Long time no see...!

How time flies - can't believe my last post was in September! What an early winter we had. Deep snow in late November, coupled with very low temperatures, took us right through into 2011, bringing more damage to property, trees and wildlife. Since then more 'normal' service has been resumed, ie rain, chill, darkness - typical Scottish weather. As we pass Valentine's day, the days are lengthening, the birds have started to sing, (mistle thrush and wood pigeon yesterday, great-tits for a couple of weeks now) and we begin to wonder if winter could really be nearly past?
Here on the Speyside Way we are not immune from cut-backs in Local Authority budgets, and we are trying to work out how best to keep providing a satisfactory service. Disappointingly, the level of demand for information on the route over the winter seems to be at an all time low - also perhaps an indicator of uncertain economic times as well as a reflection of yet another poor summer, weatherwise, in 2010. There is also undoubtedly a 'dilution' factor, as trail users are presented with a rapidly expanding choice of 'long distance routes' - the launch of the 'Scotland's Great Trails' initiative by SNH in the spring will see some 20 routes branded as LDRs, with another 17 waiting in the wings. As custodians of one of only four statutory routes, we confess to having very mixed feelings about where this is going, and the financial implications for Local Authorities across Scotland.
In a different context, attempts by the Cairngorms National Park Authority to complete the route to Newtonmore continue to encounter difficulties. Not unexpectedly, Kinrara Estate is resisting the imposition of a Footpath Creation Order, and the appeal will be determined by a Scottish Government Reporter sometime in the next few months.