Survey of upland path users in Scotland 2017...an upland path, defined as a path or route...

Scottish Natural Heritage

Survey of upland path users in

Scotland 2017

Published: April 2018

People, Places and Nature Unit

Scottish Natural Heritage

Great Glen House

Leachkin Road

Inverness IV3 8NW

For further information please contact [email protected]

www.nature.scot

mailto:[email protected]

2

Contents Page

Background and research objectives 3

Research methodology 3

Profile of respondents 4

Detailed research findings 5

Frequency of visiting the outdoors and upland areas in Scotland 5

Activities undertaken in Scotland’s upland areas 6

Use of upland paths in Scotland 7

Condition of upland paths in Scotland in the last 12 months 7

The influence of paths on route selection 18

The importance of maintaining Scotland’s upland paths 21

Level of interest in helping to look after Scotland’s upland paths 22

Other comments 23

Summary and conclusions 24

Appendices

1. Profile of survey respondents

2. Activities undertaken in Scotland’s upland areas in the last 12 months

3. Percent of respondents agreeing with each statement about the importance of maintaining Scotland’s upland paths

4. Questionnaire

3

1. Background and research objectives

Scotland’s People and Nature Survey (SPANS) estimates that people living in Scotland take

28.6 million visits to upland areas each year. Many of these upland visits are hill walking

trips (an estimated 9.8 million), but a variety of other activities are also undertaken in upland

areas, ranging from mountain biking, running and ski-ing to fishing, wildlife watching and

informal family outings. The vast majority of these upland visits involve the use of a path

(88%)1.

In addition to visits taken by Scottish residents, around 9 million tourist trips are taken in

Scotland each year by visitors from elsewhere in the UK and from overseas2. Research

undertaken by VisitScotland indicates that scenery and landscape are key motivations for

these visits, many of which include active outdoor activities such as walking3.

Hillwalking and mountain biking both make significant contributions to the rural economy,

with estimated annual expenditure in excess of £65 million4 for hillwalking and £75.7million5

for mountain biking. Aside from their economic value, these activities make important

contributions to people’s quality of life, providing very significant physical and mental health

benefits.

Upland paths play a key role in supporting, and sometimes enabling, these activities as well

as managing impacts on the sensitive landscapes and habitats in which they take place.

However, there is no national co-ordination or prioritisation of the limited resources for path

repair work and no funding for path maintenance, resulting in varying standards of upland

paths throughout the country – and heavily eroded paths on some of our most iconic hills.

This paper presents the findings of a survey of upland path users in Scotland, undertaken in

2017 by Scottish Natural Heritage, in partnership with other key stakeholders. The main

objectives of the survey were to collect information from hill users about their recent

experience of upland paths6; their perceptions of the importance of upland paths; and their

views on upland path maintenance and repair. The research findings will be used to inform

future approaches to upland path funding and management.

2. Research methodology

The research was undertaken between April and July 2017 by means of a self-completion surveymonkey questionnaire (see Appendix 4). The survey was promoted by SNH and via our network of contacts and targeted at as wide an audience of hill users as possible. This included members of national conservation organisations, members of national and local clubs and bodies associated with outdoor recreation as well as a more general audience with an interest in walking, mountain biking and other outdoor activities.

1 Scotland’s People and Nature Survey 2013/14 (Scottish Natural Heritage)

2 Tourism in Scotland 2016 (VisitScotland)

3 Scotland Visitor Survey 2015 and 2016 (VisitScotland)

4 Estimate based on Scottish Recreation Survey data 2007 – 2012

5 Economic Value of Mountain Biking in Scotland (Scottish Enterprise); EKOS Ltd., Tourism

Resources Company, April 2009. This research estimated £75.5 m in direct expenditure; when supplier and income multipliers are included, this rises to £119m. 6 For the purposes of the survey, upland paths were defined as ‘paths or routes in Scotland’s hills or

mountains which have either been constructed or formed by regular use. Vehicle tracks, i.e. tracks constructed to allow vehicular access to the hills, are not included in this definition’.

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A total of 2,403 survey responses were received by the survey cut-off date, indicating a high level of engagement with the subject among hill users. Figure 1, below, shows where respondents sourced the survey link. The single largest proportion of responses to the survey was received from visitors to the Walkhighlands website (35%). Among the 30% of respondents who indicated that they had come across the survey link via some ‘other’ means, social media, particularly Facebook and Twitter, was mentioned most frequently and played a key role in ensuring the survey link was shared as widely as possible.

Figure 1: Where did you find the link to the survey?

Base: All respondents (n = 1,889)

Source: Upland path survey 2017, Q18

3. Profile of respondents

The respondent profile information below provides context for the survey findings; a more detailed breakdown is provided in Appendix 1. o The majority of respondents were resident in Scotland (88%) with most of the

remainder resident elsewhere in the UK (10%)

o Respondents were predominantly male (66%) and around half were aged between 35 and 54 (49%).

o Around half of respondents were members of national or local organisations, clubs or bodies associated with conservation (e.g. JMT, NTS) or with walking, climbing and mountain biking (e.g. Ramblers, Mountaineering Scotland, local walking/mountain biking clubs) (55%).

o Almost all respondents had visited the outdoors in Scotland in the last 12 months (99%) and most had done so on a regular basis: among those resident in Scotland, 66% had visited the outdoors at least once a week over the previous year (higher than the average of 48% among all adults living in Scotland7).

o Among respondents who had visited the outdoors in the last 12 months, almost all had visited an upland area during that period (99%) and all except seven had used an upland path (99%).

7 Scottish Household Survey 2016

35%

11% 7%

13%

3% 1%

30%

Walkhighlands

Developing Mountain Biking inScotland/local mountain bikingclubConservation organisation (e.g.NTS, JMT)

Mountaineering Scotland/localmountaineering club

Ramblers Scotland/local walkingclub

Professional path managementnetwork

Other

5

o Most respondents described themselves as experienced in the Scottish hills, with 36% indicating that they were ‘very experienced’ and a further 40% that they were ‘quite experienced’.

4. Detailed research findings

4.1. Frequency of visiting the outdoors and upland areas in Scotland

Most of the survey respondents living in Scotland were regular outdoor visitors: 66% visited

the outdoors in Scotland for recreation at least once a week compared to an average of 48%

among the adult population in Scotland8.

Figure 2: Frequency of visiting the outdoors in Scotland in last 12 months (%)

Base: All respondents living in Scotland (n = 1,685)

Source: Upland path survey 2017, Q1; Scottish Household Survey 2015

Among respondents who had visited the outdoors in Scotland in the last 12 months, almost

all had visited an upland area (99%). More than a third of those living in Scotland had visited

upland areas on a regular, weekly basis during this period (37%).

