Seil Chat

Just had a look at the above on the council website. Is it just me (being grumpy as usual!) or is this not a big waste of time?

I have walked extensively throughout Argyll, and other parts of Scotland, and have never once had any problems with access, and routefinding has usually just been a case of looking at a map and/or asking a local for advice, and getting out and on with it. Part of the pleasure and fun of walking in Scotland is the traditional freedom of access and the lack of designated 'routes' that one feels one must stick to.

Maybe other folk have different experiences, but I smell another central government/SNH dicatat that will soon see £20k p.a., taxpayer funded, 'Core Path Executive Facilitators' all over the country sticking green posts into the ground to tell us where we can/can't go. Oh dear....

yes, another wee gem from SNH land, allegedly Ben Lomond is not meeting its environmental targets (whatever that means),one wonders if Ben Lomond sitting in the middle of a National Park isn't being "protected" by the SNH what the hell are they there for. Ooh giving middle class girls something to do before they have baby's, yes thats it.

elephantseal wrote:Just had a look at the above on the council website. Is it just me (being grumpy as usual!) or is this not a big waste of time?

I have walked extensively throughout Argyll, and other parts of Scotland, and have never once had any problems with access, and routefinding has usually just been a case of looking at a map and/or asking a local for advice, and getting out and on with it. Part of the pleasure and fun of walking in Scotland is the traditional freedom of access and the lack of designated 'routes' that one feels one must stick to.

Maybe other folk have different experiences, but I smell another central government/SNH dicatat that will soon see £20k p.a., taxpayer funded, 'Core Path Executive Facilitators' all over the country sticking green posts into the ground to tell us where we can/can't go. Oh dear....

I agree that the freedom of access is important, but paths are too. I used to resent walking on 'designated' routes, until someone explained that it helps to minimise erosion and protects the local flora etc.

Course, it depends on how many people are walking in a certain place.
And beauraucracy is always irritating...

I think it's great to get people out and about, enjoying all that Scotland's countryside has to offer. My worry with this is that Scotland seems to be trying to 'catch up' with the system down south where there are designated paths/bridleways etc that are ultimately marked down on Ordnance Survey maps as rights of way.

This is all fair and well, but I don't recall access ever being a problem in Scotland (when exercised responsibly). The mapping out of paths around and about is fine, but why is this necessary when the key routes are already signed by the Scottish Right of Way Society?

I understand why people hate being told where to walk, but I believe that in many popular areas designated and/or constructed paths are the only way to preserve the environment.

Here in the Canaries there is a huge network of excellent footpaths on all the islands. Many of them follow old roads and donkey tracks which have been 'made' - often cut out of near vertical rock, frequently paved with flat rocks. Other paths are newer, but all are maintained and repaired and notices everywhere warn that straying off the paths will cause erosion and environmental damage - which is true.

Look at the path up Stac Polly as an example - last time I was up there it had degenerated into a sprawling network of parallel tracks as people wandered further off the path to avoid the mud. Now I believe it has been reinforced with rock and people can stay on the path and allow the hillside to recover.

There will always be wild non-waymarked places for the few of us who are fortunate enough to live in the countryside to walk, but busy paths need to be protected.

All IMHO of course

More pertinent to Seil, why has no-one done anything about the gentleman at Cuan who has (completely illegally) fenced off the foreshore thus preventing folk walking round the shore to Ballachuan?

- Nick

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be able to walk or stagger home from the T&T to Ellenabeich or Cuan and all points in between safely? we certainly CAN'T at the moment. Isn't this what we should be thinking about instead of the predictable knee-jerk reactions about freedom to roam etc?

>More pertinent to Seil, why has no-one done anything about the gentleman at Cuan who has (completely illegally) fenced off the foreshore thus preventing folk walking round the shore to Ballachuan? <


Yes, and about the gentleman who has fenced off Dunearn. ( I tried btw)
Some fence! Pointed stakes and double barbed wire! Stalag Dunearn!

NickB wrote:
More pertinent to Seil, why has no-one done anything about the gentleman at Cuan who has (completely illegally) fenced off the foreshore thus preventing folk walking round the shore to Ballachuan?

Anyone wanting to challenge this kind of blocking should contact the Access officers at Argyll & Bute Council
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<http://www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/content/p ... 164303&a=0>
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where there is also a lot of information about the rights and responsibilities of the public access legislation. I'm sure they would be very interested in any cases of genuine public access being restricted.

The other option (my favoured, non subtle method) is to commandeer a JCB and remove the fence at speed

If bugfreik wants to walk from Miranda's to Easdale without worrying about cars he shouild follow the original road over the hills which is still discernible and passable. It swings behind the TnT initially on the course of the public footpath. The road to Balvicar from the TnT was only built in 1910.
The owner of Dunearn has a perfect right to fence it off. As an historic site it needs protecting anyway. A much better preserved Dun will be seen on the ridge overlooking Patrick's oyster shed if you follow the old road mentioned above.......a sword and a bar of gold were found in the stonework when it was excavated in victorian times.
As for the Cuan fence.......gerorff my land!

>If bugfreik wants to walk from Miranda's to Easdale without worrying about cars he shouild follow the original road over the hills which is still discernible and passable. It swings behind the TnT initially on the course of the public footpath. The road to Balvicar from the TnT was only built in 1910<

I can't remember that far back
I've done that walk several times. It's not as easy as you seem to think from the Ardencaple road West. But reopened properly as a 'core path' it's a GREAT idea.
Unless we have more of the 'GERROFFMYLAND' brigade involved!
BTW if I took that attitude I could inconvenience a lot of people.
I prefer being friendly.

>The owner of Dunearn has a perfect right to fence it off. As an historic site it needs protecting anyway.<

Protect it from what for heaven's sake??? Invading Picts?
Ah! maybe it's the dreaded Sassenachs.....!
If it's Vikings, then surely he should have the sharpened stakes and double row of barb along the shore side!

Roll on a viking invasion, the Norwegians would soon get our roads/ferrys/bridges/tunnels/goverment/transport and fisheries sorted!!

MMM I wonder what its like to live in a proper small country........

>I wonder what its like to live in a proper small country........<

Who knows, after the 3rd of May we may even find out!
Think o' a' the soor faces....

That would be an interesting proposition, trying to convince the fat greasy central belt of Scotland will be a bit of a job....although you would think after 40 odd years of Labour led local government they would wake up and give the Labour "jobs for the boys" a good kicking. Anyway we can only live in hope.

Not a bad idea! On the plus side we'd get decent affordable housing, the old folks would maybe get the free personal care that was promised (oops - we've spent the money) and fuel prices would go down!

Would this mean that mean C John Taylor's shop would have to give up selling CU Jimmy hats in favour of horny helmets?

SKOL SKOL SKOL SKOL SKOL SKOL SKOL SKOL

'Spam' helmets - what's this? Is my freedom of speech being compromised??

What's the world coming to when you can say horned helmets with a 'y' Mr Webmaster????

Spam helmet is so much more evocative (if somewhat less weatherproof and possibly unpleasant in hot weather). However, to soothe your sensibilities I have altered the automatic censorship function (intended to discourage the spammers) to permit the word "horny". Please, I implore you, use this new-found freedom with dignity and restraint.

>trying to convince the fat greasy central belt of Scotland will be a bit of a job....<


We live in hope that one day the 'labouring' masses will wake up to realise there's more to Scottish culture than Rab C. , greasy pies and fitba.
I wonder if the Vikings would pass us by and head for richer pickings ...like Ireland!
We're straying off the core paths a bit......