Background
Scotland’s areas of wildland are heavily shaped by landuse practices over the past centuries and it could be said that no true wilderness remains in the UK. However, we wish to protect the wild qualities of the uplands from degradation through man-made intrusions in inappropriate places, so that they retain as natural a feel to them as possible.
There is no wish to preserve Scotland’s landscape exactly as it is today, as the countryside is a dynamic and ever-changing setting for the lives we live. Yet intrusions from pylons, wind turbines, mobile phone masts, and bulldozed tracks can impact on our experience of the outdoors in a world where it can be difficult to find an alternative to the urban areas where the majority of us live.
Current situation
Some historic and cultural man-made constructions are of intrinsic value to the landscape, and can enhance the quality of our outdoor experience too . These may include Trig points, shielings, bothies, bridges and ruined limekilns, as well as old cairns, monuments and boundary markers.
However, we have become aware of a growing number of new cairns appearing in upland areas, that serve no clear purpose, and also of a trend for memorials to be placed in mountain areas, often in remembrance of a family member or friend who has died. These constructions can detract from the wild quality of the landscape and we have a number of concerns regarding their use which are discussed below.
Cairns
Cairns may be used to mark the summit of a hill, an ancient burial site or as a navigation aid across plateaux, and we have no wish to see historic cairns removed. Nevertheless, we believe there should be a general presumption against new cairns being built randomly, and we discourage any walkers from adding to existing cairns.
In difficult conditions, it can be too easy to depend on a line of cairns for navigation rather than using a compass and map, or GPS, and observation of the terrain.Cairns and paths do not always go to the destination they appear to lead to, and walkers may find themselves inadvertently taking the wrong route by simply following the cairns. Even in good weather, a reliance on following cairns can lead to a missed opportunity to learn map-reading skills and reading the terrain to find the most appropriate route.
It is also not unknown for path builders to find that a pile of stones previously deposited on a hillside for their use has disappeared, ending up dispersed by walkers among surrounding cairns.
Memorials
We have sympathy with the bereaved relatives and friends who may wish to commemorate the life of their loved ones, but we do not condone the construction of a memorial, plaque or other artefact unless in designated memorial garden areas. As the deceased may have taken great pleasure in the landscape, we believe that other people enjoying the outdoors do not wish to have the quality of their experience spoiled by a man-made memorial on a mountain top or ridge, which detracts from the wildness of the landscape. We would suggest that such commemorations should take the form of, for example, the planting of a tree, or contribution to a fund which invests in work to enhance the protection of the countryside, perhaps by path building maintenance. We support those land managers who are removing such memorials, or transferring them to designated areas for remembrance.
Scattering of ashes
When choosing a place to scatter ashes in the mountains, people should bear in mind that popular mountain tops, such as Ben Nevis, may be regularly chosen by relatives and repeated scatterings of ash can lead to ecological changes in the vegetation in that area. We suggest this can be avoided by choosing another place on the mountain, such as a point lower down the mountain or away from the summit and any paths. You might also choose to bury rather than scatter the ashes as this may have less of an impact on the area.