Figure 3: Frequency of visiting upland areas in Scotland in the last 12 months (%)

Base: All respondents living in Scotland (n = 1,682)


8 Scottish Household Survey 2016

66

27

6 0

48

20 18 13

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

At least once aweek

At least once amonth

At least once ayear

Not at all

All survey respondents living in Scotland All adults in Scotland (SHS 2016)

37

43

19

0 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

At least once aweek

At least once amonth

At least once ayear

Not at all

6

4.2. Activities undertaken in Scotland’s upland areas

As shown in Figure 4, below, respondents had participated in a range of activities in

Scotland’s uplands in the last 12 months. Most had been hillwalking, mountaineering or

climbing (89%) or lower level walking in the glens (69%); 4 in 10 respondents had mountain

biked (41%) and 3 in 10 had wild camped (31%); a quarter had participated in bird, wildlife or

nature watching (25%); a fifth had been running (19%); and 12% had been ski-ing.

Among the activities shown in Figure 4, below, women were more likely than men to have

been lower level walking in the glens (81% and 66%, respectively) and bird, wildlife or nature

watching (32% and 24%, respectively); men were more likely than women to have been

mountain biking (47% and 29%, respectively) and wild camping (34% and 29%,

respectively). In terms of age, younger respondents aged between 16 and 34 had higher

than average levels of participation in mountain biking (50%), wild camping (44%), running

(29%) and ski-ing (19%). Respondents who described themselves as ‘very experienced’ in

the Scottish hills were more likely than less experienced respondents to have taken part in

each of the activities shown in Figure 4. A detailed breakdown of participation by gender,

age, level of hill experience and residency is provided in Appendix 2.

Figure 4: Activities undertaken in Scotland’s upland areas in last 12 months (%)

Base: All respondents visiting upland areas in Scotland in last 12 months (n = 2,288)


The research sample included 934 respondents who had been mountain biking in the

Scottish uplands in the last 12 months. These respondents were predominantly male (75%)

and slightly younger and more experienced in the Scottish hills than the full sample (55% of

mountain biking respondents versus 45% of all respondents were aged under 45 and 81%

versus 76% described themselves as ‘very or ‘quite experienced’ in the Scottish hills). They

were also slightly more likely than the full sample (resident in Scotland) to be regular outdoor

visitors (73% of mountain biking respondents versus 66% of all respondents resident in

Scotland visited the outdoors on a weekly basis and 44% versus 37% visited Scotland’s

upland areas on a weekly basis). Most of the respondents who had mountain biked in

Scotland’s uplands in the last year had also been hill walking, mountaineering or climbing

(82%) and lower level walking in the glens (62%) during the same period. They were more

likely than the full sample to have been wild camping (37%), running (28%) or ski-ing (22%).

89

69

41

31

25

19

12

5

0 20 40 60 80 100

Hill walking/mountaineering/climbing

Lower level walking in glens

Mountain biking

Wild camping

Bird/wildlife/nature watching

Running

Ski-ing

Other

% upland visitors undertaking each activity

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4.3 Use of upland paths in Scotland

Almost all of the respondents who had visited Scotland’s hills in the last 12 months had used

an upland path, defined as a path or route constructed or formed by regular use, but

excluding vehicle tracks (99%). A majority had used a path on all (26%) or most (54%) of

their recent upland visits.

There was very little variation in the incidence of upland path usage in terms of gender, age

or level of experience in the Scottish hills. Respondents living outside of Scotland were,

however, more likely than those who were resident in Scotland to have used a path on all of

their visits to the Scottish uplands (43% and 24%, respectively).

Figure 5: Frequency of using paths when visiting Scotland’s upland areas in last 12 months

Base: All respondents visiting upland areas in Scotland in last 12 months (n = 2,284)


4.4 Condition of upland paths in Scotland in the last 12 months

4.4.1 Recent experience of upland path condition

Respondents’ experience of upland path conditions in Scotland was mixed.

When asked about the condition of the paths they’d used in the last 12 months, more than

half of respondents indicated that they had encountered both good and bad paths (59%).

Older respondents, aged 55 plus, and those who described themselves as ‘very

experienced’ in the Scottish hills were more likely to state that this was the case (66% and

64%, respectively).

Just over a third of respondents indicated that the condition of the upland paths they’d used

in the last 12 months had been mostly good (37%), with younger (46%) and less

experienced respondents (42% of those with ‘some experience’ in the Scottish hills and 51%

of those with ‘little or no experience’) more likely to do so.

Only a small minority of respondents stated that the condition of the upland paths they’d

used had been mostly bad (3%). This group was slightly older and more experienced in the

Scottish hills than the sample as a whole.

26%

54%

20% On all occasions

On most occasions

On some occasions

8

Figure 6: Respondents’ experience of upland paths in Scotland in the last 12 months

Base: All respondents using upland paths in Scotland in last 12 months (n = 2,069)


4.4.2 Specific issues experienced while using upland paths in Scotland in the last 12

months

Respondents were asked to indicate (from a list) the types of negative issues they had

encountered while using upland paths in Scotland in the last 12 months.

Almost everyone had encountered boggy or eroded paths (92%); around 4 in 10

respondents had come across paths which they felt were visible from too far away (44%) or

which were designed in a way that discouraged people from staying on the path, for

example, because of awkward stone steps or wide drains crossing the path (42% of all

respondents and 46% of mountain biking respondents). More than a quarter of respondents

had experienced paths that they felt didn’t fit in with their natural surroundings, for example,

because they were too wide or ‘urban’ for a remote setting (29% of all respondents and 35%

of mountain biking respondents), or paths which were overgrown with vegetation (28% of all

respondents and 35% of mountain biking respondents).

Respondents who described themselves as ‘very experienced’ in the Scottish hills were

slightly more likely than average to have encountered each of these issues.

9%

28%

59%

3%

1%

Mostly very good

Mostly quite good

Mix of good and bad

Mostly bad

Don't know/can't remember

9

Figure 7: Negative issues encountered on upland paths in Scotland in the last 12 months (prompted)

(%)



4.4.3 People’s perceptions about changes to the condition of upland paths in

Scotland over the last ten years

Looking back over the last ten years, around 4 in 10 respondents thought the condition of

upland paths in Scotland had improved (43%). Those who described themselves as ‘very

experienced’ in the Scottish hills (52%) and older respondents (47% of those aged 55 plus)

were slightly more likely to express this positive view. Those who were resident in Scotland

were more likely than those living outside of Scotland to believe that upland paths had

improved (45% and 35% of respondents, respectively).

Opinion was fairly evenly divided among the remaining respondents: 19% thought the

condition of upland paths hadn’t changed at all over the last ten years, 14% thought it had

got worse and 23% didn’t know.

Figure 8: Over the last 10 years has the condition of upland paths in Scotland improved, stayed the

same or got worse (%)?



