The facts
Project Location: Dumfries & Galloway,
Scotland
Client: Forestry Commission Scotland
Start Date: August 2009
Completion Date: September 2009
Construction Value: £20,000
Services: Countryside Management, GIS Services,
Public Access
Contacts: James Daplyn / Countryside Services
Manager, James England, GIS / Countryside
Partners: Dinsdale Moorland Services
The project
Galloway Forest Park is Europe's Largest Forest Park with some
outstanding scenery and landscape features including lochs,
waterfalls and rock escarpments hidden away in the deep forest.
Recently there have been a number of recreational
developments in the park, largely focused around the 7stanes
mountain bike trails resulting in the footpath network being
under utilised by the public. In light of this development, the
Forestry Commission Scotland appointed Capita Symonds' Countryside
Management Team to audit the trails from an ‘outsiders’ perspective
and provide guidance on the network’s sustainable development in
the long term.
Working with contractor partners Dinsdale Moorland Services the
team appraised and planned improvements to 80km of existing and
proposed trails and associated forest environment. The project
included auditing trails around some of the region’s best known
land marks including ‘Murrays Monument’ and ‘The Merrick’. In
addition the team assessed a selection of core paths around the
heavily used Kirroughtree, Glentrool and Clatteringshaws visitor
centres.
The team developed a custom methodology to audit the path
network, involving handheld computers (PDA’s) to survey the routes
and GIS to plan and map the routes. Individual project development
packs were produced alongside digital data sets which were
compatible with the Forestry Commission’s new ‘RECMAPPER’
software.
Trail development packs for 21 existing, and 5 brand new trails
were presented to the client which included costed recommendations
alongside detailed specifications and plans for each trail. The
packs will now be used as a basis for securing funding for trail
developments and will help the Galloway Forest District provide a
sustainable and useable walking trail network which has the variety
and attractions to be the best in Scotland.
