THE GREAT TRAILS CLEAN-UP
Volunteers in major assault on litter along Scotland’s Great Trails
THE independent charity, Keep Scotland Beautiful, is leading a national assault on litter along Scotland’s Great Trails, as part of co-ordinated action on the longest day of the year.
The action is a key part of Clean Up Scotland – a mass-engagement campaign run by the Keep Scotland Beautiful charity to remove litter and mess and prepare our country for its place in the international spotlight in 2014.
The Great Trail clean-up is backed by SNH, Visit Scotland, Cycling Scotland, Paths for All, Sustrans, Scottish Canals and the great trail managers.
Litter picks are taking place during the 24-hour period starting noon today (Friday), with more planned for the period following the longest day.
The charity is providing back-up and support to volunteers who are stepping forward to take action on each of Scotland’s 26 Great Trails.
New volunteers can register to take part on the charity’s website, www.cleanupscotland.com.
Examples of confirmed clean-ups are:
- Hillside School, Aberdour, and Floral Action Burntisland will be cleaning up sections of the Fife Coastal Path;
- Keep Bonnybridge Bonny will be litter picking on the Forth Clyde Canal towpath; and
- Keep Scotland Beautiful staff will be joining Glasgow Community Safety Services on a section of the Clyde Walkway.
There will also be litter picking activity in conjunction with other key events on the following Great Trails: Berwickshire Coastal Path, Borders Abbey Way, Cateran Trail, Dava Way, Great Glen Canoe Trail, John Muir Way, Kintyre Way, Rob Roy Way, St Cuthbert’s Way, West Highland Way, and the West Island Way.
Derek Robertson, chief executive of Keep Scotland Beautiful, said:
“Scotland’s Great Trails are amongst the jewels in the crown of Scotland’s tourism industry, yet we all know that they could be even better if they were less affected by litter and mess.
“In this, the Year of Natural Scotland, there is no better time for our footpaths to look their very best, and our marathon litter pick will make a real and tangible difference.
“As usual, we have been supported by some fantastic volunteers who have stepped forward, determined to be part of this exciting initiative.
“But everyone can play their part, and Keep Scotland Beautiful is calling everyone – walkers, canoeists, cyclists and runners – using the routes on the longest day to not only ‘carry it in, carry it out’ but to go one step further and pick up a piece of litter and take it home or bin it appropriately.”
Mike Cantlay, chair of VisitScotland, said:
“Scotland’s natural environment is the number one reason why people visit Scotland, so it’s particularly apt that – in the Year of Natural Scotland – Keep Scotland Beautiful should mount the Clean Up Scotland campaign.
“I hope that the valuable work of the volunteers on Scotland’s Great Trails will inspire even more people to be proud of our natural landscapes especially as we prepare to welcome the world in 2014.”
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
- Keep Scotland Beautiful is the independent charity which campaigns, acts and educates on a range of local, national and global environmental issues which affect people’s quality of life. It is committed to making Scotland clean and green, today and tomorrow. More information at www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org
- Clean Up Scotland aims to involve one million people in making Scotland shine. In the short-term, it aims to encourage people to participate in local clean ups to remove the litter and mess that blights our landscape. It is also asking people to sign a pledge agreeing to responsible every-day behaviour. In the longer-term, it aims to change behaviour through a public information campaign so that littering becomes as socially unacceptable in future as drink-driving is today. More information can be found at www.cleanupscotland.com, and the pledge can be signed at www.cleanupscotland.com/pledge
- More information about the Year of Natural Scotland can be found at http://www.visitscotland.com/about/nature-geography/year-of-natural-scotland/
- Full details on Scotland’s long distance footpaths can be found at http://www.scotlandsgreattrails.org.uk/.
- For media enquiries relating to Keep Scotland Beautiful or the national Clean Up Scotland Campaign, please contact Peter Duncan on 07740 469949 or Andy Maciver on 07855 261244, or email info@messagematters.co.uk
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Contact: Peter Duncan
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