92

44

42

29

28

0 20 40 60 80 100

Boggy or eroded paths

Paths visible from too far away

Path design which discourages people fromstaying on the path

Paths which don't fit in with naturalsurroundings

Paths overgrown with vegetation

% respondents encountering each issue

44%

19%

14%

23% Improved

Stayed the same

Got worse

Don't know

10

4.4.4 Locations and areas where the quality of upland paths is perceived to be

particularly good or particularly poor

Respondents were asked to provide details of specific sites or areas in Scotland where they

thought the quality of upland paths was particularly good or particularly poor. The timing of

the survey (April – July 2017) should be taken into account when reviewing these comments

(some of the feedback, for instance, may pre-date subsequent pathwork, or may not reflect a

subsequent deterioration in the path). It is also possible that people are more likely to notice

and comment on a ‘bad’ path while a ‘good’ path might pass unnoticed. The number and

variety of places mentioned indicates, however, that there are both good and poor quality

paths to be found in most parts of Scotland. Interestingly, some of the same sites and areas

appeared in both the ‘good’ and ‘poor’ quality categories; this could be for a variety of

reasons including the time of year in which respondents had experienced the path; different

perceptions about what constitutes a ‘good’ versus a ‘poor’ quality path; the possibility that

different sections of path on the same hill are maintained by different owners; or because

respondents were referring to different paths on the same hill (e.g. the Ben Nevis ‘tourist’

and North Face paths).

A third of respondents provided examples of locations where they perceived the quality of

paths to be particularly good (33%). Figure 9 shows the specific hills mentioned most

frequently in this context; Figure 10 shows the geographical areas mentioned most

frequently; and Figure 11 shows other areas of land mentioned most frequently.

As shown in Figure 9, Bennachie (mentioned by 34 respondents), Ben Lomond (29

respondents) and Ben Nevis (28 respondents) were the specific hills mentioned most

frequently in connection with good quality paths.

Figure 9: Specific hills in Scotland (each mentioned by more than 10 respondents) where the quality

of upland paths is perceived to be particularly good

Base: All respondents using upland paths in Scotland in last 12 months


0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Bennachie

Ben Lomond

Ben Nevis/North Face

Schiehallion

Lochnagar

Ben Arthur/The Cobbler

Ben Lawers

No. respondents mentioning each hill

11

Respondents’ comments relating to good quality paths on these hills included:

Bennachie:

Ben Lomond

Ben Nevis

‘(Path is) … in keeping with the hill,

easier access for all, with good

signage on main routes but quieter

routes to get away from it all’. (Female,

45-54, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘Use of local indigenous stone and a

sympathetic colour/ textured surface

enables a good blend with the natural

environment. Steps are regular, not too

big/small, but retain a ‘natural’ feel’. (Female, 45-54, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘A great example of a quality path,

sympathetic to the environment and

well-maintained’. (Male, 45-54, Scotland, quite

experienced)

’The Nevis tracks are always good, but they

are the ‘rock stars’ of the path world’. (Male,


‘Well-built, well-maintained throughout the

year’. (No personal info provided)

‘Given the massive numbers and

the safety challenge of so many

novices doing it, it has been well

managed’. (Male, 35-44, Scotland, quite

experienced)

‘‘Sturdy paths on the Ben do a

good job of protecting the

mountain from the thousands of

tourists’. (Male, 35-44, England, some

experience)

‘Good solid paths and stairs’. (No personal info

provided)

‘Regularly attended to by

volunteers’. Male, 45-54, Scotland, some

experience)

‘A lot of hard work by NTS rangers’.

(Female, 35-44, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘Lovely work done re step heights and a

wee bit of scrambling left to the side

Definitely a thumbs up’. (Female, 45-54,

Scotland, quite experienced)

‘Wide enough for two people to walk side

by side, going up and down, to pass

easily. Not overgrown with heather. Path

doesn’t disappear then reappear’. (Male, 25-

34, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘Ben Lomond is very good. It

encourages you to stay on the path

all the way to the top. It looks very

natural too and you generally can’t

see it further in the distance which

helps to maintain the natural look of

it’. (Female, 25-34, Scotland, some experience)

12

In terms of geographical areas (Figure 10), the Cairngorms (or Cairngorms National Park)

was mentioned more frequently than any other part of Scotland as an area with good quality

paths (260 respondents). In general, upland paths in the Cairngorms were perceived as

meeting four important criteria: well-built, well-drained (aided, in some instances, by the

underlying geology), well-maintained and appropriate for the setting.

Figure 10: Areas in Scotland (mentioned by 10 or more respondents) where the quality of upland

paths is perceived to be particularly good



Respondents’ comments relating to good quality paths in the Cairngorms/CNP included:

0 50 100 150 200 250 300

Cairngorms/CNP

Torridon

Glencoe

Arran

Pentlands

Kintail

Loch Lomond/LL&TNP

Arrocher

No. respondents mentioning each area

‘Without a shadow of a doubt, they are the

best in the UK’. (Male, 35-44, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘Well-graded, well maintained, visible

and easily followed’. (Female, 55-64,


‘Fit in with the mountains in terms of

materials used. Not too ‘safe’ either, plenty

stepping stones and bits needing thought’. (Female, 24-34, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘Well drained means less boggy which

means people don’t stretch wider and

wider … leading to a very wide eroded

area’. (Male, 45-54, Scotland, very experienced)

‘Path erosion has been contained by

altering the design when erosion has

occurred’. (Male, 45-54, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘In such a popular area the main

‘feeder’ paths are in good condition and

encourage people to stay on them

rather than go off-piste’. (Male, 55-64,

England, quite experienced)

‘Good off-road access (for

mtb)/natural feel to paths’. (Female, 45-


‘I think a good balance has been

struck, enabling main ‘tourist’ paths

and more ‘off-beat’ ones’. (Male, 25-34,

England, quite experienced)

‘Cairngorms paths generally fit in

well with the barren landscape and

accommodate the volume of traffic

well without being too visible from

afar’. (Male, 25-34, Scotland, quite

experienced)

‘They show real skill once you get away

from the ski centre’. (Male, 25-34, England, some

experience)

13

Among the other areas of land mentioned (Figure 11), NTS land and traditional stalkers’

paths were most frequently mentioned in connection with good quality paths (mentioned by

41 and 29 respondents, respectively).

Figure 11: Other areas in Scotland (mentioned by 2 or more respondents) where the quality of upland

paths is perceived to be particularly good



Respondents’ comments relating to good quality NTS and stalkers’ paths included:

NTS paths

0 10 20 30 40 50

NTS land

Traditional stalkers' paths

JMT land

NGO land

No. respondents mentioned each type of land

‘NTS and JMT owned paths. They

have been sensitively managed and

in most cases well-maintained’ (Male,

65+, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘NTS are particularly good at

maintaining their paths to a high

standard’ (Male, 35-44, Scotland, quite

experienced)

‘Properties owned by conservation

bodies, particularly NTS and JMT, as

they have a longer term view of path

management and have been

committed to securing funding’. (Female, 45-54, Scotland, very experienced)

‘NTS properties at Torridon, Glen

Affric, Kintail, Glencoe and Mar

Lodge. Well-designed with walkers

in mind, robust but blended into the

landscape’ (Male, 45-54, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘Some NTS and other areas. On-

going maintenance means that paths

are not damaged by erosion once

they have been built or, if they are,

they get repaired’. (Female, 25-34, Scotland,

very experienced)

‘A recent walk up the Lin of Dee stands out.

The condition of the paths there are great, all

bridges were in very good condition plus the

occasional signposts are very helpful. Makes

the area very accessible to most people …

highlighted by the fact I walked past a man

with two young kids … it’s great to see young

people enjoying the remote outdoors’. (Male, 25-


14

Stalkers’ paths

Just over a quarter of respondents provided details of ‘poor quality’ paths (28%). Figure 12

shows the specific hills mentioned most frequently in this context and Figure 13 shows the

wider areas mentioned most frequently. No ‘other’, non-geographical, areas of land were

mentioned in connection with poor quality paths.

