Social distancing ‘could wreck mountain footpaths’ in Scotland

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has said that people are leaving the paths in order to try and stay two metres from their fellow walkers

Path maintenance being carried out on Ben Lawers in the Highlands. (PA)

Footpaths on some of Scotland's mountains are at risk of irreparable damage due to social distancing, it has been claimed.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) has said that people are leaving the paths in order to try and stay two metres from their fellow walkers.

But this is having the unintended consequence of widening the paths and also damaging vegetation at both Ben Lomond and Ben Lawers.

Helen Cole, property manager at Ben Lawers, said: "People don't know they're doing it but something as simple as walking off the path can be quite a big problem if it's done in the numbers that we've had recently.

“Social distancing has got a major part to play, too, as people try to avoid getting too close to others.”

She added: "We've got some of the rarest mountain plants in Britain here and we've spent decades and hundreds of thousands of pounds balancing our conservation work with public access.

"But what's happened in the last few months has put our work back by years."

There has been a surge of interest in walking in Scotland’s beauty spots — likely a combination of people eager to experience the great outdoors after periods of lockdown and the sunny weather.

Ben Lomond usually sustains 45,000 to 60,000 walkers over the course of a whole year but by mid-October was already registering 70,000 visitors.

At Ben Lawers, since lockdown eased, the recording devices on the mountain are showing that monthly figures are more than double those seen in 2019.

NTS urged visitors to stay on the paths as much as they can and avoid making their own routes, while groups should try to walk in single file along the paths — especially on narrow sections.

The trust said metal-tipped walking poles can damage the ground while ones with rubber ends cause less harm.

Walkers are also urged to take their litter home as even biodegradable items such as banana skins and orange peel can cause damage to the delicate ecosystem.