Work on the Ben

After ten years of work, we are pleased to announced that the upgraded path to the summit is now completed. Ongoing work will be required to maintain it and to improve the vegetation damage around the old direct route. We would be grateful if users would stick to the path and give the damaged areas a chance to recuperate.

Initially, the path was improved by the Friends working under professional supervision. Major drainage bars were installed as far as the Black Banks and redundant braid lines were replanted to focus use on a single line of ascent.

In 1999 the difficult section through the soft peat of the Black Banks was given a firm path.
In 2001 an isolated section of path on the upper slopes was installed and a reseeding trial initiated. The results of five years of detailed monitoring has been handed on to the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Banchory who designed the trial.
In 2004 we began linking the previous sections and pushing on to the summit in the hope that a more clearly defined and well maintained route will attract walkers and limit erosion.

Throughout this work we have had considerable help from individuals with path work, environmental and natural history expertise. We have relied heavily on funding from Scottish Natural Heritage, with considerable contributions through Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey Enterprise and the Scottish Mountaineering Trust. Our leaflet has been sponsored by Walkers Shortbread and Speyside Cooperage. We are also grateful to local distillers and individuals from further afield for their support.

Our ongoing aim is to maintain the upgraded paths, monitor the vegetation growth, reseed and replant where necessary and generally protect the landscape of the hill.

Anyone with an interest in Ben Rinnes, or hills in general, is welcome to join. Members do not have to volunteer for work and many just enjoy the social evenings, to which non members are more than welcome.
All donations are welcome & will contribute to the upkeep of the footpath.

Why not make your donation a Gift Aid Donation

This just means any donation you give to the Friends an extra 25p of every £1.00 donated goes to the Friends & not into the Government coffers! (until 2011, this also includes any donations you have made in the past SIX years). All you have to do is sign a form, what could be simpler

To find out more about Gift Aid HERE

You can download the Gift Aid form HERE