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As part of a week-long work placement, I joined up with pathway workers from a local company, spending a week helping them in their efforts.
After a drive along forestry track, the walk into the work site, behind Ben Narnain between it and Ben Ime, was a severely steep one, particularly in such hot weather, but eventually a spot near the summit of Narnain was reached. Long days ensued, bagging stone into large heli bags. Later in the week a helicopter was flown in to transport the bags round to the other side of Narnain, where it will be used to build a whole new section of 'pitched' stone pathway.
The week was a long one, in terms of effort and hours, but it was fascinating to see how an actual path company, and full time path workers, operate. We also stayed, throughout the week, together in a cottage at the foot of the peaks in Arrochar, a pleasant village on the shores of Loch Long. It was an important aspect to learn, as so much of this job requires building personal relationships, all getting along in close proximity and helping each other out. To this end we each cooked for each other, taking it in turns, and shared cleaning duties. Supporting for getting each other out of bed for the early starts was also required!
The week was informative and led me to believe a permanent career in the industry might be not only possible but also attainable and enjoyable. Particularly when working in such pleasant locations. I am now recovering from the exertions, somewhere shady!

Ben Arthur, known as The Cobbler, is one of the most iconic peaks in Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, if not Scotland as a whole.
We got involved in supporting a volunteer event, where a group of legal advisors spent the day with us doing a 'drain run' as we scaled the peak, clearing out any path features that had become clogged with silt, mud or stone. In searing sunshine, we eventually reached the top, posing for many celebratory pictures, before collecting up tools and heading down. A good day was had by all. It was also an opportunity for me, as a pathway trainee worker, to observe some of the path building techniques and work carried out by trainees there in previous years. The walk is a very special and at times challenging one, but it was interesting and insightful to support such an event, see how they run and learn such organisational skills.