Ramblers Scotland

01/10/2026

🌿 Meet Jumana Almusawi, one of our fantastic Community Outreach Trainees!

The trainees are skilled members of the Ramblers Scotland staff team, who plan and lead tailor-made group walks to help more people access Scotland's amazing outdoors.

Jumana has been busy in recent months, organising days out at Central Belt beauty spots including Linn Park, the Pentland Hills, Mugdock Country Park and the Whangie. 🥾🏞️

Jumana, from Glasgow, says: "We all face some difficulties and some challenges in our lives and it's easy to get stuck in those difficulties, and I believe leading group walks is a wonderful way to help people connect with the nature and improve their wellbeing."

💚 It's all part of Ramblers Scotland's Community Outreach Project. We work with great partners like SCOREscotland, LINKnet Mentoring and The Welcoming to support more refugees, asylum seekers and people from Global Majority communities to experience walking, meet new people and build confidence.

Here's to more walking, talking and exploring the outdoors together! 🌳🥾

24/09/2026

Congratulations to all involved with St Cuthberts Way, which has just been named among "50 inspirational travel destinations" in Lonely Planet's new Best in Travel guide.

The 62-mile route links Melrose in the Scottish Borders with Lindisfarne (Holy Island) in Northumberland, England.

It visits remarkable scenery, historic forts and the banks of the River Tweed along the way.

Lonely Planet described it as "perhaps the closest thing modern Britain has to a Camino de Santiago".

Have you walked it?

02/09/2026

Are you heading for the Scottish hills?

With red deer stag stalking activity building towards the busiest period of the year, we're encouraging walkers and hikers to use the Heading for the Scottish Hills service to help plan visits and avoid disturbing essential deer management.

The service, part of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website, helps people find out where deer stalking is taking place before they head out. Alongside resources such as Walkhighlands and estate websites, it advises where and when stalking happens on popular hills, provides contact details for land managers, and includes routes that are always okay to use, meaning they avoid stalking areas entirely.

Managing deer plays a critical role in Scotland's response to nature loss and climate change. Controlling the impact of deer, including overgrazing, browsing and trampling, supports the recovery of upland habitats, boosts biodiversity and helps restore carbon-absorbing vegetation and damaged peatland.

Now is a good time to get into the habit of checking the service regularly, as stag stalking activity typically increases in the autumn. The first three weeks of October are the busiest time for stag stalking, while the latter weeks of the red deer hind season, which runs from 21 October to 15 February, are busiest for hinds. This is when taking care to avoid disturbance matters most.

You can find the link to the service in the comments and on the homepage of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code website.

Mountaineering Scotland
Walkhighlands

01/09/2026

Thanks to 14,000 people who have signed our petition supporting walkers' rights at North Chesthill Estate in Glen Lyon, Perthshire.

In just 3 weeks, you’ve made it the biggest petition in Ramblers Scotland’s history - and sparked robust official warnings to the estate, home to 4 popular Munros.

NatureScot says the estate "doesn’t always appear to be compliant with Scotland’s access rights” and Perth and Kinross Council has warned “any blanket closure of access rights would be unlawful”.

❗Yet, right now North Chesthill Estate’s website is telling walkers to ‘avoid the hills and Munros on the north side of Glen Lyon behind Invervar’ every day from today until the end of October.

Other Scottish landowners show that deer management and responsible access can go hand-in-hand. They simply guide walkers to alternative nearby routes that avoid the exact places, times and dates they're stalking – rather than deter access to their entire estates for 2 months.

🥾 So, if you plan to walk at North Chesthill this autumn, please report any unreasonable signage, online advice or physical barriers to [email protected]

And let’s keep signing and sharing the petition.⤵️

This campaign continues.

Walkhighlands ScotWays The Ramblers

18/08/2026

📣 NatureScot has spoken out over North Chesthill Estate telling people to ‘walk elsewhere’ in September and October, affecting 4 Munros at Glen Lyon in Perthshire.

