’Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet’ Thich Nhat Hanh Peace is every step
Scotland’s large and sparsely populated countryside is the closest you can get to true wilderness anywhere in Britain. Visitors have come in large numbers for over a century to sample the healing balm that comes from walking in these less touched places and as the world gets increasingly faster, more polluted and urbanized there is an even greater need for wild country where you can go for re-creation in the true sense of the word.
Inevitably this too brings its problems. As more and more people enjoy the freedom of the hills so the land comes under increasing pressure and the potential for conflict with other land-users is heightened. Everyone has a right to this natural heritage but with it comes a responsibility to care for it too.
By following some simple guidelines while walking the West Highland Way you can have a positive impact, not just on your own well-being but also on local communities and the environment, thereby becoming part of the solution.
ECONOMIC IMPACT
Rural businesses and communities in Britain have been hit hard in recent years by a seemingly endless series of crises. The countryside through which the West Highland Way passes is no exception and there is a lot that the walker can do to help. Playing your part today involves much more than simply closing the gate and not dropping litter; the new watchword is ‘local’ and with it comes huge social, environmental and psychological benefits.
Buy local
Look and ask for local produce to buy and eat. Not only does this cut down on the amount of pollution and congestion that the transportation of food creates, so-called ‘food miles’, but also ensures that you are supporting local farmers and producers; the very people who have moulded the countryside you have come to see and who are in the best position to protect it. If you can find local food which is also organic so much the better.
Support local businesses
If you spend £1 in a local business 80p of that pound stays within the local economy where it can be spent again and again to do the most good for that community and landscape. If, on the other hand, you spend your money in a branch of a national or multinational chain store, restaurant or hotel the situation is reversed; only 20% (mainly the staff wages) stays within the local economy and the other 80% is effectively lost to that community as it’s siphoned off to pay for goods, transport and profit. The more money that circulates locally and is spent on local labour and materials the more power the community has to effect the change it wants to see; a world of difference from the corporatism of the countryside which we are currently witnessing.
Encourage local cultural traditions and skills
No part of the countryside looks the same. Buildings, food, skills and language evolve out of the landscape and are moulded over hundreds of years to suit the locality. Discovering these cultural differences is part of the pleasure of walking in new places. Visitors’ enthusiasm for local traditions and skills brings awareness and pride, nurturing a sense of place; an increasingly important role in a world where economic globalization continues to undermine the very things that provide security and a feeling of belonging.
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
By choosing a walking holiday you have already made a positive step towards minimizing your impact on the wider environment. By following these suggestions you can also tread lightly along the West Highland Way.
Use public transport whenever possible
Traffic congestion in the Highlands during peak holiday times is becoming more and more of a nightmare. Conversely public transport to and along the West Highland Way is excellent and the more people who use it the better the services will become. This not only benefits visitors but also local people and the environment.
Never leave litter
Leaving litter shows a total disrespect for the natural world and others coming after you. As well as being unsightly litter kills wildlife, pollutes the environment and can be dangerous to farm animals. Please carry a plastic bag so you can dispose of your rubbish in a bin in the next village. It would be very helpful if you could pick up litter left by other people too.
Is it OK if it’s biodegradable? Not really. Apple cores, banana skins, orange peel and the like are unsightly, encourage flies, ants and wasps and ruin a picnic spot for others. In high-use areas such as the West Highland Way it isn’t appropriate to leave them behind.
The lasting impact of litter A piece of orange peel left on the ground takes six months to decompose; silver foil 18 months; a plastic bag 10 years; clothes 15 years; and an aluminium drinks can 85 years.
Erosion
Stay on the main trail The effect of your footsteps may seem minuscule but when they are multiplied by several thousand walkers each year they become rather more significant. Avoid taking shortcuts, widening the trail or creating more than one path; your boots will be followed by many others.
Consider walking out of season Maximum disturbance by walkers coincides with the time of year when nature wants to do most of its growth and repair. In high-use areas, like that along much of the Way, the trail never recovers. Walking at less busy times eases this pressure while also generating year-round income for the local economy. Not only that, but it may make the walk a more relaxing experience for you as there are fewer people on the path and there’s less competition for accommodation.
Respect all wildlife
Care for all wildlife you come across on the Way; it has just as much of a right to be there as you. Tempting as it may be to pick wild flowers leave them so the next people who pass can enjoy them too. Don’t break branches off or damage trees in any way.
If you come across wildlife keep your distance and don’t watch for too long. Your presence can cause considerable stress particularly if the adults are with young or in winter when the weather is harsh and food scarce. Young animals are rarely abandoned. If you come across deer calves or young birds keep away so that their mother can return.
Outdoor toiletry
‘Going’ in the outdoors is a lost art worth reclaiming, for your sake and everyone else’s. As more and more people discover the joys of the outdoors this is becoming an important issue. In some parts of the world where visitor pressure is higher than in Britain walkers and climbers are required to pack out their excrement. This could soon be necessary here. Human excrement is not only offensive to our senses but, more importantly, can infect water sources.
Where to go Wherever possible use a toilet. Public toilets are marked on the trail maps in this guide and you will also find facilities in pubs, cafés and campsites. The West Highland Way is not a wilderness area and the thousands of walkers using it each year mean you need to be as sensitive as possible.
If you do have to go outdoors choose a site at least 30 metres away from running water and 200 metres away from high-use areas such as huts and bothies. Carry a small trowel and dig a hole about 15cm (6”) deep to bury your excrement in. It decomposes quicker when in contact with the top layer of soil or leaf mould. Use a stick to stir loose soil into your deposit as well as this speeds up decomposition even more. Do not squash it under rocks as this slows down the composting process. If you have to use rocks to hide it make sure they are not in contact with your faeces.
