Visit to @ramblersscotland.bsky.social council & AGM, walked to #Radicalroad and saw #Accessdenied @ramblers.org.uk @gavincorbett.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/03/31/w...

Different nations, same story of blocked and unusable paths. Across Britain, years of underinvestment have left too many communities cut off from the safe local routes they rely on. We’re hearing stories like these everywhere. Please, help us stand up for paths: www.ramblers.org.uk/Access-Denied

🔥 Starting this Wednesday, fires & barbecues will be banned in the @cairngormsnews.bsky.social from 1 Apr to 30 Sept each year. Breaking this byelaw could lead to a £500 fine. To cook food or make a brew while out walking, a camping stove remains a safer, cleaner, quicker & legal option. Info. ⏬

Catch our president Chris Lawlor on BBC Radio Scotland, discussing his love of walking - and the challenges of being a responsible outdoors content creator. 🗺️ 🔊 Listen here, from 53:20: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (And as ever, the rest of the Scotland Outdoors show is well worth a listen too!)

🥾 Our new President Chris Lawlor enjoyed meeting FM John Swinney today. They discussed their love of walking & its positive impact on their wellbeing. The new Parliament - whatever its makeup - has a chance to ensure walking offers an even greater boost to Scotland's health, happiness & economy.

I shared my thoughts with @ramblersscotland.bsky.social about access to paths! Thank you for including me on such an important topic!

Across Britain, millions are cut off from nature because local paths are missing, blocked or unusable. This isn’t accidental. It's due to years of political & financial neglect. We're fighting back with our Access Denied campaign. We need your help.👇🏽 Access to nature isn’t a luxury. It’s a right.

ScotGov today published its long-awaited Rural Support Plan. So, guess how many times it mentions walking, paths or outdoor access? Yip... 0.🤦🏼 Crucially, it fails to replace the Improving Public Access scheme, which invested £2million a year in paths, bridges & signs before its suspension in '22.

"Thank you for preparing us for many years of adventures to come."🧭 Lovely feedback from the Out There Award's 1st visit to sunny Banchory. 🌞 We shared skills & enjoyed fun walks with a fab group of young adults. Aged 18-26? Book a spot on FREE awards across Scotland: ramblers.org.uk/outthereaward

We always push to get our world-class outdoor access rights better protected in law. It’s great when we see signs of that paying off! We’ve been pressing for 2 improvements to the Crofting & Scottish Land Court Bill, which will move access cases from Sheriff Courts to the Scottish Land Court. 1/3

Welcome Chris!

Welcoming our new President, Chris Lawlor! www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/2593197...

Great day for the @ramblersscotland.bsky.social AGM in Edinburgh - as usual we'll be spending a lot more time chatting, listening to great speakers, celebrating our work & of course walking, than we will on formal business

📢 Award-winning outdoors content creator Chris Lawlor is our new President! Chris hopes to urge a new generation to enjoy responsible days out: “I want everyone - including visitors, businesses & local communities - to benefit from Scotland's amazing landscapes & world-class outdoor access rights."

Our Scottish Walking Starter Pack seems to have been proving really popular... 🥾 It's almost full, but who have we missed?! (Raising your own hand is fine.) 🙋‍♀️

Thanks Zahrah!!

Our President, Zahrah Mahmood, is stepping down after the maximum 3 years in the role. She's had a huge impact: 🥾 Walking with members, volunteers & Community Champions 🏆 Judging for Britain’s Favourite Path competition 🎖️ Gaining an MBE 🗺️ Breaking down barriers to walking Thank you, Zahrah! 👏🏽

☹️ Bad news: Recent flood damage has shut the road bridge into Spittal of Glen Muick car park - including to walkers. It's a popular starting point for walks at Glen Muick, plus Lochnagar and other Munros on that side of the Cairngorms. @cairngormsnews.bsky.social @walkhighlands.co.uk

Erraid Woods in the Pentlands with the Edinburgh group of @ramblersscotland.bsky.social

The final visitors to our joint Ramblers @scotways.com stall at #ScotLab26 to promote the outdoor organisations’ manifesto and the Scottish Paths Fund: for health, local business and social justice. We welcome discussions with all parties in May’s election.

It’s been busy with Labour candidates, MSPs, MPs and councillors keen to talk to us and @scotways.com about their favourite walks and the exciting potential of the Scottish Paths Fund. Part of our engagement with all parties before May’s election. #ScotLab26

As part of our engagement with all parties in the run up to the election in May, we are here with @scotways.com at #ScotLab26. If you are here, come and tell us your favourite walk and talk to us about why Scotland needs a Scottish Path Fund.

Scotland's Budget will be approved today. Then it's up to councils, national parks & public bodies to set their own budgets. We want investment in: 🥾 Paths to boost health & rural economies 🗺️ Frontline staff like rangers & access officers ⛰️ Making world-class access rights a daily reality for all!

That’s our time at #SLDconf over. Great to chat to MPs @wendychambld.bsky.social @cajardinemp.bsky.social, councillor @edthornley.bsky.social and target candidate @neilalex94.bsky.social about how Scottish Paths Fund would benefit health, wellbeing and local businesses.

With colleagues Katharine and Georgina from @scotways and British Horse Society Scotland at #SLDconf

Day 2 of #SLDconf and really interesting to talk to councillor and GP Drummond Begg on the health and economic benefits of a Scottish Paths Fund.

