the aims of the Park will continue to be done by existing organisations. The Park Authority will help where necessary and ensure that there is a consistency of approach across the Park. Cover photo: Coire Bhrochain, Braeriach and the Lairig Ghru (Steve Jones: www.adventurephotographs.com) Most of the routes marked on this map are hill tracks going through uninhabited country. As such they are not waymarked and in many cases the route in its higher reaches will be no more than a rough unmade track, unsuitable even for mountain bikes, for at least part of the way. In winter conditions they are serious expeditions - and winter sometimes comes on high ground in June! At times the route may be no more than a line on the map if that. However as the routes approach settlements they may gradually become metalled or surfaced estate roads. In many cases the beginning and end of the routes will be marked with the familiar green ScotWays signs - but the existence of these should not be taken to mean that there will be signs or navigation aids further on. Map reading competence is essential for most of the marked routes. The remainder of this leaflet gives further information about ScotWays, about the routes, conditions which may be encountered on them, and necessary precautions to take before tackling them. It also gives more information about the National Park and about new Scottish Outdoor Access legislation. The last page lists sources of further information. Walking in the Cairngorms The Cairngorms National Park includes some of the finest walking country in Britain. There are also many opportunities for off road cycling and horse riding. For walkers there is a wide range of choice - from half day local excursions in forest and farmland to challenging back packing trips through remote country. Many of the settlements and estates have developed local path networks which give plenty of opportunities for local walks of two to three hours on signposted and waymarked routes. This map shows where local path networks are known to exist, but does not map them in detail. More are being developed all the time. There is also an increasing number of walking festivals held in the main centres where walks of all levels of difficulty are arranged for visitors. Further information about local path networks and festivals can be obtained from local tourist offices and rangers. The new Scottish access legislation, which the Society has strongly supported, has raised the profile of access issues and the Society expects to draw on its century and a half of experience on access in helping to secure its successful implementation. It will continue to depend heavily on the members of the walking (and cycling and horse riding) public in alerting it to the need in individual cases to protect not just rights of way but wider access rights. Quiet negotiation and mediation, rather than noisy public confrontation, will continue to be its watchwords, but, as in the past, where necessary it will be prepared to take legal action where this is inescapable to defend public rights. Its members serve on many of the Local Access Forums being established throughout Scotland, as well as on the National Access Forum. New members are always welcome. Further information about the Society (now generally called “ScotWays”) can be found on its website: www.scotways.com or from info@scotways.com or by telephone on 0131 558 1222. Finally there are Old Military Roads (OMR) built in the 18th century after the failed 1715 Rebellion. One such road built by General Wade is followed by the low level route 207 (Kingussie to Laggan by Ettridge). Routes 186/187 (Deeside to Donside and Tomintoul) and 203 (Boat of Garten to Tomatin) follow OMRs built by Wade’s successor. On all these roads there are fine examples of military bridges - notably at the Sluggan Bridge on route 203 near Carrbridge. Full descriptions of these routes and many more are contained in Scottish Hill Tracks published in 2004 by ScotWays (price £16.00) and obtainable at local bookshops or direct from ScotWays. Photography © Donald Bennet, Allan Brown, Jim Law, Sandy Valentine, Jimmy Mitchell and Pete Cairns. Sluggan Bridge Further Information The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society 24 Annandale Street, Edinburgh, EH7 4AN Tel: 0131 558 1222 www.scotways.com Cairngorms National Park Authority 14 The Square, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3HG Tel: 01479 873 535 www.cairngorms.co.uk Tourist Information Centres & Accommodation VisitScotland (charged at local rates): Tel: 0845 225 5121 Scottish Youth Hostels Association Central booking service: Tel: 0870 155 32 55 www.syha.org.uk Scottish Independent Hostels www.hostel-scotland.co.uk Organisations Hillphones Daily information for hillwalkers about stag stalking activities taking place between July and October: www.hillphones.info Scottish Natural Heritage Caring for and protecting the natural beauty and wildlife of Scotland, and promoting access and enjoyment to it: www.snh.org.uk Upper Deeside Access Trust Path networks in Upper Deeside: www.visitdeeside.org Mountain Weather Information www.mwis.org.uk Mountain Rescue & Life threatening emergencies DIAL 999 and ask for Mountain Rescue If you would like a large print version of this leaflet please contact the Cairngorms National Park Authority Tel: 01479 873535 Design and production by Hotchilli Design Ltd www.hotchillidesign.net June 2008 Edition PROJECT SUPPORTED BY PROJECT PART-FINANCED BY THE EUROPEAN UNION Europe and Scotland Making it work together ScotWays Nowadays it achieves much by negotiation and mediation although its reputation was established in the 19th century by fighting and winning some highly public battles against major landowners on hill tracks in what is now the Cairngorms National Park and its approaches. Later in that century the Society first erected its well known green signs on many Cairngorm and Grampian paths including the Lairig Ghru (route 181 on the map), the Lairig an Laoigh (route 182), and Glens Feshie (route 180), Tromie (route 178) and Doll (route 175). In 1924 it published the first guide to the major hill paths throughout Scotland, and it has just published the fifth edition since 1947 of its ever popular publication “Scottish Hill Tracks”, which has detailed route descriptions of all the routes shown on this map (as well as many others throughout Scotland). The work goes on and needs your support. Glen Feshie Hill Tracks in the Cairngorms The routes marked on this map represent part of the rich legacy of historical routes round and through the Cairngorm massif. Some follow the lines of mediaeval roads across the hills once used by packmen and packhorses. Examples are the so-called Mounth routes in the eastern Grampians (e.g. route 173 - the Capel Mounth from Ballater to Glen Clova which was first marked on a 1360 map). Many more follow the lines of Drove Roads, down which every autumn thousands of cattle would be driven from breeding grounds in the Highlands to Lowland markets - and some indeed are named “Thieves’ Road” as a reminder that they were used by cattle reivers or rustlers who flourished until well into the 18th century. Most of the major long distance routes from the north to the south follow drove roads. Notable examples include routes 180 (Glenfeshie by Linn of Dee to Glen Tilt), 181 (Lairig Ghru - Speyside to Deeside) and 182 (Linn of Dee to Nethybridge) and there are many more. Lairig Ghru Glen Tilt Jock’s Road The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society (“ScotWays”) is a charity which dates from 1845 and has amongst its objectives “the preservation, defence, restoration and acquisition for the public benefit of rights of access, including public rights of way.” Society signposting in the 1940’s Published by The Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society Safeguarding public access in Scotland since 1845 ScotWays®