Mar Lodge Estate 29,340 hectares Woodland Moorland Moorland Montane Montane River River NNR SSSI NSA SPA National Park

Mar Lodge Estate Caledonian Forest Pinewood Area 836 Hectare 836 Hectare Regeneration Zone 2,300 Hectare 2,300 Hectare

Cultural Landscape

Wild Landscape “Wild land in Scotland is relatively remote and inaccessible, not noticeably affected by contemporary human activity, and offers high quality opportunities to escape from the pressures of everyday living and to find physical and spiritual refreshment”

Mar Lodge Estate Indicators of Wild Land Quality Enhancers: Size and scale of landscape Roughness of terrain Sense of remoteness Peacefulness, quietness Seemingly natural environment Evokes emotional experience Absence of contemporary human activity or development Physically demanding – sense of achievement Scenic grandeur

Mar Lodge Estate Indicators of Wild Land Quality Detractors: Recent signs of human activity Presence of crowds or group activity Unsympathetic recreation activities Man made noise Facilities to make recreation easier or safer Ecological imbalance Visual intrusions – pylons, fences Mechanical transport & their tracks

Mar Lodge Estate Impact on Tourism and Recreation Estimated expenditure:£m/pa Mountaineering (Highland area 1995)157.9 Sport shooting (Scotland)35.0 Grouse shooting (Scotland) – ‘Hillwalking generates £400 million for the Scottish economy annually.’ (Source – Mountaineering Council of Scotland)

Mar Lodge Estate Path and Track Restoration Mar Lodge Estate Expenditure 1996 – 2001 Path Repair £227,727 Track Restoration £237,633 Proposed capital spend > £1,372,377

Beinn a’ Bhuird: trial track removal 1998, altitude 800m – conversion to footpath

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal 2000, hand working

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal 2000, manual placing of divots

Beinn a’ Bhuird: trial track removal 1998, manual reconstruction of scree

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal 2000, digger used for subsequent work

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal 2000, re-profiling

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal, removed zig-zag track in distance after 5 years; repaired footpath in foreground (2005)

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal, removed track after 5 years (2005)

Beinn a’ Bhuird: track removal, removed track after 5 years (2005)

Track removal below Beinn a’Bhuird, altitude 600m – 27 km of track removed/converted to footpaths out of 72 km total since 1997 – most of remaining tracks deemed essential for estate use for the time-being – 61 km of footpath repaired out of 210 km total length of footpaths – ‘light touch’ approach – in 3 years time, footpath capital works will be complete; thereafter maintenance only – funding??