VOLUNTEERS and keen hillwalkers have been working hard to repair the main path to the Dumyat peak.

A group of community volunteers, made up of members of the Ochils Mountain Rescue Team and Forth Valley Orienteers, joined staff from the University of Edinburgh in carrying out repair works to the well-trodden path to Dumyat.

The hill is one of the most popular walking routes in Clacks and the wider area, enjoyed by an estimated more than 50,000 people each year.

Over the course of four days, the team cleared ditches and repaired drainage features in an effort to prevent further erosion caused by rain and the wear and tear of footfall.

Kevin Mitchell, of the OMRT, said: “Some of the guys were helping out during this repair on Dumyat.

“We’re all hillwalkers ourselves and we’re all keen to do our bit to keep the paths as safe as possible.

“We’d like to make sure there’s good accessibility for people.”

In addition to the path maintenance, the team rebuilt a collapsed section of dry stone wall at the start of the trail.

The work took place on land which the University of Edinburgh acquired in 2022 as part of a large-scale project to tackle climate change through woodland creation and peatland restoration across Scotland.

The University of Edinburgh is planning further community-focused conservation days over the next 12 months.

These works include more path maintenance, a community archaeological dig and opportunities to plant protected vegetation.

Julie Wilson, community ranger at the University of Edinburgh, added: “We are really grateful to all of the volunteers who came to support this work.

“These conservation days ensure that we can keep our site accessible so that visitors can continue to enjoy the beauty of the area.”

The land on Dumyat is one of three sites owned by the university to support its sector-leading carbon sequestration project.

The project will see an estimated two million trees planted and at least 855 hectares of peatlands restored, as part of the university’s drive to reach net zero by 2040.

Other projects carried out by the university saw their team carry out a wildflower identification survey to track the population of the rare wildflower sticky catchfly on Dumyat.