Please, take a couple of minutes to ask ALL your local Holyrood candidates to bring Scotland's paths and outdoor access rights back from breaking point.
🖊️ Use our simple form to urge your potential next MSPs to support a £50million Scottish Paths Fund!
action.ramblers.org.uk/access-right...
⏰ With the election just weeks away, NOW is the time to urge Holyrood candidates to back a £50 million Scottish Paths Fund.
🖋 This quick form helps you ask ALL your local candidates to support a bigger, better path network: action.ramblers.org.uk/access-rights-breaking-p...
Thank you!
A group of people are gathered closely, studying a detailed map. They appear to be outdoors, standing near a building with a red metal roof and wooden siding. The scene suggests a cooperative effort, possibly planning or identifying a route.
Two individuals are standing on a wooden bridge in a scenic autumn landscape. They are dressed in warm jackets, with trees showing fall colors in the background and a small stream flowing beneath the bridge.
Three people are outdoors, examining a map together. They are wearing outdoor clothing, including jackets and backpacks. The background features greenery and trees.
Congratulations to our Community Champions, Jumana, Polly and Nataliia, who have just become qualified Lowland Leaders. 🗺️ A big achievement & they should be so proud!
👍🏽We’re excited to have just welcomed 6 new Community Champions to our 2026 scheme, so watch this space: Ramblers.org.uk/outreachscot
Visit to @ramblersscotland.bsky.social council & AGM, walked to #Radicalroad and saw #Accessdenied @ramblers.org.uk @gavincorbett.bsky.social campaignerkate.wordpress.com/2026/03/31/w...
A person stands on a path in a rural landscape, dressed in outdoor clothing. The overcast sky adds a moody atmosphere. Text beside the person reads, "'I really notice how many people in cities don't have easy access to green spaces. Govts should invest more in paths and access, as people shouldn't feel confined by where they live.'" Above, it mentions "Eliza, Glasgow, Scotland," and a note in the corner says, "it's just as bad in England, too.
A person holding a small child is superimposed on a pathway surrounded by trees. Text on the image reads: "Jane, Brynmawr, Wales." Another text section states: "We'd all love to be able to step out of our front doors and just go, but there are no connected, safe paths anymore." An additional note mentions: "And problems like this aren’t just happening in Wales.
A person in a winter hat and jacket stands in front of a "Footpath Closed" sign surrounded by dense greenery. Text on the image reads: "Jayne, Coventry, England" and "The blocking of public footpaths is having a big effect on our local community.
A path through a wooded area is marked with a large yellow "X" and the words "Access Denied" in bold white letters. Below, text reads, "Access to nature isn't a luxury. It's a right. Let's fight for it." The Ramblers logo is displayed in the bottom right corner.
Different nations, same story of blocked and unusable paths.
Across Britain, years of underinvestment have left too many communities cut off from the safe local routes they rely on.
We’re hearing stories like these everywhere.
Please, help us stand up for paths: www.ramblers.org.uk/Access-Denied
Absolutely, Ben.
It’d definitely be quicker to list where an open fire is a responsible choice (eg beneath a high tide line, with your own bought wood, if you really must…) than vice versa.
An image of a pine tree with text saying No Fires Or Barbecues 1 April to 30 September Maximum Fine £500
🔥 Starting this Wednesday, fires & barbecues will be banned in the @cairngormsnews.bsky.social from 1 Apr to 30 Sept each year.
Breaking this byelaw could lead to a £500 fine.
To cook food or make a brew while out walking, a camping stove remains a safer, cleaner, quicker & legal option.
Info. ⏬
Catch our president Chris Lawlor on BBC Radio Scotland, discussing his love of walking - and the challenges of being a responsible outdoors content creator. 🗺️
🔊 Listen here, from 53:20: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
(And as ever, the rest of the Scotland Outdoors show is well worth a listen too!)
Two men, one in a suit, smiling at the camera.
🥾 Our new President Chris Lawlor enjoyed meeting FM John Swinney today.
They discussed their love of walking & its positive impact on their wellbeing.
The new Parliament - whatever its makeup - has a chance to ensure walking offers an even greater boost to Scotland's health, happiness & economy.
That's a real thing of beauty!
Thanks so much for getting involved, Eliza! It's been amazing to see thousands of people pledge support already today.
I shared my thoughts with @ramblersscotland.bsky.social about access to paths!
Thank you for including me on such an important topic!
