Mobility Mountain

Hill-going is becoming more accessible as a major Scottish mountain –  Schiehallion – has been declared wheelchair friendly.

The FieldFare Trust, a charity that promotes access to the countryside for people with disabilities and wheelchair users, has just added the peak which stands at over 3,500 feet to its online guide.

Breaking Down Barriers

Andrew Johnson, director of the FieldFare Trust, has welcomed the Perthshire mountain saying: “It’s a positive move because it means that even more rugged landscapes can provide some accessibility for people of all abilities.”

The guide, called Photo Trails, rates the first third of the Schiehallion path as suitable for those with wheelchairs, whilst individuals could decide for themselves if they could manage to ascend to the summit.

The John Muir Trust that manages and maintains the mountain is delighted, manager Sandy Mitchell said: “When it comes to breaking down some of these barriers we are keen to co-operate with organisations trying to open up access.

“We have done work to make the paths as accessible as possible and would hope that parts of Schiehallion would become more accessible by people with disabilities.”

Challenges in Access

Capability Scotland has welcomes the move.  Director of external affairs, Richard Hamer enthused: “Getting out and about when you’re disabled can present challenges.  In fact, more than a quarter of disabled people we surveyed who hadn’t visited Scotland’s great outdoors had been prevented by problems with physical access.

“What’s important is that disabled people get the assistance they need, and information on the accessibility of sites and attractions has a big role to play in this.”