ScotWays was 175 years old in 2020 and whilst a variety of activities were planned throughout the year, including walks to significant locations in the history of public access in Scotland, the CoVID-19 pandemic forced changes.  Social media posts and a virtual challenge replaced the planned activities.  You can download a copy of our 175th-anniversary leaflet.

The 175th Anniversary Challenge #

To celebrate our 175th Anniversary within the confines of the coronavirus pandemic, we created a virtual celebratory journey, following in the footsteps of some of our early members as they installed the first signposts along routes in the Cairngorms in July 1885. Not only did the trip confirm these routes as public rights of way, but it also lead to court action to assert the right of way through Glen Doll!

The original journey started on a Saturday in July and lasted seven days, but we allowed 86 days to complete the route, virtually! Along the way, you could find out what the deputation did on each of those days and learn about the history and heritage of the countryside they travelled through.

Listen to James Naughtie as he introduces you to the Challenge

Listen to an account of the original expedition. 

Daily accounts of the trip were written by one of the participants, Walter Smith, on the 1885 expedition and you could listen to his first-hand accounts read by broadcaster Jim Naughtie.  You can still listen to them now on A Signposting Tour of the Cairngorms.