Volunteers clear Helmsdale to Lybster stretch of John O'Groats Trail
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A GROUP of hardy volunteers spent three days clearing vegetation on the Helmsdale to Lybster stretch of the John O'Groats Trail – the 147-mile coastal walking route that runs from Inverness to Caithness.
The coronavirus lockdown meant a reduced number of walkers on the trail, which in turn allowed weeds and bracken to proliferate – making some parts very difficult to negotiate.
Jay Wilson, chairman of the Association of Northern Trails Scotland, which established the trail, said: “There is weed problem every year, but it was 10 times worse this year due to the remote parts of the trail not being walked due to lockdown, which let the weeds grow unabated."
The volunteers who worked on clearing the Helmsdale to Lybster section were helped by English couple Patricia Pearl and Ian Hilton, who were in the last stages of a post-lockdown trek from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Volunteer Ian McDonald was surprised to find the extent to which vegetation had taken over.
“There was a bit of everything – brambles, purrs, whins and bracken,” he said. “It is amazing how quickly this takes over. Some was up to my oxters, but the rest was higher!”
