The Scottish Government

Path and route creation design and minimum specifications

The construction or upgrading of all paths or routes must result in them being well drained, fit for purpose, free from obstruction, signposted and waymarked, regularly inspected and must meet the following minimum specifications.

Well drained paths and routes must stay firm and dry in all weather conditions. After heavy rain, water should drain away quickly without damaging the path or route. Good drainage is key to achieving this. Excavate intercepting ditches to a minimum depth of 300mm with stable slopes and establish suitable outfalls. Install filter drains up to 500mm wide to a minimum depth of 600mm, backfill with coarse stone material and establish suitable outfall. Clear out potholes of loose and soft material and backfill with compacted weather resistant material, the finished levels must prevent collection of surface water. Clear out surface cross drains, clear and fill potholes and re-pack any stone pitching that has worked loose or is being undermined. Keep ditches, cross drains, culverts and the entrances to culverts clear of silt, debris and vegetation at least twice a year, usually in March and November. At the same time check that headwalls are firm and secure.

In all cases your created or upgraded path or route must be fit for purpose, suitable for the type and amount of use it has to support, be appropriate to the environment that it passes through and meet the minimum specifications for the path type. The main point to remember is that the path must be suitable for its intended use.

The minimum space around your created or upgraded path or route that must be kept clear of obstructions is 3.5 meters above the path and across a width of at least 2 meters.

Your path or route surface must be one of three surface types:

• Natural path surface, e.g. turf. Regular mowing will increase the density of grass, improving strength and durability.
• Unbound surface. Use the binding properties of the path base stone to provide a smooth surface. Spreading dust - a quarry product usually less than 3 to 6mm in size - onto the aggregate base will increase the binding properties of the base stone and give a smooth surface suitable for many users. However, unbound surfaces are susceptible to damage from water flowing over the surface, so that careful drainage is essential.
• Sealed surface. These surfaces use a binder, usually bitumen, to 'stick' aggregate together. They can be either a mixture of aggregate and bitumen (e.g. tarmac or bitmac) or else a layer of bitumen with chips spread onto them and rolled in (surface dressing).

Unstable or uneven areas should be treated by filling in any potholes as above, removing loose material or debris, grading, or adding new surface material where required for a sound surface. Larger rocks may be utilised to highlight the edges or turning points of paths.

Your path and/or route must be clearly signposted at entrance points with a fingerpost showing the word 'Path', pointing the way, and if appropriate specifying a destination and the distance to that destination or a significant point. If the starting point of your path or route is not at the public road, it must be signposted from that public road with a threshold signpost. If the path or route for which you are applying is a continuation of a path or route on a neighbouring holding, you may need to liaise with your neighbour about signposting it from the public road. Way-markers must be at places along the path that helps users to keep to the route. You can choose capital items listed in the signage section of this Option to support the signposting of your created or upgraded path or route.

You must regularly inspect your constructed or upgraded path or route a minimum of at least four times a year and remove overgrown plants and grass when required. You must reduce the amount of weed on paths by regularly mowing verges, and drain persistent wet ground by installing filter drains or small ditches.
You must strim or mow natural path surfaces and verges at least twice a year in May and August. You must cut back trees and vegetation during the autumn and late spring to maintain a clear path width and height corridor.
You must control weed encroachment into the route corridor through cutting or selective application of herbicide in April and August.

Basic path construction 1.2 to 1.5 meters wide - for paths that are lightly used and in low rainfall areas where the soil is free-draining.

The minimum specifications are:

• Simple, lightweight paths should be made by removing debris, brashing trees and using material won cutting the path to fill any hollows or levelling any side cast.
• The finished path must be at least 1.2 metres wide with shallow drain and have a camber or cross-fall to ensure no build-up of surface water.
• You can install burn crossings up to 1 metre in width, e.g. piped culverts or cross-drains.
• The completed path must include wider areas to be used as 'passing places' where wheelchairs, push chairs or people with mobility problems can pass.

Standard built and rolled path construction - 1.2 to 1.5 meters wide for paths that are lightly used and/or for dry sites.

The minimum specifications are:

• Turf must be stripped and stored for finishing off.
• The path must be excavated to hard base. Large rocks and roots must be removed and overhanging vegetation cut back.
• Pipes must be laid at drains and aggregate sub-base spread and firmed to a depth of 200mm. The layer must be formed into a camber before dressing as described.
• Dressing must be type 1 material with whindust on the top, laid to bring the surface to required level. It must be shaped to shed water and vibrator rolled.
• Turf must be re-laid along path verge.
• The finished path must be at least 1.2 metres wide and have a camber or cross-fall to ensure no build-up of surface water.
• You can install burn crossings up to 1 metre in width, e.g. piped culverts or cross-drains.
• The completed path must include wider areas to be used as 'passing places' where wheelchairs, push chairs or people with mobility problems can pass.

Enhanced path construction - built and rolled, greater than 1.5 metre wide and/or for heavy use/wet/steep site.

