Biggar Country Path Network

Biggar Country Path Network is based on the South Lanarkshire Core Paths framework.  We hope to extend the network to include some of the aspirational paths and also to add some important missing links.

South Lanarkshire Core Paths

South Lanarkshire Council in collaboration with Scotways (The Scottish Rights of Way Society) installed signposts indicating many of these core paths.  Most of these signs are still in place although a few have been removed. We plan both to replace the missing signs and to add to them.

Just because a path is on a map does not mean, however, that it exists on the ground and so the first step in establishing the Country Path Network has been to survey what is actually there.  Some paths are non-existent, some obstructed, and some so deep, wet and muddy as to be almost impassable.

Our first major project has been improving the path to Bizzyberry since this is a popular and iconic local walk. The picture on the right shows how the path folded in winter. We secured funding for this project from our local Windfarm community benefit funds, and work is now complete.

We have also undertaken maintenance work on the path to Pyatknowe from Biggar, including repairing the foot bridge

Pyatknowe path repair video

Most of the path network on Biggar Common has also been surveyed and we are in active discussion with the landowners and managers to agree suitable improvements to signposting, gates, flooding, and overgrown vegetation .

The Land Reform Scotland Act (2003) established a framework of public access rights to most land. It is important to remember though that it also imposed a right of responsible access. The responsibilities of walkers are set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which can be found on the Scottish Natural Heritage web-site.

Outdoor Access Code