Highland pupils enjoy Great Glen by boot, boat and bike
To celebrate the completion of a £200,000 public access and interpretation project, 127 school children, from ten schools within the Great Glen are taking part in some of the Glen’s most popular outdoor activities.
Hosted by the Great Glen Ways Initiative, the schools’ event takes place over three days (Tuesday 11th to Thursday 13th March), with activities at Dochgarroch, Gairlochy and Clunes.
Annette Simpson, British Waterways’ Education and Interpretation Manager said: “Environmental and outdoor education works best when all those with adjoining lands and interests work as a partnership. British Waterways has greatly valued the links it has built up with Highland Council, Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland through the Great Glen Ways project – and local children will be reaping the rewards of that strong partnership for many years to come.”
Councillor Bill Fernie, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee said: “The Great Glen Ways Initiative is offering a large number of school children a fabulous opportunity to experience their local environment. Taking the Initiative to our primary schools is taking it to the heart of our communities. Not only will the events encourage active lifestyles and nurture healthy living, they will also celebrate our rich local heritage and enable the children to better understand their surroundings.“
The Great Glen Ways project incorporates not only the Great Glen Way, but also the Great Glen Mountain Bike Trails and the Caledonian Canal. In keeping with this theme, the children will be given the opportunity to take part in the three Great Glen Ways: boating, mountain biking and walking.
Also present will be Great Glen Way Rangers and British Waterways staff as costumed characters who will entertain the children with information and stories about many aspects of the Glen, both past and present. They will cover history, archaeology and folklore; wildlife and forest management; natural history and geology; travel and transport, the themes being based upon the information brought together for the project’s 49 interpretative panels. The children will meet:
• Clelland MacCallum as Ian Lom, a Highlander who beheaded seven murderers and delivered their heads to his clan chief!
• Nigel Rix as Thomas Telford, the famous civil engineer responsible for the construction of the Caledonian Canal.
• Bruce Kocjan-Briggs as Captain Bruce, a ship’s captain, well travelled within the Great Glen, with many a tale to tell!
Since 2005, as part of the Great Glen Ways Initiative, work has been underway to improve navigation and way-marking and install top quality public interpretation along the Caledonian Canal and Great Glen Way. This work has been managed by The Highland Council in partnership with British Waterways Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. The European Agricultural Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) has contributed 45% of the project funding.
The fundamental aims of the project have been to strengthen the identity of the Glen, improve visitor satisfaction and encourage more people to come and enjoy the three Great Glen Ways. This will, in turn, make a significant contribution to the local economy, by better employment opportunities within tourism and other related industries. The duration of the project is from August 2005 to March 2008.
The project web site http://www.greatglenways.info/ provides further information about the project and gives access on-line to both the DVD and the interpretation panels.