As shown in Figure 12, below, Beinn a’ Ghlo (or Carn Liath) (26 respondents) was the hill

range or hill mentioned most frequently in connection with poor quality paths. Ben Lomond

‘Generally on NTS properties -

Glencoe, Ben Lawers in particular’. (Male, 55-64, Scotland, very experienced)

‘Generally on NTS properties,

where a lot of money has been

invested in path maintenance’. (Female, 35-44, Scotland, quite experienced)

‘Traditional stalking paths in the North West. Usually

have placed stones, rather than fabric gravel. Placed

‘stepping stones’ across boggy areas, not always an

easy walk – which increases the quality of the

experience. Tend to follow natural/desire lines, and

steady grades up and down hills, seldom washed out

as tend not to follow fall line. Lead you to natural

places to cross/ford burns – without need for bridges.

Low man-made quotient’. (Female, 55-64, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘I find stalkers’ paths in the

Kintail areas superb. They

have stood the test of time,

are well drained and take

you on a comfortable

gradient and are generally

unobtrusive’. (Male, 55-64,

Scotland, very experienced)

‘There are some lovely

stalkers’ paths in the West

Highlands that unobtrusively

gain height and are easy to

follow. The path up

Gleourich is a good example.

Ben Damh has a good

stalkers’ path for the first

400m’. (Female, 55-64, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘Those that are built as stalkers’ paths tend to be

better than direct, steeper routes. They have more

comfortable gradients and drainage was usually

carefully considered at construction so they often don’t

wash out as quickly as non-engineered paths’. (Female,

55-64, England, very experienced)

‘Traditional stalkers’ paths are often unobtrusive from a

distance and have a good gradient with zig zags. They

are my favourite way of getting up a hill, taking a steady

and fairly direct line, with drainage ditches so they are

in good condition long after construction, and not too

wide’. (Female, 55-64, Scotland, very experienced)

‘Some old stalkers’ paths are

still in good condition. These

were very well built in their

day with good gradients,

good choice of route

(choosing dry ground,

avoiding boggy ground

where possible), properly

drained.’ (Female, 55-64, Scotland,

very experienced)

‘Glen Quoich – fantastic high level stalkers’ paths

allowing rapid height gain while remaining unobtrusive

from afar’. (Male, 55-64, Scotland, quite experienced)

15

and Ben Nevis, which some respondents perceived had good quality paths, were also

mentioned as sites with poor quality paths (by 16 and 11 respondents, respectively). It’s

worth noting that, at the time of writing, path work has recently been completed or is

currently underway on the Carn Liath, Ben Lomond, Ben Nevis and Suilven hill paths.

Figure 12: Specific hills in Scotland (each mentioned by 7 or more respondents) where the quality of

upland paths is perceived to be particularly poor



Respondents’ comments relating to poor quality paths on Beinn a’ Ghlo, Ben Lomond and

Ben Nevis included:

Beinn a’ Ghlo/Carn Liath

Ben Lomond

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

Bein a'Ghlo/Carn Liath

Ben Lomond

Ben Nevis

Suilven

Lochnagar

Ben Ledi

An Teallach

No. respondents mentioning each hill

‘Beinn a’ Ghlo is the most

obvious example of an

eyesore from the A9’. (Male, 35-

44, Scotland, very experienced)

‘The wide, eroded path up the

front of Carn Liath (Beinn a’

Ghlo) is a memorably bad blot

on the landscape’. (Male, 45-54,

England, very experienced)

‘Carn Liath becoming an

eroded eyesore all year

round’. (Male, 55-64, Scotland, quite

experienced)

‘Beinn a’ Ghlo range. Carn Liath

path very eroded and return

route from the last Munro very

boggy/non-existent before

reaching track’. (Female, 55-64,

Scotland, some experience)

‘Connic hill, Ben Lomond

– wide scars and verges

trafficked bare’. (Male, 45-54,


‘I’m not sure I like the tight cobble

style that’s now on Ben Lomond.

Pretty sore on the descent and

definitely not great for running’. (Female, 35-44, Scotland, quite experienced)

16

Ben Nevis

Most of the areas associated with poor quality paths (Figure 13) were also associated (by

other respondents) with good quality paths. The Cairngorms (or Cairngorms National Park)

was mentioned more frequently than any other part of Scotland as an area with poor quality

paths, although, as already shown in Figure 10, significantly more respondents associated

the area with good quality paths (39 versus 248 respondents).

There are a number of reasons which might explain why the Cairngorms featured in both the

‘good’ and ‘poor quality’ path categories. These include the popularity of the area and

possibility that more respondents are familiar with and have an opinion about its paths.

There has also been a considerable amount of path repair work undertaken within the

Cairngorms giving rise to differing opinions on the success and style of the repaired paths,

but also potentially raising expectations of the standard of path.

Hate the ‘stone wall’ effect,

particularly on descents. It’s

slippy in the wet and makes me

go off-piste!’ (Female, 45-54, Scotland,

quite experienced)

Ben Lomond work was starting when I

was last there … that was in a bit of a

state, just because the path was so

wide and getting wider’. (Female, 25-34,


‘Lower section of Ben Nevis track is

awful, badly eroded, over-used for

its quality and under-maintained’. (Male, 35-44, Scotland, very experienced)

‘I used the tourist route on Ben Nevis at the

weekend and was dismayed by how poor

some of the upper sections have become …’ (Male, 45-54, Scotland, very experienced)

‘Ben Nevis tourist path is just a bit of

blot on the landscape, although well-

maintained, it just cuts through the

hill and can be seen from all around’. (Male, 44-55, Scotland, very experienced)

‘The area around Ben Nevis, particularly

the lower part of the ‘tourist track’ and the

new riverside walk in Glen Nevis is of low

quality. £1,000s invested and yet the

workmanship is shoddy, paths will clearly

gather water on the riverside and drainage

channels on the Ben Nevis track are not

well-supported …. the installation of more

stone steps has increased the trickiness of

the path … I believe this may see an

increase in minor injuries, especially in

people descending as they are tired, need

to concentrate more on the rocks and as a

result slip and trip more.’ (Female, 16-24,


Ben Nevis, Lawers – anywhere that

stone is laid as the surface. May be

tough but destroys the body,

especially the knees!’ (Male, 55-64,


17

Figure 13: Areas in Scotland (mentioned by 10 or more respondents) where the quality of upland

paths is perceived to be particularly poor



NB The ‘Highlands’ (as an entity) was mentioned by 21 respondents. Many more

respondents mentioned specific areas within the Highlands, e.g. Skye (9 respondents),

Assynt (8 respondents).

