Official opening for Beinn a’ Ghlo car park

Image: Lesley Martin 

The new 60 space trailhead car park for hill walkers on Beinn a’ Ghlo and its three Munro summits near Blair Atholl on the southern edge of the Cairngorms National Park was officially opened on Wednesday (7th June), at a ribbon-cutting ceremony with MSP John Swinney. 

The £172,000 partnership building project was spearheaded by the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATS), a leading environmental charity promoting sustainable public access, and funded by both the Cairngorms National Park Authority and OATS.

A share of visitor income from the parking fees will be directly re-invested into the Volunteer Path Maintenance Programme run by OATS. Hill users will be making a welcome contribution towards essential path repair on Beinn a' Ghlo and other upland paths in the Cairngorms National Park that are enjoyed by thousands of walkers every year.

John Swinney MSP said: “It was a great pleasure to open this new car park at Beinn a' Ghlo. This valuable facility is a testament to the effective partnership between the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland and the Cairngorms National Park Authority, demonstrating their commitment to promoting responsible access and environmental stewardship. Not only will this provide a reliable and secure parking area for visitors, but its income will also be used to maintain the very paths they tread, enabling visitors to give back to our precious highland environments. It's an innovative and sustainable approach, enhancing the visitor experience whilst ensuring the conservation of these cherished landscapes for generations to come."

Before the car park was built, the Beinn a' Ghlo trailhead was just an informal parking area off a narrow access road, that resulted in local habitat degradation and muddy verges, as well as litter issues.  OATS worked closely with the landowner, Lude Estate, and the Park Authority to find a lasting solution to protect the local environment, improve the visitor experience and to raise funding for mountain path maintenance.

The car park opening at Beinn a’ Ghlo follows the recent launch of It's Up to Us, an ambitious three-year partnership campaign between OATS and Mountaineering Scotland.  It aims to raise £300,000 for much-needed path repairs on An Teallach, one of Scotland’s most iconic mountains, whilst raising awareness of the desperate need for investment in the repair and maintenance of informal mountain paths situated on land outside of Scotland's national parks and NGO estates.

Outdoor enthusiasts, active tourism businesses and organisations that care deeply about Scotland’s hills and mountains are being encouraged to step up and give something back by donating to the fundraising appeal. It’s up to all of us to give back what we can when we can to the mountains we treasure that give so much to so many.

Dougie Baird, Chief Executive of the Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland, said: "More people are taking to the hills. There is a lack of basic access infrastructure at popular remote destinations throughout Scotland. The effects can be far reaching with disruption to landowners, communities and businesses and damage to the very special locations that people love.

"OATS has a wealth of expertise and experience in finding collaborative partnership solutions to these access and visitor management issues. Charging a modest sum for car-parking at trailheads, including Beinn a’ Ghlo, which is then ploughed directly back into path maintenance projects actively protects important and fragile assets and ensures visitors enjoy a positive experience.  Every vehicle and their passengers make a direct contribution both to the facilities that enable the activities they love, and to the long-term conservation of Scotland’s mountains. The legacy will be huge."

To find out more about It's Up to Us, visit: www.savemountainpaths.scot