Visitors to the Scottish Highlands are being invited to swap part of the usual sightseeing itinerary for buckets, hand tools and a stretch of mountain path that needs some care.
Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland runs volunteer maintenance days on popular upland routes, including Stac Pollaidh in Wester Ross. Tasks include clearing drains, stabilising eroded ground, repairing stonework and protecting vegetation beside the path.
The programme gives volunteers practical skills while helping heavily used routes cope with footfall and increasingly severe weather. It is tourism with a small repayment built in: enjoy the hills, then leave a few metres of them in better condition than you found them.