Respondents’ comments relating to poor quality paths in the Cairngorms included:

0 10 20 30 40 50

Cairngorms/CNP

Highlands

Pentlands

Glencoe

Torridon

Loch Lomond/LL&TNP

No. respondents mentioning each area

‘In many places the Cairngorms paths

have been over-engineered, using

machines to save money’. (Female, 35-44,


‘Cairngorms. You could probably see

them from space, they are so wide. Also,

massive over-use of water bars on the

high mountains. The path down Carn

Ban Mhor into Glen Feshie was appalling

on a mountain bike. Erosion either side

of a huge path and water bars wherever it

was possible to go around them’. (Female,

45-54, Wales, very experienced)

‘Cairngorms. Some huge drainage

ditches lined with protruding slate

slabs makes it dangerous for

bikes/bikers’. (Male, 35-44, Scotland, quite

experienced)

‘The paths around Bynack More have

huge drainage ditches, which are

unsuitable for bikers (and potentially

dangerous for walkers when they are

snow-filled’. (Female, 45-54, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘Cairngorms – too constructed and too

extensive. Need to maintain a sense of

adventure’. (Female, 55-64, Scotland, very

experienced)

‘Cairngorm plateau. Very and

unnecessarily wide in places. Erosion is

depressingly expanding’. (Male, 35-44,


‘Cairngorms. Over-use, particularly by

mountain bikes in wet conditions’. (Male,


‘Cairngorm mountain, up and down from

the summit. Terrible wide cobbles that

are either slippy or icy. Everyone walks

along the edge causing erosion.

Shocking path’. (Female, 35-44, Scotland, very

experienced)

18

4.5 The influence of paths on route selection

4.5.1 Overall picture

Respondents were asked to indicate how much they agreed or disagreed with a series of

statements about the extent to which the presence of a path influences their choice of an

upland route.

Figure 14, below, illustrates that, for some hill users, the presence of a path and the

condition of that path does play a part in route planning while, for others, these factors are

less important.

Figures 15 to 18, below, show that gender and level of hill experience (and to a lesser

extent, age) are variables which influence the extent to which the presence or condition of an

upland path is perceived to be important. This suggests that path provision and maintenance

may have a role to play in ensuring that Scotland’s upland areas are accessible to all.

Figure 14: Level of agreement with statements about the importance of paths when selecting an

upland route (%)

Base: All respondents using upland paths in Scotland in last 12 months (n = 2,007 minimum)


4.5.2 I would avoid a particular upland route if I knew there was no obvious path

A third of all respondents agreed that they would avoid a particular upland route if they knew

there was no obvious path (32%), rising to more than half among respondents with only

‘some experience’ in the Scottish hills (56%) and to almost two thirds among those with ‘little

or no experience’ (65%). In addition, women were more likely than men to be deterred by

the absence of a path (43% of women compared to 26% of men).

8

15

13

10

24

23

32

37

15

16

26

17

19

29

15

20

33

16

14

15

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I would avoid a particular upland route if I knewthere was no obvious path

The presence of a path is not important when Iplan a route

I generally try to plan a route so that I am using apath that's in good condition

A poorly maintained path would deter me fromusing that route again

Agree strongly Agree slightly Neither/ nor Disagree slightly Disagree strongly

19

Figure 15: Attitude statements – I would avoid a particular upland route if I knew there was no obvious

path (%)



4.5.3 The presence of a path is not important when I plan a route

Conversely, over a third of respondents agreed that the presence of a path was not an

important consideration when planning an upland route (39%); this proportion was higher

among men than women (41% and 33%, respectively) and higher among those who

described themselves as ‘very experienced’ in Scotland’s hills compared to those who were

less experienced (50% and 32%, respectively).

Figure 16: Attitude statements – The presence of a path is not important when I plan a route (%)



32

26

43

28

36

28

13

33

56

65

32

27

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

All

Male

Female

16-34

35-54

55+

Very experienced

Quite experienced

Some experience

A little/no experience

Live in Scotland

Live elsewhere

% respondents agreeing

39

41

33

39

37

40

50

38

20

25

38

46

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

All

Male

Female

16-34

35-54

55+

Very experienced

Quite experienced

Some experience


Live in Scotland

Live elsewhere


20

4.5.4 I generally try to plan a route so that I am using a path that’s in good condition

Just under half of respondents agreed that they generally try to plan a route so that they’re

using a path that’s in good condition (44%); this proportion was slightly higher among

women than men (49% and 42%, respectively) and higher among those who described

themselves as less experienced in Scotland’s hills (59% among those with ‘some

experience’ and 54% among those with a ‘little or no experience’).

Figure 17 Attitude statements – I generally try to plan a route so that I am using a path that’s in good

condition (%)



4.5.5 A poorly maintained path would deter me from using that route again

Almost half of respondents agreed that a poorly maintained path would deter them from

using a route again (47%). There were very few variations according to gender, age, level of

hill experience or residency.

Figure 18 Attitude statements – A poorly maintained path would deter me from using that route again

(%)



44

42

49

45

46

41

33

47

59

54

44

44

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

All

Male

Female

16-34

35-54

55+

Very experienced

Quite experienced

Some experience


Live in Scotland

Live elsewhere


47

47

49

47

50

45

48

45

50

51

48

45

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70

All

Male

Female

16-34

35-54

55+

Very experienced

Quite experienced

Some experience


Live in Scotland

Live elsewhere


21

4.6. The perceived importance of maintaining Scotland’s upland paths

4.6.1 Overall picture

Respondents were next asked to indicate the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with

a series of statements about the importance of maintaining Scotland’s upland paths. Their

responses are summarised below and in Figure 19 and then discussed in more detail in

paragraphs 4.6.2 to 4.6.4. A detailed breakdown of respondents’ views by gender, age,

level of hill experience and residency is provided in Appendix 3.

In summary, there is very strong support among hill users for continued investment in the

existing network of upland paths. There is also strong support for ensuring that the design

and maintenance of these paths takes account of the surrounding landscape.

The benefits of upland paths are widely acknowledged by hill users, particularly in terms of

providing a high quality visitor experience and reducing impacts on sensitive areas.

Opinion is more divided, however, over the issue of providing more signposting and

waymarking on upland paths and on whether or not paths can reduce the ‘wild’ experience

sought by some upland visitors.

Figure 19: Attitudes regarding the importance of maintaining upland paths (%)



78

70

63

58

43

40

26

14

13

10

18

24

28

34

40

42

35

28

21

37

3

4

7

5

12

13

26

19

17

17

1

1

2

2

2

3

5

28

17

22

1

1

1

1

1

2

10

31

14

1

3

1

6

2

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

It's important the design and maintenance of upland pathsfits in with the surrounding landscape

It's important to invest in exisitng upland paths to ensurethey're there for future generations to enjoy

Well-looked after upland paths can improve the quality ofexperience enjoyed by hill users

Upland paths help safeguard sensitive areas by reducingvisitor impacts on wildlife, habitats and landscapes

Well-maintained upland paths can have a positiveeconomic impact on local communities (e.g. attracting

more visitors, increasing local spend)

Upland paths help bring more people into contact withnature

Well-maintained upland paths help create a sense ofidentity and pride in an area

The condition of the path doesn't tend to affect myenjoyment

I'd like to see more waymarking or signposting onScotland's upland paths

Building or repairing paths can reduce the 'wild' experiencefor users

Agree strongly Agree slightlyNeither/ nor Disagree slightlyDisagree strongly Don't know

22

4.6.2 Investment in path maintenance

More than 9 in 10 respondents expressed their support for further investment in the existing

network of upland paths in Scotland, with 70% agreeing strongly and 24% agreeing slightly

that this was important (94%).

