Filming Underway for The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail

Livingston, West Lothian, Scotland, UK (April 12, 2012)—Outdoor Writer and Broadcaster Cameron McNeish last week started filming a 2-part television documentary covering a newly created walking route running throughout the length of Scotland. The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail will take in the best of Scottish walking, passing through stunning landscapes, visiting both National Parks and the capital city of Edinburgh. It covers a total of 375 miles/603km and it is believed it will bring in tens of millions of pounds per year to the Scottish economy.

Cameron McNeish comments: "I've already walked the 375 mile/603km route in it's entirely and have walked several sections of it a number of times. We all know how economically successful the West Highland Way has been and I believe The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail will bring many walkers from overseas to Scotland to walk the route in sections, or in some cases, in its entirety."

GORE-TEX® Footwear based in West Lothian has partnered with Cameron McNeish to help fund the creation of the new walking route. Willie Fletcher, GORE-TEX® Footwear Associate stands united with Cameron regarding the great potential and longevity of this new project and comments: "We believe The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail could soon become one of the most popular long-distance walking routes in the world and something we can all be very proud of in helping to create. We also hope it will help the economies of the remote towns, villages and settlements the route runs through by increasing tourism."

The 2-part documentary will be aired this Christmas and follows Cameron's route which runs between Kirk Yetholm in the Scottish Borders and Cape Wrath, the most north-westerly point on the Scottish mainland, and can be broken down into four main sections:

  • the southern section between Kirk Yetholm and Edinburgh, 81 miles (130km)
  • a route between Edinburgh and Milngavie following the Union and Forth and Clyde Canals, 51 miles (82km)
  • a central highlands section between Milngavie and Aviemore, 125 miles (201km)
  • and the final route between Badenoch and Cape Wrath, 119 miles (191km).

For the first time many of Scotland's existing footpaths will be linked into a longer length-of-the-nation route. The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail makes full use of existing footpaths and official 'ways', and follows various sections of the St Cuthbert's Way, the Southern Upland Way, the West Highland Way, the Rob Roy Way and the Cape Wrath Trail.

The trail also follows a number of local 'core paths'. As part of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act of 2003, when Scotland was given access laws that have become the envy of the world, councils were asked to develop Core Path Networks around villages and towns. The route has been able to make full use of these paths in various parts of the country, particularly around Peebles and the Pentlands, in the Trossachs around Aberfoyle and in Badenoch. Cameron comments: "Scotland is now very well served by an astonishing array of good walking routes so it seems like the right time to develop a long distance walking route that links them together to run the entire length of the country."

A guide book will be published in the Autumn. The GORE-TEX® Scottish National Trail will also have its own website showing the route and GORE-TEX® Footwear plans to link key sections of the route with local and regional outdoor shops to help drive footfall into local retailing outlets.

About W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.

With more than $3 billion in annual sales and more than 9,500 employees in 30 countries worldwide, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., provides diverse, high-performance solutions in consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. As well-known for its unique corporate culture as for its products, Gore's over 50-year success story rests equally on product and organizational innovation. Perhaps best known as the inventors of expanded PTFE (ePTFE) and the makers of GORE-TEX® fabric, Gore is a leading manufacturer of thousands of advanced technology products that comprise a breadth of capabilities.

GORE-TEX, Guaranteed To Keep You Dry and designs are trademarks of W.L. Gore & Associates.

Contact

Ruse Communications
Sally Ryder Taylor
Sally@rusecomm.co.uk
Tel. 07793815026