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Way back I mentioned that my daughter, Heather, and I went to Scotland in late August of 2012. One of the most intriguing customs in Scotland is the idea of "public rights of way" hiking. Public rights of way are open to everyone. They can be roads, paths or tracks, and can run through towns, countryside or private property.
trail near Inverness
In Scotland, a right of way:
There are fences, but stiles work well to take one over them and as long as the "walker" is respectful and a good steward to the property - think "Leave no Trace" - no one thinks a thing of cutting through a field or estate to get from one place to another.
stile on Isle of Skye
Of course, there are plenty of marked trails on public property as well. Still it was nice not to see "Private Property-No Trespassing" everywhere we went! There was even a fishing hole that having been used for years(maybe centuries) and despite being on a very beautiful estate had access given and a bench to sit on as well. I don't think it will ever catch on in America, but it is an intriguing way of looking at the activity.
Heather hillwalking
Lu Blanchard is semi-retired and spends free time with family, reading, dancing, singing and enjoying outdoor activities.
Dianna Morris lives in Marcy and fell in love with the woods as a young girl. She finished climbing the Adk 46 high peaks in August 2012, and is now working on finishing the Northeast 111 - climbing the mountains over 4000 ft in NY, NH, VT, and ME.
Harold Pier taught chemistry at Utica College for 40 years and was an avid biker, hiker and skiier after retiring in 2000. He contributed to this blog from its inception in March 2012 until his death in October 2012.