Across Britain, millions are cut off from nature because local paths are missing, blocked or unusable.
This isn’t accidental. It's due to years of political & financial neglect.
We're fighting back with our Access Denied campaign. We need your help.👇🏽
Access to nature isn’t a luxury. It’s a right.
ScotGov today published its long-awaited Rural Support Plan.
So, guess how many times it mentions walking, paths or outdoor access?
Yip... 0.🤦🏼
Crucially, it fails to replace the Improving Public Access scheme, which invested £2million a year in paths, bridges & signs before its suspension in '22.
A group of four people smiling outdoors on a forest path surrounded by trees. One person is wearing glasses, another has a colorful sweater, and several have visible lanyards. The scene is sunny and cheerful.
An individual is using a compass on a detailed topographic map outdoors. The map displays various geographical features and routes.
Four people are standing outdoors on grass, holding certificates from a scout event. The individuals are dressed in casual outdoor clothing, and trees are visible in the background. The certificates feature logos and text related to scouting awards.
Three people are sitting on grass, smiling, and looking at a map. They appear to be enjoying a sunny day outdoors. Two of them have lanyards around their necks.
"Thank you for preparing us for many years of adventures to come."🧭
Lovely feedback from the Out There Award's 1st visit to sunny Banchory. 🌞 We shared skills & enjoyed fun walks with a fab group of young adults.
Aged 18-26? Book a spot on FREE awards across Scotland: ramblers.org.uk/outthereaward
A group of walkers in a lush, boggy and craggy glen
That should make it easier to hold landowners to account when access rights aren’t respected.
We’re optimistic these small technical changes can have a real impact for walkers in the years to come.🤞🏽
Meanwhile, we'll keep taking every chance to celebrate & protect your outdoor access rights!
3/3
A walker passing through a kissing gate
We’ve called for:
• Clearer guidance for councils on how to protect public access
• A promise to review the transfer of cases, to check that process is working.
👍We're pleased that we expect these 2 changes to pass during a debate later today.
2/3
A high loch on a heathery hill with a blue sky
We always push to get our world-class outdoor access rights better protected in law.
It’s great when we see signs of that paying off!
We’ve been pressing for 2 improvements to the Crofting & Scottish Land Court Bill, which will move access cases from Sheriff Courts to the Scottish Land Court.
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Love seeing your walks, Louise! You're getting out on some great adventures.
Welcome Chris!
Picture of historic university building under a blue sky
Great day for the @ramblersscotland.bsky.social AGM in Edinburgh - as usual we'll be spending a lot more time chatting, listening to great speakers, celebrating our work & of course walking, than we will on formal business
A person in a blue jacket and gray beanie takes a selfie on a grassy hilltop. The background reveals a scenic view of a loch with islands and rolling hills under a partly cloudy sky.
📢 Award-winning outdoors content creator Chris Lawlor is our new President!
Chris hopes to urge a new generation to enjoy responsible days out: “I want everyone - including visitors, businesses & local communities - to benefit from Scotland's amazing landscapes & world-class outdoor access rights."
Our Scottish Walking Starter Pack seems to have been proving really popular... 🥾
It's almost full, but who have we missed?!
(Raising your own hand is fine.) 🙋♀️
Thanks Zahrah!!
Our President, Zahrah Mahmood, is stepping down after the maximum 3 years in the role. She's had a huge impact:
🥾 Walking with members, volunteers & Community Champions
🏆 Judging for Britain’s Favourite Path competition
🎖️ Gaining an MBE
🗺️ Breaking down barriers to walking
Thank you, Zahrah! 👏🏽
There are other ways in to Lochnagar, including a scenic route from the north, but yes - this will no doubt have a big impact for many walkers for the foreseeable. Such a shame!
A wooden bridge, deeply incut and damaged by flooding on one side.
☹️ Bad news: Recent flood damage has shut the road bridge into Spittal of Glen Muick car park - including to walkers.
It's a popular starting point for walks at Glen Muick, plus Lochnagar and other Munros on that side of the Cairngorms.
@cairngormsnews.bsky.social @walkhighlands.co.uk
A group of walkers taking a break in a winter woodland
Erraid Woods in the Pentlands with the Edinburgh group of @ramblersscotland.bsky.social
The final visitors to our joint Ramblers @scotways.com stall at #ScotLab26 to promote the outdoor organisations’ manifesto and the Scottish Paths Fund: for health, local business and social justice. We welcome discussions with all parties in May’s election.