While 42% of respondents indicated that the condition of a path wouldn’t necessarily affect

their own personal enjoyment, more than 9 in 10 agreed that, in general, well looked after

paths can improve the quality of visitor experience, with 63% agreeing strongly and 28%

agreeing slightly that this was the case (91%).

There was no real variation in the level of agreement with either statement in terms of

respondent age, gender, level of hill experience or residency.

4.6.3 Impact of paths on the landscape

More than 9 in 10 respondents agreed that the design of upland paths should take account

of the surrounding landscape, with 78% agreeing strongly and 18% agreeing slightly that this

was important (96%). There was no real variation in the level of agreement with this

statement in terms of respondent age, gender, level of hill experience or residency.

Opinion was divided on whether or not the presence of paths can reduce the sense of

‘wildness’ that some hill users seek. Almost half of respondents believed that paths can have

this sort of negative impact (47%). This proportion rose to 51% among younger

respondents, aged 16 to 34, to 52% among those describing themselves as ‘very

experienced’ in the Scottish hills and to 57% among respondents living outside of Scotland.

However, more than a third of respondents disagreed that paths could have this effect

(36%). Overall, a third of respondents agreed that they would like to see more waymarking

and signposting on Scotland’s upland paths (34%), with the level of support significantly

higher among less experienced hill users: 55% of those with only ‘some experience’ and

62% of those with ‘little or no experience’ would like to see more waymarking.

4.6.4 Perceived benefits of paths

When prompted with some of the perceived benefits of upland paths, the majority of

respondents agreed that paths can help safeguard sensitive areas (58% agreeing strongly

and 34% agreeing slightly), help attract visitors (and additional expenditure) into an area

(43% agreeing strongly and 40% agreeing slightly), bring more people into contact with

nature (40% agreeing strongly and 42% agreeing slightly) and, to a lesser extent, create a

sense of identity and pride among local people (26% agreeing strongly and 35% agreeing

slightly). With the exception of ‘safeguarding sensitive areas’, younger respondents, those

with less hill experience and those living in Scotland were more likely to agree with each of

these statements.

4.7. Level of interest in helping to look after Scotland’s upland paths

Respondents were asked to indicate what positive action they would be prepared to take to

help look after Scotland’s upland paths.

Figure 20, below, shows that while most respondents say they would consider helping out in

some way, only a minority would ‘definitely’ do so. Twenty per cent of respondents would

‘definitely’ and 50% would ‘possibly’ make a small annual voluntary donation; and 17%

would ‘definitely’ and 47% would ‘possibly’ join an occasional work party to repair and

maintain paths. Significantly fewer respondents, however, would consider making a larger,

one-off voluntary donation (3% ‘definitely’ and 26% ‘possibly’). Further research would be

23

required to test the strength of respondents’ resolve and their ‘tolerance’ in terms of the

value of monetary donations they would be prepared to make or the number of volunteering

days they would be prepared to consider.

In general, older respondents and those with more experience in the Scottish hills were

slightly more likely than younger and less experienced respondents to say they would make

a voluntary donation; younger respondents, mountain biking respondents and those living in

Scotland were slightly more likely to say they would consider joining an occasional work

party to repair and maintain paths.

Figure 20: Level of interest in taking positive action for Scotland’s upland paths (%)



4.8. Additional comments

Finally, 481 respondents added comments to their questionnaires. These can be

categorised into seven broad themes:

o positive comments about those involved in upland path building and maintenance (e.g. good work being done, good paths being built, worthwhile, appreciated, good for the economy);

o a plea for the needs of mountain bikers to be taken into account in upland path work (e.g. ensuring that water bars and drainage ditches are rideable and that gates and stiles don’t act as deterrents to cyclists);

o the suggestion that any future activity and resource should focus on looking after existing paths on the most heavily used and damaged routes, rather than on creating new paths;

o recognition that there is a ‘conflict of interests’, i.e. how do we ensure that our hills are accessible, that the natural environment is protected and that hill users can still enjoy a 'wild' experience?;

o the concern that wider use of signposting and waymarking might tempt inexperienced hill users into dangerous situations;

o the view that the principal purpose of path building should be to protect the natural environment;

o the view that paths are important in terms making the hills accessible to everyone.

20

3

17

50

26

47

17

47

21

4

13

7

9

11

8

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

I would be willing to make a small voluntary donationeach year to help fund maintenance of upland paths

in Scotland

I would be willing to make a larger, one-off voluntarydonation each year to help fund maintenance of

upland paths in Scotland

I would be willing to join a work party on an occasionalbasis to help maintain and repair upland paths in

Scotland

Yes, definitely Yes, possibly No, probably not No, definitely not Don't know/ not sure

24

5. Summary and conclusions

The survey attracted more than 2,400 responses, demonstrating a very strong level of

interest in upland paths among Scotland’s outdoor community. Most respondents used paths

on their visits to the Scottish uplands (80% on all or most occasions) and this was true

regardless of gender, age or level of hill experience. Other research has demonstrated high

levels of participation in mountain recreation and the substantial economic impact of these

activities. Taken together, these findings clearly highlight the importance of upland paths as

a resource for outdoor recreation and tourism in Scotland.

More detailed consideration, however, reveals a more complex picture. Feedback provided

by respondents indicates that there are both good and poor quality paths to be found in most

parts of Scotland - and that people’s perceptions of what constitutes a ‘good’ versus a ‘poor’

path can vary. More than a third of respondents indicated that the condition of the upland

paths they’d used in the last year was ‘mostly good’ (37%), with only a small minority

describing them as ‘mostly bad’ (3%). However, most people had experienced a mix of both

good and bad paths (59%), and almost everyone had recent experience of boggy or eroded

paths (92%).

Opinion was divided on whether or not the condition of upland paths in Scotland had

improved over the last 10 years. Forty four percent of respondents agreed that it had, 19%

thought nothing had changed, 14% thought things had got worse and 23% didn’t know.

For some hill users, the presence of a path and its condition does play a part in route

planning while, for others, these factors are less important. Around a third of respondents

said they would avoid a particular upland route if they knew there was no obvious path

(32%) and almost half said that a poorly maintained path would deter them from using a

route again (47%). Gender, level of hill experience and, to a lesser extent, age, are

variables which appear to impact on attitudes, with women and less experienced hill users

more likely to be deterred by the absence of a path or to take its condition into account when

planning their route. This underlines the importance of paths in making the hills more

accessible to a wider group of users.

There is very strong support among hill users for continued investment in our existing upland

paths (94% agreed that this is important). One of the themes emerging from the ‘any other

comments’ section of the survey was the view that our focus should be on looking after

existing paths on the most heavily used and damaged routes, rather than on creating new

paths.