In a welcome intervention, the government nature agency says:

“We have been in contact with North Chesthill Estate about concerns raised by the public and Ramblers Scotland about restrictive signage and its impact on public access. The estate doesn’t always appear to be compliant with Scotland’s access rights and the associated landowner duties, and we strongly urge the estate to reconsider its approach, working closely with its local access authority, Perth and Kinross Council.”

We’re campaigning to stop a repeat of autumn 2025’s access fiasco at these popular Munros north of Invervar: Càrn Gorm, Meall Garbh, Càrn Mairg and Creag Mhòr. Please sign our petition. 👇

Together, let’s deliver a common-sense solution that benefits both walkers and stalkers - just like at other estates, right across Scotland.

ScotWays Walkhighlands

13/08/2026

A very high wildfire warning is in place for Eastern Highlands, Eastern and Southern Scotland from today (Wednesday, 12 August) until Thursday, 13 August.

Everyone should avoid lighting outdoor fires or barbecues. A single spark can cause significant damage, and there is no such thing as a harmless fire.

You can help prevent the risk of wildfires by sharing this post with your family, friends, and any visitors or tourists.

If you see an outdoor fire, call 999 immediately. Give the location and any other relevant information so we can respond quickly.

12/08/2026

Remember when a Glen Lyon landowner blocked access to 4 Munros for 2 months last year?

Well, sadly he's at it again - and we need your help. 👇🏻

North Chesthill Estate is once again telling people to "walk elsewhere" throughout September and October.

So we've today launched a petition to challenge the 2-month blockade of these popular hills north of Invervar.

✅ PLEASE SIGN AND SHARE THE PETITION: ramblers.org.uk/glenlyon

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code says landowners can ask the public to use alternative nearby routes when they’re stalking on specific days and at specific locations.

But it does not allow a unilateral 2-month ban across an entire 2,600-hectare estate – impacting upon residents, visitors, health and the local economy.

Other Scottish estates continue to prove that deer stalking and responsible access can go hand-in-hand.

Why not North Chesthill?

Join Ramblers Scotland, The Ramblers, Walkhighlands and ScotWays in standing up for Scotland’s world-class access rights at Glen Lyon. Sign our petition today. 👇🏻

(📸 by Iain Cameron, autumn 2025.)

11/08/2026

💪🏻 Cracking news for "the jewel in Drumchapel's crown".

We've been granted £40k to support our work with local volunteers to breathe new life into The Drumchapel Way, a 5-mile circular route in north-west Glasgow.

The cash comes from the UK Government's Pride in Place Impact Fund, delivered by Glasgow City Council.

The Drumchapel Way visits attractive green spaces, woods and nature reserves - but some sections have suffered from litter, fly-tipping and poor way-marking. 🌳

We've already enjoyed working with residents to begin checking for problems, removing rubbish and planning improvements.

With just a bit more TLC, the Drumchapel Way has huge potential to be even more beneficial to people from Drumchapel and beyond.

Drumchapel resident Andy Lynch says: "The Drumchapel Way is a fantastic walk. It's the jewel in Drumchapel’s crown, offering peace, tranquillity and an abundance of wildlife. However, in parts it can be very boggy and needs upgrading. Some litter bins and signage are also required."

We can't wait to put the money to good use, by improving and maintaining the Way in the months ahead. 👍🏻

20/07/2026

"A great path isn't always the quickest way from A-to-B through a landscape, but it's part of that landscape, and its history."

We joined BBC Radio Scotland for a walk on the bonnie east bank of Loch Lomond, an unforgettable stretch of the West Highland Way.

This 7-mile path stands proudly as one of the 8 finalists in The Ramblers' Britain's Favourite Path competition, supported by Postcode Lottery UK players.

🔊 Tune in to the conversation below - and vote before 31 July! ⤵️

The West Highland Way Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Go Wild Loch Lomond Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs

20/07/2026