The rationale for hill tracks in Angus, my area of walking is highly questionable.
Much of the landscape is also archaeological in nature and unregulated hill tracks put much of the unrecorded archaeology, that is considerable, in danger. Estate owners don't care.
P
Peter Thomasson
9 years ago
The scottish hills are being totally ruined by these ugly tracks.
T
Tom Evans
11 years ago
I agree that we should be very careful when it comes to developing the outstanding natural beauty of Scotland, vehicle tracks included.
T
Tom Evans
11 years ago
Featured
I agree that we should be very careful when it comes to developing the outstanding natural beauty of Scotland, vehicle tracks included.
C
Chris Robertson
11 years ago
These tracks are destroying the environment, not just for us but for every future generation.
C
Chris Robertson
11 years ago
Featured
These tracks are destroying the environment, not just for us but for every future generation.
A
a j spector
11 years ago
Featured
The new road behind the Ledgowan hotel at Achnasheen is an eyesore visilble for miles, destroying a vision of wilderness.
D
Dr Martin Mosley
12 years ago
Over many years of walking all across Scotland I have been aware of an increasing number of poorly conceived and recently bulldozed tracks in several areas. These are not only eye-sores, but have been very poorly constructed and will not become part of the landscape, compared to the many old and carefully constructed tracks of previous centuries / decades.
I have just returned from a walk onto Roar Hill and Culblean Hill to the west of Logie Coldstone and within the eastern boundary of the Cairngorm National Park. A new hill track of ca. 1km length, apparently for access to shooting butts, has been constructed across Roar hill and a large quarry dug into the top of the hill to provide stone for the track. Large mounds of top soil are piled up aroung the 30m square scar of bare rubble. To the south of this, the pre-exisiting track on the north side of Culblean hill has been bulldozed wider and resurfaced with stone and gravel from two large quarries adjacent to the track. The modified track is ca. 2km long. It has been surfaced to a width of mostly 4 m, compared with most tracks in the area of only 2.5m. Additionally the bulldozing has resulted in spoil and rocks being spread either side so that the scar across the hillside is often 10 m wide. Because of the size of the track and depth of the surfacing, very large quantities of rock and gravel have been dug from the quarries created. Again there are large mounds of bulldozed topsoil adjacent to the quarries. There has been no effort to landscape the quarries nor the edges of the track to protect banks from further erosion. I don't think the track has been there long, but is already eroding with runnels in the track carrying light granite debris into streams adjacent to the track.
I don't know why such wide tracks are required, nor how often they are used, presumably for shooting access. Constructing these monstrosities must also have involved a lot of energy and heavy machinery - not what I would expect to be happe
D
Denise Jones
12 years ago
We must look after our natural landscape for future generations.
T
Trevor Jones
12 years ago
Featured
As a keen walker, I am very concerned that the wild environment is cared for and carefully maintained to ensure that these areas and habitats are safeguarded for all of our future generations
J
Johnny farquhar
12 years ago
Featured
It is not only the fact that landowners bulldoze tracks over tracts of land not necessarily associated with forestry or access, but the sheer size of these earthworks would not be out of place in an urban environment.
The rationale for hill tracks in Angus, my area of walking is highly questionable. Much of the landscape is also archaeological in nature and unregulated hill tracks put much of the unrecorded archaeology, that is considerable, in danger. Estate owners don't care.
The scottish hills are being totally ruined by these ugly tracks.
I agree that we should be very careful when it comes to developing the outstanding natural beauty of Scotland, vehicle tracks included.
I agree that we should be very careful when it comes to developing the outstanding natural beauty of Scotland, vehicle tracks included.
These tracks are destroying the environment, not just for us but for every future generation.
These tracks are destroying the environment, not just for us but for every future generation.
The new road behind the Ledgowan hotel at Achnasheen is an eyesore visilble for miles, destroying a vision of wilderness.
Over many years of walking all across Scotland I have been aware of an increasing number of poorly conceived and recently bulldozed tracks in several areas. These are not only eye-sores, but have been very poorly constructed and will not become part of the landscape, compared to the many old and carefully constructed tracks of previous centuries / decades. I have just returned from a walk onto Roar Hill and Culblean Hill to the west of Logie Coldstone and within the eastern boundary of the Cairngorm National Park. A new hill track of ca. 1km length, apparently for access to shooting butts, has been constructed across Roar hill and a large quarry dug into the top of the hill to provide stone for the track. Large mounds of top soil are piled up aroung the 30m square scar of bare rubble. To the south of this, the pre-exisiting track on the north side of Culblean hill has been bulldozed wider and resurfaced with stone and gravel from two large quarries adjacent to the track. The modified track is ca. 2km long. It has been surfaced to a width of mostly 4 m, compared with most tracks in the area of only 2.5m. Additionally the bulldozing has resulted in spoil and rocks being spread either side so that the scar across the hillside is often 10 m wide. Because of the size of the track and depth of the surfacing, very large quantities of rock and gravel have been dug from the quarries created. Again there are large mounds of bulldozed topsoil adjacent to the quarries. There has been no effort to landscape the quarries nor the edges of the track to protect banks from further erosion. I don't think the track has been there long, but is already eroding with runnels in the track carrying light granite debris into streams adjacent to the track. I don't know why such wide tracks are required, nor how often they are used, presumably for shooting access. Constructing these monstrosities must also have involved a lot of energy and heavy machinery - not what I would expect to be happe
We must look after our natural landscape for future generations.
As a keen walker, I am very concerned that the wild environment is cared for and carefully maintained to ensure that these areas and habitats are safeguarded for all of our future generations
It is not only the fact that landowners bulldoze tracks over tracts of land not necessarily associated with forestry or access, but the sheer size of these earthworks would not be out of place in an urban environment.