Join us for a walk at 2.00pm meeting outside the Old Toll Bar Café at 2.00pm and Share your thoughts with SCAMP (Solway Coast and Marine Project) at The Richard Greenhouse Centre in Gretna on 17th September between 4-6pm, at the first of a series of events focusing on coastal access.
SCAMP Landscape Connections is an ambitious 210 mile nature restoration project funded by the National Lottery Heritage fund, which aims to restore some of our most important natural coastal and marine habitats, support community resilience, and boost the local economy. The Solway Firth is one of the largest and least industrialised estuaries in Europe, with a diverse marine ecosystem. However, its rich natural habitats are currently fragmented, and sometimes inaccessible both for nature and for communities.
Antoine Lemaire, SCAMP’s Coastal Infrastructure Coordinator, commented
“Improving access to and along the coast is key to delivering SCAMP’s aims. Much of the coast has designated core paths, but there are gaps within the coastal core path network and work is still needed to continue to improve the standard of access infrastructure and signage to improve accessibility.”
A series of drop-in sessions and guided walks will give communities the opportunity to learn more about SCAMP and the local core path network, and to highlight what works well and where improvements could be made. Events will take place throughout the autumn, with the first event scheduled to take place in Gretna on Thursday 17th September.
Gretna marks the end point of the King Charles III England Coast path. The SCAMP team hopes that walkers who have reached this point will not stop there, but perhaps visit the Auld Acquaintance cairn, and then carry on to discover the hidden gems of the Solway Coast.
Gretna Green is world famous as the marriage capital of the UK, but there is much more to discover about this area, including scheduled monuments from prehistoric times, the site of the Battle of Sark, the final pitched battle between the Scottish and the English in the Hundred Years War, and the architecturally significant planned town of Gretna, designed as a garden city by Raymond Unwin, and Courtnay Crickmer.
The SCAMP team is also keen to learn more about themes and stories associated with the coast, to enable stories of local history, heritage and nature to be captured and shared in future interpretation. And if you have heard of SCAMP and would like to get more involved, further information about volunteer opportunities will be available on the day.
All events are free and open to all, but it’s essential to book your place on the walks as numbers are limited. Drop in at the Richard Greenhow Centre any time between 4 and 7pm for a tea or coffee and a chat, and book on Eventbrite if you’d also like to join the walk
SCAMP: Walk and Talk, with Antoine Lemaire Tickets, Thursday, September 17 • 2 PM – 4 PM | Eventbrite or scan the QR code below:
For more information please email: Antoine.Lemaire@dumgal.gov.uk or becca@sup.org.uk
