New Atholl Walking Trails

The ranger service has been hard at work installing new set of waymarked trails around Blair Atholl and the surrounding area. The way markers are now all in place for visitors and locals alike to explore the trails but the work wouldn't have been possible without the hard work of volunteers and input from the Cairngorms National Park Authority and local Tourism Association.

Three of the trails start from the Blair Atholl Information Centre, located on the main road beside the River Tilt, and two more begin from Struan, to the north. A sixth trail uses the existing trails around the Falls of Bruar, starting from the House of Bruar.

Copies of the accompanying Atholl Trails booklet, guiding you around the walks, are available in the Blair Atholl Information CentreYou can view a printable version of the Atholl Trails booklet, guiding you around the new walks printed copies are available in the Blair Atholl Information Centre. You can also view a printable version of our own Waymarked Trails from Blair Atholl online.

Waymarked Trails on Atholl Estates

Click on the pictures of the trails booklets below to view printable online versions of the publications.

Waymarked Trails from Blair Atholl (published by Atholl Estates)
http://goo.gl/iUIJB

Atholl Trails (published by the Cairngorms National Park Authority)
http://goo.gl/tS2sZ

Countryside Trails Dunkeld (published by Atholl Estates):
http://goo.gl/x2a5v

Cycle Routes from Blair Atholl

(published by Atholl Estates)

This booklet is not currently available as an online document but several 

downloadable route cards are available by following the links below:

The River Tay at Dunkeld and Birnam

Atholl Woods and Loch Ordie

The Banvie Circuit

The Falls of Bruar from Blair Castle

Glen Tilt

Killiechangie, by Logierait

Opening Ceremony - Blair Atholl Information Centre

Today was the official opening ceremony for the newly refurbished Blair Atholl Information Centre. John Swinney, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable  and MSP for Perthshire North, came to cut the ribbon. There were also members of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, Perth and Kinross Council, Atholl Estates and the Blair Atholl Area Tourism Association, as well as representatives from local businesses, all present.

School children from Blair Atholl School came along too.They took part in some activities inside the Centre and were involved in a key role in the ribbon-cutting ceremony - holding the ribbon!

Most importantly there was a fantastic cake, supplied by the thoughtful staff at the Cairngorms National Park Authority. Today was a double celebration, not just opening our new Information Centre, but also that this year marks the 10th Anniversary of the establishment of the Cairngorms National Park. After thorough testing, everyone seemed keen to agree that it was very tasty!

The Cake! Kindly supplied by the Cairngorms National Park Authority, marking
the opening of the Information Centre and 10th Anniversary of the National Park

Many thanks to everyone who came out to make today special. Perhaps also, even bigger thanks to everyone who has been involved 'behind the scenes' to enable this great new facility transition from idle daydream to happy reality.

If you're passing near Blair Atholl, call in for a peek around, and perhaps a chat with one of the Rangers on duty!

Thinking of Winter Sunshine

The outlook for today and the next while may be dull and grey today but Beinn A' Ghlo was looking rather splendid in the sunshine on Monday last week as we carried out our monthly wetland bird survey for the BTO. Considering that over three quarters of the water surface was covered in ice, it was fairly busy out on Loch Moraig: lots of Mallard and Goldeneye, several Tufted Ducks, a small flock of Whooper Swans and a Grey Herron standing still and fishing from the banks.

Beinn A' Ghlo looking good, snow capped in the sunshine

Cairngorms Ranger Gathering 2013

On Wednesday and Thursday of this week we were at the Cairngorms National Park Ranger Gathering. This annual event run by the National Park Authority is a great opportunity for all of the rangers in the National Park to get together and share our ideas and experience and be updated on news and projects happening within the park. All the ranger services in the National Park are operated by individual organisations, rather than being employed directly by the Park Authority, so this is a really valuable way for us to learn more about what each other do and to forge better links to work together as a team. Hopefully everyone came away feeling inspired and full of enthusiasm to pass on to the public.

Thank you to all the National Park Authority staff who organised the gathering, both up-front and behind the scenes, and also to the speakers and workshop leaders who attended.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for a ranger and say hello next time you visit the Cairngorms!

Some of the Cairngorms Rangers making their way to the top of a snowy
Meall a' Bhuachaille. You can make out the Cairngorm plateau in the distance.
It wasn't all getting out and visiting sites though, there were plenty of presentations
and serious discussion too - they just don't make such good photos!

Junior Rangers

The Cairngorms National Park rangers run Junior Ranger groups for teenagers who want to help out with wildlife and conservation. Last week a group from the Bayerwischer Wald National Park in Germany joined some of our Scottish Junior Rangers for a week of fun and helping out in the northern Cairngorms. We helped out with the group on their final day.

Many of the Scottish youngsters went to the Bayerischer Wald last year for a visit. This year other Cairngorms Junior Rangers have been on a visit to Slovenia for a week.

We hope to set a Junior Ranger group for interested teenagers in Highland Perthshire soon.

My National Park Adventure Writing Competition

To help celebrate National Parks Week, 15 members of the UK's National Parks family and brand partner Merrell, outdoor gear specialist, are teaming up to launch the My National Park Adventure competition for young people. Would-be travel bloggers are being urged to write a piece of 500 words or less about their National Park adventures this summer.

Remember that adventure is what you make it! We want to see young people making the most of their National Parks - so check out the range of National Park events on our website and tell them about your adventures!

Aspiring litterateurs (that's a posh word for 'writer' – we had to look it up) can enter the competition via the UK National Parks website: www.nationalparks.gov.uk/mynationalparkadventure

Entrants will need the permission of a parent or legal guardian.

There are two categories for entries: Authors of 11 years old and under / Authors aged 12-16 years old (inclusive). 

One winner will be chosen from each category, and he or she will walk away with brand new top-quality footwear provided by Merrell. So, get writing!

Stories must be submitted by 12 noon Friday, 7 September 2012, and must take place in one of the 15 Members of the UK National Park Family: Brecon Beacons, the Broads, Cairngorms, Dartmoor, Exmoor, Lake District, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, New Forest, Northumberland, North York Moors, Peak District, Pembrokeshire Coast, Snowdonia, South Downs and Yorkshire Dales.

Full details of the competition, as well as terms and conditions, can be found at: www.nationalparks.gov.uk/mynationalparkadventure