Ordnance Survey – Great Britain's national mapping agency

Ramblers say cows need to moo-ve

05 March 2008

Ramblers in Fife have said this week that cows in the area need to moo-ve as their grazing is ruining a local tourist attraction.

Footpath managers of the Fife Coastal Path say that the land has become so boggy local walkers are complaining that it is impossible to pass.

Local resident John Henderson, who recently attempted to use the path, described its state to BBC Scotland's news website.

‘Part of it has been completely obliterated,’ he said.

‘The cows have churned everything up. Some parts are really difficult to navigate.’

However, as part of the footpath – which runs from North Queensferry to Newport on Tay – is privately owned, the farmer's cows are entitled to graze across the route.

The Ramblers Association has also expressed its concerns about the path, some of which runs through a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

According to the Countryside Agency, around 7 million visitors walk in the British countryside every weekend.

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