This week marks the opening of the John Muir Way, a new 134 mile trail across Scotland that links Dunbar and Scotland’s first national park, with Helensburgh on the West coast.

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The way is named after John Muir, a Scottish American preservationist and naturalist, who died 100 years ago this year. Born in Dunbar, Muir is known for his educational and insightful books, essays and pamphlets on the natural world. Commonly referred to as the Father of the National Parks, Muir is credited with bringing the issue of conservation to the forefront of political conversation, cementing its importance in the US and in Scotland.

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The opening of the John Muir Way is an exciting thing for Scotland. Not only does it increase accessibility to the places and communities along the route, it provides a great incentive to explore different parts of Scotland. As a keen cyclist myself, I am already looking forward to trying out several parts of the 134 mile route, including the part that crosses through the meadows in Edinburgh! For more information about the route, visit the website:•http://johnmuirway.org/.

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For Scots and tourists alike, the Way is a fantastic opportunity, through accessible routes, to explore some of Scotland’s most beautiful coast lines, beaches and countryside. In fact, it has already been listed in the Telegraphs recently published article on the world’s greatest walking trails:http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/activityandadventure/walkingholidays/10774880/The-worlds-greatest-walking-trails.html.

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