Forty four per cent of respondents had come across paths which they felt were visible from

too far away and there was general agreement that path design and maintenance should

take account of the surrounding landscape (96%). This is perhaps not too surprising given

the very high value which other research tells us the general public in Scotland place on the

country’s landscapes and areas of wild land9. Around half of respondents felt that building or

repairing paths has the potential to reduce the ‘wild’ experience sought by some hill users

(47%).

In terms of path design, the research also highlighted some other potential tensions. Some

elements of path design (e.g. water bars, gates and stiles) were perceived by mountain

9 Scotland’s People and Nature Survey 2013/14

25

bikers as active deterrents. As many as 42% of all respondents (and 46% of mountain

biking respondents) had come across paths which they felt were designed in a way that

actually discouraged people from staying on the path, for example because of awkward

stone steps or wide cross drains. There is consequently a challenge to find effective path

designs which safeguard the upland environment, but are also accessible to all users within

access rights.

A significant minority of respondents (34%) would like to see more waymarking or

signposting on Scotland’s upland paths, and support for this was significantly higher among

less experienced hill users. Among those opposed to the idea, one of the main concerns

expressed was that waymarking might tempt inexperienced hill users without appropriate

navigation skills into potentially dangerous situations, underlining the need to ensure that

navigation skills training is available and well promoted. Proposals to increase waymarking

have also attracted some criticism in the past on the grounds of perceived conflict with the

wild qualities of the mountain environment. In conjunction with the above comments on route

planning, the support for increased waymarking does re-emphasise the importance of

upland path management to facilitate access by less experienced users, subject of course to

the inherent constraints and sensitivities of the upland environment, and this may warrant

further discussion.

A fifth of respondents indicated that they would definitely consider making a small annual

voluntary donation and 17% would definitely consider joining an occasional work party to

repair and maintain paths. A significantly smaller proportion of respondents would definitely

consider making a larger, one-off donation (3%). On the one hand, this underlines the

commitment to upland paths among hill users, and the potential to obtain some resources

(both funds and volunteers) from within this community. Not surprisingly, however, it also

suggests that such resources would be relatively modest and would not, by themselves,

make a substantial contribution to upland path repair and maintenance at a national level.

Additional resources from elsewhere would therefore be required to achieve this.

Importantly, 91% of respondents acknowledged that well-maintained paths can improve the

quality of the visitor experience, and most agreed that paths can provide a range of

significant environmental and economic benefits. Wider recognition and promotion of these

benefits is likely to be crucial in finding new ways to support the repair and maintenance of

upland paths for the future.

The results of this survey will be discussed by SNH and key stakeholders to develop

proposals for future funding for upland path repair and maintenance, reflecting the clear

support which exists for continued investment in these paths, and recognition of their role in

ensuring that upland recreation and tourism continue to provide social and economic

benefits for the future.

26

Appendix 1 – Profile of survey respondents

All respondents All respondents living in Scotland

All respondents living outside of Scotland

% % % Residency Scotland 88 100 - England 9 - 78 Wales 1 - 4 Northern Ireland * - 1 Other 2 - 17 Gender Male 66 64 75 Female 34 36 25 Age 16-24 4 4 2 25-34 17 17 18 35-44 24 25 15 45-54 25 25 27 55-64 20 19 28 65 and over 10 10 9 Frequency of visiting the outdoors for leisure and recreation in last 12 months

Once a week or more 35 41 4 Once a week 22 26 2 Once or twice a month 25 27 17 Once every 2-3 months 9 5 35 Once or twice 7 1 41 Never 1 * 2 Level of experience in the Scottish hills

I’m very experienced 36 36 35 I’m quite experienced 40 40 39 I have some experience 21 21 22 I have a little experience 3 3 3 I have very little or no experience

* * 1

Membership of organisations/clubs/bodies

Mountaineering Scotland (formerly (Mountaineering Council of Scotland)

40 42 19

Ramblers Scotland 6 7 1 Local mountaineering or walking club

24 25 19

National cycling/mountain biking body or club

16 17 14

Local mountain biking club 16 16 13 National Trust for Scotland 31 33 16 John Muir Trust 20 20 18 Other 25 23 46

* Less than 1%

Appendix 2 – Activities undertaken in Scotland’s upland areas in the last 12 months

All respondents

Male Female Aged 16-34

Aged 35-54

Aged 55 plus

Very experienced

Quite experienced

Have some experience

Have little/ no experience

Live in Scotland

Live outside of Scotland

% % % % % % % % % % % % Hillwalking/ mountaineering/ climbing

89 90 91 92 89 92 96 91 83 61 90 93

Lower level walking in the glens

69 66 81 70 71 71 71 70 74 59 73 54

Mountain biking 41 47 29 50 46 27 45 42 32 36 43 26

Wild camping 31 34 29 44 34 21 44 31 18 8 33 28

Bird/wildlife/ nature watching

25 24 32 27 25 28 30 25 24 22 27 20

Running 19 19 21 29 23 9 25 21 12 12 21 9

Ski-ing 12 14 11 19 13 9 19 13 5 3 14 5

Other 5 6 6 6 6 6 6 6 4 5 6 6

28

Appendix 3 – % of respondents agreeing with each statement about the importance of maintaining Scotland’s

upland paths

All respondents


Aged 35-54

Aged 55 plus

Very experienced

Quite experienced



Live in Scotland


% % % % % % % % % % % %

It’s important that the design and maintenance with upland paths fit in with the surrounding landscape

96 96 97 94 96 97 96 96 96 89 96 98

It’s important to invest in existing upland paths to ensure they’re there for future generations to enjoy

94 93 95 93 94 94 93 94 96 92 94 90

Well-looked after upland paths can improve the quality of experience enjoyed by hill users

91 90 93 88 92 91 91 90 91 94 91 89

Upland paths help safeguard sensitive areas by reducing visitor impacts on wildlife, habitats and landscape

92 91 91 91 92 90 89 92 92 89 92 87

Well-maintained upland paths can have a positive economic impact on local communities (e.g. attracting more visitors, increasing local spend)

83 82 83 84 84 78 78 83 87 91 83 76

Upland paths help bring more people into contact with nature

82 81 83 88 83 76 77 83 87 88 83 76

Well-maintained upland paths help create a sense of identity and pride in an area

61 60 64 61 63 58 53 61 72 72 63 49

Cont. over/

29

Appendix 3 cont. – % of respondents agreeing with each statement about the importance of maintaining

Scotland’s upland paths

All respondent

s


Aged 35-54

Aged 55 plus

Very experienced

Quite experienced



Live in Scotland


% % % % % % % % % % % %

The condition of the path doesn’t tend to affect my enjoyment

42 43 39 43 41 42 42 44 38 40 42 45

I’d like to see more waymarking or signposting on Scotland’s upland paths

34 32 38 33 36 32 18 36 55 62 36 24

Building or repairing paths can reduce the ‘wild’ experience for users

47 48 45 51 45 48 52 49 39 34 46 57

Appendix 4 - Questionnaire

UPLAND PATHS IN SCOTLAND – SURVEY OF HILL USERS

We’re keen to hear about your experiences of using upland paths in Scotland and we’d be

grateful if you could take a few minutes to complete our survey. You can answer the questions

by ticking the appropriate box or by writing your answer in the space provided.