Thanks to MSP @jamiegreeneuk.bsky.social for coming to visit our stand and recognising the case for a Scottish Paths Fund. #SLDconf

Great to talk to Shetland MSP @beatricewishartmsp.bsky.social about the value of getting outside for health and wellbeing and how a Scottish Paths Fund will help #SLDconf

MP for Orkney and Shetland Alistair Carmichael came to to visit us at #SLDconf. As well asking people to label their favourite walk on our big map we are taking the opportunity to talk about our exciting ideas for a Scottish Paths Fund.

At #SLDconf good chat with MP Susan Murray and Agriculture & Rural Communities spokesperson Claire McLaren about all matters on farming, land use and outdoor recreation.

Very interesting chat with Scot Lib Dem leader @alex.scotlibdems.org.uk at #sldconf on Scotland’s access rights. It was a Lib Dem cabinet minister who oversaw the 2003 Land Reform Act so it’s vital, 20 years, on that these rights are matched by reality with a Scottish Paths Fund.

Great to see Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge at our stall at #SLDconf and to talk to us about Scottish Paths Fund.

Sad that storms have wrecked Arran's Fisherman's Walk, although the rapid community response is uplifting to see.👏🏼 At a national level, we're calling for a £50million Scottish Paths Fund in the next parliament to address the collapse in funding for our much-loved paths & world-class access rights.

The North East has been battered by constant rain for weeks so where better to go by train and bus today but Stonehaven for a wet walk with @ramblersscotland.bsky.social groups in Grampian followed by the Area AGM this afternoon?

Great little AGM with the North Strathclyde folk of @ramblersscotland.bsky.social followed by a city walk around Kelvingrove Park & the University (Although sad to read about the demise of the Lowland Haggis)

Well worth a listen. Lack of funding for paths, signage, bridges - and conflict resolution - impacts badly on the public AND farmers & land managers. In fact the Scottish Govt does allocate funding for 'land access' but it's £8.1m shared among 32 local authorities and hasn't changed since 2008.

“When paths crumble, gates get locked and disputes go unresolved, it’s not the law that’s failing, it’s political will...This is the moment to recommit to access to nature being a right, not an optional extra.” See why we're calling for a £50m Scottish Paths Fund, in @thirdforcenews.bsky.social 🔽

“We risk having world-class outdoor access rights, but 3rd-rate funding to actually make sure they’re delivered.” Our director @bjpaddy.bsky.social just made the case for a £50million Scottish Paths Fund, on BBC Radio 4 Farming Today. 🔈Listen again below & see more on the @ramblers.org.uk website.

Survey reveals collapse in funding for Scottish paths and outdoor access - @ramblersscotland.bsky.social Scotland’s world-class outdoor access rights are being pushed to breaking point due to a collapse in investment in staff and paths, a new report has revealed c-js.co.uk/3ZGpern

"Scotland’s international reputation as a pioneer of outdoor access is in danger of becoming a hollow boast, unless politicians act.” - Our director @bjpaddy.bsky.social. We're urging candidates in May's Holyrood election to commit to a £50million Scottish Paths Fund in the next 5-year parliament.👍

We ❤️ this motion from @pjferguson.bsky.social MP, in praise of The Drumchapel Way! The fantastic Glasgow route has huge potential to have an even greater impact for residents and visitors. That’s why we’re working with the community right now to scope future improvements. 🚶‍♀️ 🚶

Disappointing to see the latest @ramblersscotland.bsky.social survey of local authorities & national parks on investment in paths and access. Still going in the wrong direction. So many reasons to spend (a relatively small amount of) ££ - health, tourism, transport, nature & better communities.

Scotland’s world-class outdoor access rights are being pushed to breaking point due to a collapse in investment in staff and paths - report from @ramblersscotland.bsky.social

“A lot of people, especially Ukrainians, they’re lost. They need something to help them, for a short period of time, just to forget what’s going on in their native land” - 1 of our Community Champions, Nataliia from Ukraine. 🎞️ Watch Nataliia's trip to the Cairngorms: ramblers.org.uk/tripcairngorms

❤️ "It’s wonderful, it’s paradise for me." - One of our Community Champions, Jumana, during a recent trip to the Cairngorms NP. The trip was part of our Community Outreach Project, connecting refugees, asylum seekers and people from Global Majority communities with Scotland's outdoors. 📽️ Watch now!

⭐ Congratulations to Peffery Way Association, @highland.gov.uk & all who campaigned to win Scotland's 3rd-ever Public Path Order! Now the Peffery Way's final 603-metre stretch can finally be completed, after years of failed negotiations with a landowner. More: www.highland.gov.uk/news/article...

I’m off to join the @ramblersscotland.bsky.social Lothian and Borders area at their annual get together in Linlithgow today: walks in the morning and sharing experiences in the afternoon. And avoiding the rain… Looking forward to meeting and hearing from local members!

I’m not much of a walker, but this looks like a really fun idea - and an amazing #Bluesky account to follow. 👇

Our president Zahrah Mahmood has received her MBE from the Princess Royal! ❤️ Zahrah says it: "amplifies the messages that people like myself are trying to get out...that everybody belongs in the outdoors, no matter what background or culture or religion or even financial background you’re from.”

Funding for paths in Scotland has been hollowed out for so long that this sort of nonsense is increasingly an expected part of many local walks. Some may say ‘wade the burn’. Will that approach help more folk of all abilities, ages & backgrounds benefit from our world-class outdoor access rights?