Scotland has tens of thousands of miles of paths that take people to green and open spaces: to mountain tops, seashores, riverbanks and forests. Many of these paths have legal status – core paths or rights of way – or are part of our 29 Great Trails. Countless other paths have no such status but are still cherished as part of local networks, allowing people to connect to nature on their doorsteps. Scotland’s path network is a critical part of our national infrastructure: enjoyed by more than three quarters of the population and vital for health, wellbeing and supporting local business. They deserve to be looked after, improved and celebrated.
Action Needed
The good news is that it does not take much to put this right! Over this parliament there are real opportunities to put our path network right at the heart of Scotland’s work to improve health, boost local business and cherish our environment. An enthusiastic Paths Champion can help by:
- Celebrating community-led work to improve paths
- Highlighting new opportunities for public-private funding partnerships
- Supporting our call to Ordnance Survey to map core paths properly
And much else besides!
Threats
Our path network is struggling. Outdoor access and recreation is more popular than at any time in Scotland’s history but with increased footfall comes increased pressure on maintenance. Budgets for paths have been stripped in recent years and are fragmented across public and private sectors. There are creeping indications of gates being locked, unwelcoming signage and paths left to deteriorate. There is a growing gulf between Scotland’s world-class access rights on paper and the reality on the ground.
MSP Nature Champion
Jenny Young
Member for: Central Scot and Lothians West
Region: Central Scotland and Lothians West
Party: Scottish Labour