The minimum specifications are:

• Short sections requiring manual construction
• Gabion path supports or edgings
• Excavated to hard base
• Soil loosened and raked level or bed of sand laid
• Large flat faced rock used for edging and steps
• Centre filled with selected stone tramped well into base to provide level walking surface
• Shattered rock and fines rammed into cracks to firm up the paving
• Water led off path at suitable intervals, includes cut-off drains
• Finished off with turf laid along path edge
• All stone used must be locally won to fit in with surrounding environment
• Includes hand-built burn crossings up to 1 metre wide
• Sections of board-walk up to 5 metres long
• The finished path must be greater than 1.5 metres wide and have a camber or cross-fall to ensure no build-up of surface water
• The completed path must include wider areas to be used as 'passing places' where wheelchairs, push chairs or people with mobility problems can pass

There are a range of associated items which can support your constructed or upgraded path or route and ensure it is fit for purpose, free from obstruction, signposted and waymarked and regularly inspected, and these can include

Boardwalks
The requirement for a boardwalk is dictated by the ground conditions. Boardwalks may be used on wetlands, marshes and other situations where the decking needs to be raised well above ground level. The decision on the appropriate width of a board-walk will be determined by the expected level and types of use and the width of the approach paths.

The minimum specifications are:

• The minimum clear width of board-walks over 5m in length must be 1,200 mm.
• A width of 1,700 mm must be used to accommodate two-way traffic and provide passing places on a 1,200 mm wide board-walk.
• Decking must be of treated timber 150 mm x 50 mm section
• Stringers must be 2 no. 2,200 x 100 x 100 mm per 2,000 run of boardwalk, to allow for a 200 overlap at each join.
• Deck level edging rails must be 75 x 75 mm section.

Bridges
Where watercourses are to be crossed, bridge capital items can be supported.
The minimum specifications are for small timber bridge with a span of less than 10m.

• The deck must be at least 1.2m wide.
• Depending on the location and the hazard to be crossed, if handrails are required they must be at a height of not less than 0.9m.
• One handrail can be used where you expect low use and/or low risk or two handrails where you expect heavier use and/or greater risk.

Gates
Gates must be fit for purpose. The two basic types of gate in general use are the wicket gate and the kissing gate. Where possible use the wicket gate, as it can be used by most user types and can be constructed so that it is 'self-closing'. Wheelchair users, cyclists and horse riders cannot use kissing gates and these should only be used when wicket gates are not practicable.

Wicket or Bridle gate - the minimum specifications are:

• A standard wicket or bridle gate of timber or galvanised steel must have a gap width of at least 1.2m and be fitted with self-closing hinges.
• The latch must reflect the type of user and to be safe and easy to use. Latches must be standard bolts or latches, preferably operable from horseback.
• Wire, rope and baler twine or any other string type latch to secure the gate are not allowed.
• Must be two-way opening, and self-closing.
• Minimum width of a bridle gate is 1,500mm, a minimum width of 1,200mm is only permissible where space is restricted.
• If timber, gates and posts must be of CCP pressure-treated softwood or untreated hardwood.

Kissing gates or self-closing gates - the minimum specification are:

• Kissing gates must be of the largest possible size and be the least restrictive design.
• Must be self-closing with user friendly latches. Latches must be unlockable to allow gate to open out of cage for maximum accessibility.
• Minimum width of a kissing gate is 1,500mm, a minimum width of 1,200mm is permissible where space is restricted.
• The cage width/diameter must be appropriate to gate width and use. Hang/clash posts must be either galvanised steel, with a minimum of 50 x 50 box section or 75mm diameter tube or timber strainer posts minimum of 200mm diameter.
• Gate posts must be either timber or of galvanised steel. Posts must be firmly dug or driven into ground and concreted if required.
• Must be for non-vehicular access
• If you are using timber, gates and posts should be of CCP pressure-treated softwood or untreated hardwood.

All types of standard gate frames are also acceptable and must be fit for purpose.

When breaking boundaries to install gates - minimum specifications are

• When cutting fences to enable gate installation, restrain the fence with timber or steel strainer posts.
• If cutting drystone walls, new end faces of stonework must be installed. These must be straight and even and tight to new gate posts.
• Timber or steel post and rail fencing must be used to tie new gates into the existing fence/wall lines as appropriate.

Surfaces around the gate- minimum specifications are:

• Surfaces up to and through the gate must be firm, level and well drained.
• The surface though the gate must be appropriate to the standard of path it is located on. If new surfacing is required, it must be 100 - 150mm depth (as required) of graded granular fill (e.g. Type 1, Scalpings, road planings, sand and gravel) blinded with dust to provide a smooth, even surface. You must provide suitable falls to ensure surface water drains away.

Gaps - minimum specification is:

• Any gaps must be a minimum of 1.6m wide.

Stiles are not eligible for funding under this Option.