Craigmore, off Dukes Pass, Aberfoyle

We have spent over a month working on this site, construction a new pathway on what was previously boggy ground and a 'desire line' created by the public up to the top of the hill. Initial visits and site assessments showed us the route people were taking, and we followed a site specification and plan of action for where our newly created stone pathway would go. While close to a major Forestry Commission centre, the route is not well advertised or signposted so does not have huge footfall, however it is increasingly popular given the pathway laid down over three consecutive years now by trainees, and our attempts are continuing this new pathway further on up the hill. It is a SSSI status environment, has nesting birds including potentially falcons, so we worked to ensure disturbance was kept to a minimum, including not using any machinery for several weeks at the start of the project. We ensured all our material created, such as soil spoil and turf, was either re-used elsewhere or sensitively landscaped into the surrounding environment as part of our goal to 'leave no trace' other than the new pathway.
In creating the pathway we are seeking both to enable safe access up the hillside but also protect the wider environment from footfall and potential degradation. To this end, in terms of conservation, we sought to place natural looking stone boulders to the sides of the path, plus extra turfs into mounds, in order to try to keep any walkers on the path itself rather than straying off.
Our efforts at Craigmore have been shared in numerous ways, through my own blog and also a work group one, on social media through photographs and information sharing with interested parties and partner agencies, and also through verbal communication with superiors and the public we encounter.