Ramblers Scotland

15/06/2026

A few tired heads across Scotland this Bank Holiday Monday...?! ⚽

But did you manage to squeeze in a weekend walk among all that nocturnal World Cup excitement? 🥾

With much of the country enjoying some sunshine, we'd love to hear where you got to on your walking adventures. 👇

📸 = A (slightly weary!) staff member yesterday afternoon, on a family walk at Cademuir Hill Forts and the River Tweed. A fantastic varied route, near Peebles - well detailed by Walkhighlands.

11/06/2026

👣 Whatever your job is in politics, life at The Scottish Parliament is no walk in the park!

So, it was a rare pleasure yesterday to invite MSPs and Holyrood staff from across party lines to meet us for a short lunch-break stroll in Edinburgh’s Holyrood Park, alongside Ramblers Scotland president Chris Paul Lawlor and director Brendan Paddy.

Thanks to everyone who joined us to talk all things walking! That included Minister for Public Health & Sport Maree Todd MSP, Finlay Carson For Galloway And West Dumfries, Yi-pei Chou Turvey for North East Scotland, researchers from the Scottish Green Party and staff from Historic Scotland.

It was a great chance for us to showcase the work of our charity and volunteers, and for MSPs to enjoy the nation’s top hobby…. walking!

In the months ahead, we'll keep talking to politicians from all parties about the vital role that walking plays for Scotland's health, wellbeing and economy. 👍🏻

10/06/2026

Fancy joining the committee that shapes our charity's work?

Our Strategic Committee offers advice, expertise and constructive challenge, to ensure we are delivering for Scotland's walkers.

We particularly want candidates with experience in:

🚶🏽 Outdoor access, paths, land use, policy and advocacy
💷 Fundraising, partnerships and external support
🫀 Public health and wellbeing
🤝🏻 Community engagement and tackling societal barriers

We're looking to co-opt 2 new members straight away. We also welcome expressions of interest from anyone interested in joining next March.

See the current committee - and apply now! 👇🏽

Ramblers Scotland Strategic Committee (RSSC) is the national committee who help shape the strategic direction of the work carried out in Scotland.

08/06/2026

🌞 Fun in the sun for Eildon Ramblers at the weekend, on the scenic route linking Peebles and the impressive Neidpath Castle.

Do YOU fancy a sociable Ramblers group walk this weekend?👇

05/06/2026

Win big with the NEW Ramblers Weekly Lottery! 🎉

We’re excited to be launching a new, fun way to support Britain’s walking charity.

For just £1 a week, you can now be entered into a draw to win £10,000 and other cash prizes every Friday.

And by playing our lottery, you’ll be supporting our vital work. Win-win! 🙌

Enter today: ramblers.org.uk/win

05/06/2026

We joined a big crowd braving the rain at Scottish Environment LINK's excellent Stand Up for Nature demo at The Scottish Parliament yesterday, alongside dozens of campaigning charities.

A great chance to once again show MSPs just how much nature matters to Scotland’s people. 🌳

We'll keep reminding politicians: access to nature is right, not a luxury!

27/05/2026

Congratulations to all involved with the £300k restoration of An Teallach's scenic mountain path. 🥳 An incredible effort!

Read more in The Scotsman today: https://www.scotsman.com/news/path-on-iconic-mountain-restored-ahead-of-schedule-after-major-conservation-effort-8642011

As Mountaineering Scotland say, this fantastic project again shows the urgent need for a Scottish Paths Fund to provide long-term support for the nation's trails. Especially as walking tourism is worth £1.6billion annually! Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland

The work was carried out in often extreme weather conditions

27/05/2026

🥾 Most people access nature by walking on trails, so we're chuffed to have a new Paths Champion within the Scottish Parliament!

Labour's Jenny Young MSP has been named by Scottish Environment LINK as the new for Paths at Holyrood.

She succeeds former Paths Champion Dr Sandesh Gulhane, who we enjoyed working with during the last parliament to promote the many benefits of walking.

We look forward to working with Jenny in the months and years ahead to promote, protect and expand Scotland's trail network, for all to enjoy.

In particular, our charity will keep aiming to persuade politicians from across the political spectrum to:

- Deliver a new £50million Scottish Paths Fund
- Celebrate community-led work to improve paths
- Highlight opportunities for public-private funding partnerships to support responsible access
- Support our call to get 27,000km of Core Paths shown on Ordnance Survey maps.

Thanks to Jenny for taking on this fun, interesting and important role!

20/05/2026

We've written to congratulate John Swinney on his re-election as First Minister of Scotland.

We hope the next Scottish Government can turn the SNP's 3 key pledges on walking into a reality by:

🚶 Creating a Scottish Paths Fund
📒 Guiding access authorities on how to fulfil their responsibilities
🗺️ Calling on Ordnance Survey to show 27,000km of Core Paths on its maps

All 3 of these ideas featured in our joint manifesto, alongside partners Scottish Outdoor Recreation Alliance.

As our Director Brendan Paddy said in his letter to the FM: "You have always spoken passionately about your love of Scotland's outdoors.

"You have made clear that this passion is not just for you personally, but in recognition of the enormous health and economic benefits that access to our green and blue spaces delivers for our nation as a whole.

"In Ramblers Scotland we agree of course. That is why we have launched our Access Denied campaign because we believe that access to nature is a right, not a luxury.

"Although we are rightly proud of our world-leading ‘Right to Roam’ in Scotland, the daily reality for too many people, especially people from our least well-off communities, does not yet match our nation's ambition.

"I firmly believe there is an opportunity to make a swift and visible difference in a programme area that is easily recognisable to many people."

In the coming months and years, we'll keep speaking with politicians from all parties on how we can make Scotland a nation where everyone feels supported to walk.

Mountaineering Scotland ScotWays Paddle Scotland British Horse Society Cycling UK

18/05/2026

📢 We've just learned that Planning Inspectors want Ministers to BLOCK the controversial Coul Links golf plans!

The results of a new Freedom of Information request show that - following a Public Inquiry in 2024 - the Planning Inspectors have advised Ministers to refuse the application for an 18-hole course.

We've long campaigned to from this development, as it would harm access and the experience of walking at these globally-protected dunes near Embo in the Highlands. Up to 7 holes would cross the John o’ Groats Trail.

There are some ongoing discussions over how the applicant can show how it would protect the area’s special ‘Ramsar’ ecological status.

Then, it's over to Scottish Government Ministers for a final decision. 🤞