Projects

In the summer of 1997 the Ross and Cromarty Footpath Trust decided it was about time something was done about the severe erosion that was being caused on the south-western flank of the Beinn Eighe massif. The footpath to Coire Mhic Fhearchair and its famous'triple buttress' had always proved popular with a broad cross section of outdoor enthusiasts from mountaineers to ramblers. It was always going to be a complicated contract - it was over an hour and a half walk to the work site - and some fairly radical thinking would have to be deployed.

In the past footpath teams would often live in tents where the work site was further than would be acceptable for a daily walk in. However, because of new Health and Safety regulations, it was felt both by RCFT and ourselves, that a more robust and hospitable form of accommodation was required which would have a minimal impact on the environment. It was therefore decided to use, for the first time in Scotland, a remote accommodation system, for footpath work. This involved using flat-packed accommodation pods, flown out by helicopters to a single site. A biological toilet was provided and grey water dispensed through a soak away system. The whole unit was entirely self-sufficient and could be erected or dismantled in one day by a footpath team .

This accommodation system proved such a boost to the team's morale that the result was that the footpath won a commendation in the British Upland Footpath Trust's awards for that year. The path work involved the use of innovative features such as pitched cross drains and naturalised pitching. The aim was to produce a path that mirrored the natural features of the surrounding landscape. Why not take a walk into the heart of Torridon and see for yourselves.

We are still using these accommodation pods today on contracts throughout Scotland and they are still proving invaluable to the production of quality footpaths in remote locations.