The information you provide will help ensure our upland paths safeguard the environment and

meet the needs of hill users.

Please note that by upland paths, we mean paths or routes in Scotland’s hills and mountains

which have either been constructed or formed by regular use. Vehicle tracks, i.e. tracks

constructed to allow vehicular access to the hills, are not included in this definition.

Q1(a) In the last 12 months, how often, on average, have you visited the outdoors for

leisure and recreation in Scotland?

Q1(b) In the last 12 months, how often, on average, have you visited Scotland’s upland

areas (i.e. hills or mountains) for leisure and recreation?

(a) Visited the outdoors (b) Visited upland areas

in Scotland in Scotland

More than once a week 1 1

Once a week 2 2

Once or twice a month 3 3

Once every 2-3 months 4 4

Once or twice 5 5

Never 6 6

IF YOU ANSWERED ‘NEVER’ AT Q1a OR Q1b, PLEASE SKIP TO Q6

Q2 Which of the following activities have you undertaken during your visits to Scotland’s

upland areas in the last 12 months? Please tick all that apply.

Hill walking, mountaineering or 1

climbing

Lower level walking in the glens 2

Mountain biking 3

Running 4

Ski-ing 5

Bird/wildlife/nature watching 6

Wild camping 7

Other activity (Please provide details) …………………………………………………………………

31

Q3 How often have you used upland paths on your visits to Scotland’s hills and

mountains in the last 12 months (i.e. paths or routes which have been constructed or

formed by regular use, but excluding vehicle tracks)?

On all occasions 1

On most occasions 2

On some occasions 3

On no occasions 4

Q4 In general, how would you rate the condition of the upland paths you’ve used in

Scotland in the last 12 months (e.g. surface, drainage, extent of any erosion)?

Mostly very good 1

Mostly quite good 2

Mix of good and bad 3

Mostly quite bad 4

Mostly very bad 5

Don’t know/can’t remember 6

Q5 Have you encountered any of the following issues when using upland paths in

Scotland in the last 12 months? (Please remember that tracks constructed to allow

vehicular access to the hills are not included in this definition of upland paths). Please

tick all that apply.

Boggy or eroded paths 1

Paths which are visible from too far off 2

Paths which are overgrown with vegetation 3

Paths which don’t fit in with their natural 4

surroundings (e.g. paths which you think

are too wide or too ‘urban’ for a remote

setting)

A path design which discourages people 5

from staying on the path (e.g. awkward

stone steps, wide drains crossing the path)

32

Q6 Would you say that the condition of upland paths in Scotland over the last 10 years

or so has:

Improved 1

Stayed the same 2

Got worse 3

Don’t know 4

Q7 Are there any locations or areas in Scotland where you think the quality of upland

paths is particularly good? Please tell us where these paths are and what makes them

good.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Q8 Are there any locations or areas in Scotland where you think the quality of upland

paths is particularly poor? Please tell us where these paths are and what makes them

poor.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Q9 Listed below are a number of statements about how you might select a route in

Scotland’s uplands. Please tick the appropriate box to indicate the extent to which you

agree or disagree with each statement.

Agree Agree Neither/ Disagree Disagree Don’t

strongly slightly nor slightly strongly know

I would avoid a particular upland route if 1 2 3 4 5 6

I knew there was no obvious path

I generally try to plan a route so that I 1 2 3 4 5 6

am using a path that’s in good condition

The presence of a path is not important 1 2 3 4 5 6

when I plan a route

A poorly maintained upland path would 1 2 3 4 5 6 deter me from using that route again

33

Q10 Listed below are a number of statements about maintaining Scotland’s upland

paths. Please tick the appropriate box to indicate the extent to which you agree or

disagree with each statement.

Agree Agree Neither/ Disagree Disagree Don’t

strongly slightly nor slightly strongly know

It’s important to invest in our existing 1 2 3 4 5 6

upland paths to ensure they are there

for future generations to enjoy

Well looked after upland paths can 1 2 3 4 5 6

improve the quality of experience

enjoyed by hill users

Building or repairing paths can reduce 1 2 3 4 5 6

the ‘wild’ experience for users

Upland paths help safeguard sensitive 1 2 3 4 5 6

areas by reducing visitor impacts on

wildlife, habitats and landscapes

The condition of the path doesn’t tend to 1 2 3 4 5 6

affect my enjoyment

It’s important that the design and 1 2 3 4 5 6

maintenance of upland paths fits in with

the surrounding landscape

I’d like to see more waymarking or 1 2 3 4 5 6

signposting on Scotland’s upland paths

Upland paths help bring more people into 1 2 3 4 5 6

contact with nature

Well-maintained upland paths can help 1 2 3 4 5 6

create a local sense of identity and pride in

an area

Well maintained upland paths can have a 1 2 3 4 5 6

positive economic impact on local

communities (e.g. by attracting more

visitors to the area and increasing local spend)

34

Q11 Which of the following would you be willing to do to help with the upkeep of

Scotland’s upland paths?

Yes, Yes, No, probably No, definitely Don’t know

definitely possibly not not

I would be willing to make a small 1 2 3 4 5

voluntary donation each year to help

fund the maintenance of upland paths

in Scotland

I would be willing to make a larger, 1 2 3 4 5

one-off voluntary donation to help

fund the maintenance of upland paths

in Scotland

I would be willing to join a work party 1 2 3 4 5

on an occasional basis to help maintain

and repair upland paths in Scotland

About you

Finally, a few questions to help us understand who has responded to the survey (please

remember your answers are anonymous).

Q12 Your gender Q13 Your age Q14 Where do you live?

Male 1 16 – 24 1 Scotland 1

Female 2 25 – 34 2 England 2

35 – 44 3 Wales 3

45 – 54 4 Northern Ireland 4

55 – 64 5 Other _____________________

65 and over 6

Q15 How would you describe your level of experience in the Scottish hills?

I’m very experienced 1

I’m quite experienced 2

I have some experience 3

I have a little experience 4

I have very little or no experience 5

35

Q16 Are you a member of any of the following organisations? Please tick all that apply.

Mountaineering Scotland (formerly 1

Mountaineering Council of Scotland)

Ramblers Scotland 2

Local mountaineering or walking club 3

National cycling/mountain biking body/club 4

Local mountain biking club 5

National Trust for Scotland 6

John Muir Trust 7

Other relevant organisation (please provide details) ……………………………………………………………..

Q17 Where did you find the link to our survey?

Mountaineering Scotland or local 1

mountaineering club

Ramblers Scotland or other local 2

walking club

Walkhighlands 3

Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland 4

or local mountain biking club

Conservation organisation (e.g. National 5

Trust for Scotland, John Muir Trust)

Professional path management network 6

(e.g. Upland Path Advisory Group)

Other (please specify) ……………………………………………………

Q17 Finally, if there are any other comments or suggestions you would like to make

about the condition or design of upland paths in Scotland, please use the space below.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

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THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP

Survey of upland path users in Scotland 2017...an upland path, defined as a path or route...

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Transcript of Survey of upland path users in Scotland 2017...an upland path, defined as a path or route...