Wednesday 11th June 2025, 9:00am
‘It’s Up to Us’ in final push to reach £300k target for essential path repairs on iconic Scottish mountain.
Mountaineering Scotland and the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS) are pleased to announce that their joint campaign, It’s Up to Us, has raised over £250,000 to repair decades of path erosion on An Teallach, one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains.
As the project enters its final year, Mountaineering Scotland and OATS are appealing to individuals, outdoor businesses, organisations and charities to help raise the final £50,000 of the £300,000 required to ensure that this vital work on a Site of Special Scientific Interest can be completed.
Credit: Brodie Hood
The three-year project, launched in May 2023, aims to restore 3.2 km of eroded path on An Teallach in the North-West Highlands. To date the team of specialist path contractors at Cairngorm Wilderness Contracts has completed 890 metres of new mountain path, including 237m of stone pitching, 503m of aggregate path, and 150m of ‘light touch’ work through bedrock to define a clear line and allow nature to reclaim eroded areas.
To complete this work, the contractors have sourced more than 350 tonnes of stone and other material from the area around the site and repositioned six tonnes of spoil to aid landscape restoration. This has included lifting 42 tonnes of local stone by helicopter. To minimise future erosion, 103 stone-built drainage features have been added to the path together with 120m of stone edging to stabilise the path edges.
Volunteers have played a vital role in supporting the An Teallach path project, with 20 OATS' Path Maintenance Volunteers working alongside the contractors over the last 2 years. Their contribution has ensured more resources have gone directly into path conservation, while creating a growing community of enthusiastic and committed mountain path stewards.
Credit: Dan Bailey
Credit: James Roddie
Credit: Ewan Watson
Despite walking tourism contributing an estimated £1.6 billion annually to the Scottish economy — and delivering clear physical and mental health benefits — there is no government funding for essential path repairs on privately owned land outside the national parks and NGO estates. EU funding previously available for such work has also been lost post-Brexit and not replaced.
Alongside fundraising, It’s Up to Us is calling on the Scottish Government to help establish a sustainable national fund for mountain path repair and maintenance. A recent audit estimated £30 million is needed to restore the 400 km of upland paths in the worst condition, with at least £400,000 required annually for ongoing maintenance.
In the first two years, It's Up to Us has received generous donations from charitable trusts including the Scottish Mountaineering Trust and the European Outdoor Conservation Association, commercial supporters including Cotswold Outdoor and Keela, a number of hill walking and mountaineering clubs and £38,500 in public donations. Going into the final year, Mountaineering Scotland and OATS are urging all those who enjoy Scotland’s hills to play their part and give something back, either with donations or by path maintenance volunteering.
Credit: James Roddie
CEO of the Outdoor Access Trust Scotland CEO, Dougie Baird, said: "We are now in the final year of fundraising and delivery, and the target is close, but we really need everyone to put their shoulders to the wheel in the final push to get it over the line.
“Our team of path contractors at Cairngorm Wilderness Contracts are itching to get back to An Teallach to finish the year three path work, and the whole project. However, we must hit the fundraising target before that can happen.”
Mountaineering Scotland CEO, Stuart Younie, added: “We are delighted to have hit the £250,000 mark in the first two years of the campaign and are well on our way to reaching our target. However, there is still a lot more to do to deliver our ambition of establishing a sustainable funding model to support the maintenance and upkeep of our mountain paths. An Teallach is just one of many mountains in Scotland that needs path work and long-term maintenance, and it’s up to all of us that enjoy the hills to do something about it.”
Visit: www.savemountainpaths.scot to find out more and follow all the latest campaign news using the hashtags #ItsUptoUs and #SaveMountainPaths
Supported by Cotswold Outdoor.
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Mountaineering Scotland is a registered trademark of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland Limited