Toilet paper and sanitary towels Toilet paper takes a long time to decompose whether buried or not. It is easily dug up by animals and can then blow into water sources or onto the trail. The best method for dealing with it is to pack it out. Put the used paper inside a paper bag which you place inside a plastic bag (or two). Then simply empty the contents of the paper bag at the next toilet you come across and throw the bag away. You should also pack out tampons and sanitary towels in a similar way; they take years to decompose and may be dug up and scattered about by animals.
Wild camping
Along the West Highland Way there are a number of informal sites where you are allowed to camp wild. There is deep, lasting pleasure to be gained from living outdoors close to nature but all too often people ruin that enjoyment for those who come after them. Camping without any facilities provides a valuable lesson in simple, sustainable living where the results of all your actions, from going to the loo to washing your plates in a stream, can be seen. Follow these suggestions for minimizing your impact and encourage others to do likewise.
Be discreet Camp alone or in small groups, spend only one night in each place and pitch your tent late and move off early.
Never light a fire The deep burn caused by camp fires, no matter how small, seriously damages the turf and can take years to recover. Cook on a camp stove instead. Be aware that accidental fire is a great fear for farmers and foresters; take matches and cigarette butts out with you to dispose of safely.
Don’t use soap or detergent There is no need to use soap; even biodegradable soaps and detergents pollute streams and lochs. You won’t be away from a shower for more than a couple of days. Wash up without detergent; use a plastic or metal scourer, or failing that, a handful of fine pebbles from the stream or some bracken or grass.
Leave no trace Enjoy the skill of moving on without leaving any sign of having been there: no moved boulders, ripped up vegetation or dug drainage ditches. Make a final check of your campsite before heading off; pick up any litter that you or anyone else has left, so leaving it in at least as good a state as you found it, if not better.
ACCESS
The West Highland Way, as a designated ‘Long Distance Footpath’, is a right of way with open access to the public. Access laws in Scotland were for many years different from those in England and Wales largely due to an uneasy tradition of ‘freedom to roam’ going back many centuries. This freedom to roam was, until recently, little more than a moral right rather than a legal one. This has now changed with the long-awaited right to access legislation that came into effect in 2005. The law now states that there is a right of access to land that is considered, among other designations, moorland and mountain.
Walkers need to be aware of the wider access situation, especially if planning to leave the Way to explore some of the remoter country around it. In the past there has been some conflict between the interests of large sporting estates and walkers. The new access legislation relies on an attitude of co-operation between landowners and those wishing to use the land for peaceful recreation. Hillwalkers therefore have a responsibility to be considerate to those using the land for other purposes such as farming, forestry and field sports. This means following the Countryside Code (Be safe - plan ahead and follow any signs; Leave gates and property as you find them; Protect plants and animals and take your litter home; Keep dogs under close control; Consider other people) and respecting the lambing and deer-stalking seasons.
Other points to consider on the West Highland Way
To avoid damaging crops stick to the waymarked path whenever you are crossing arable or pasture land.
All along the Way there are stiles and kissing gates through boundaries. If you have to climb over a gate which you can’t open, always do so at the hinged end.
If you travel by car drive with care and reduced speed on country roads. Park your car with consideration for others’ needs; never block a gateway. Walkers should take special care on country roads. Cars travel dangerously fast on narrow winding lanes. To be safe, walk facing the oncoming traffic and carry a torch or wear highly visible clothing when it’s getting dark.
Make no unnecessary noise. Enjoy the peace and solitude of the outdoors by staying in small groups and acting unobtrusively. Avoid noisy and disruptive behaviour which might annoy residents and other visitors and frighten farm animals and wildlife.
Lambing
This takes place from mid-March to mid-May and is a critical economic time for the hard-pressed hill farmers. Please do not interfere with livestock farming in any way. If a ewe or lamb seems to be in distress contact the nearest farmer. Dogs should be kept off land where sheep are grazing throughout this season so that the pregnant ewes are not disturbed.
Deer-stalking
Large areas of the Highlands have been actively managed for deer shooting, or stalking as it is known, since the 19th century when it became fashionable for the aristocracy and the newly rich industrialists to partake in all forms of field sports. Little has changed today except that the wealthy now come from all over the world and contribute £30 million to the Highland economy every year providing much-needed income for many estates. Stalking is partly responsible for the deer population spiralling out of control, doubling in number since the early 1960s, which has ironically enabled stalkers to play a more legitimate role in culling the deer. As red deer have no natural predators this is a necessary activity. In addition, no matter what one’s ethical stance on the sport may be, while our outdated laws and methods of land ownership remain as they are, alternative means for estates to generate an income, such as conifer plantations, ski developments and the like, would be far worse for both walkers and the environment.
Access restrictions during the deer-culling seasons should therefore be respected when walking on land owned by sporting estates and you should try to cause the minimum of disturbance. Stags are culled between July 1st and October 20th, hinds are culled between October 21st and February 15th. Details of access restrictions are usually posted on signs in the vicinity of stalking activities. You can also enquire in advance at the nearest tourist information centre or look up a contact in either Heading for the Scottish Hills or Hillphones; both booklets are widely available.
Lambing
This takes place from mid-March to mid-May and is a critical economic time for the hard-pressed hill farmers. Please do not interfere with livestock farming in any way. If a ewe or lamb seems to be in distress contact the nearest farmer. See also p22.
Dogs should be kept off land where sheep are grazing throughout this season so that the pregnant ewes are not disturbed.
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