Winter Wanderings Photography Competition

Images: Doug Shapley/ IFF

‘Wanderings & Windings’ are nine heritage trails around Stirling, Falkirk, Fife and Clackmannanshire, encouraging people to explore the wildlife and history of this unique landscape at the heart of Scotland.

The trails were developed by the Inner Forth Futures Partnership, through an NLHF-funded project that worked closely with local communities around the Inner Forth to create a suite of day-long, waymarked and promoted walks and cycles. The routes use existing paths and tracks to help people explore the landscape and discover some of the many hidden gems to be found around the Inner Forth. These include nature hotspots, historic buildings, riverside views, cultural landmarks and simply places to escape from the bustle of urban life.

Now the trails are live, we’d love to see any photographs that you take on the routes that embody the spirit of exploring the Inner Forth, whether on foot or by bicycle. Your images can include the built, cultural or natural heritage of the area or possibly all three!

The competition is free to enter, and is open to amateur photographers of any age.

Prizes include:

Afternoon tea for four with a glass of fizz

Classic Afternoon tea for two

RSPB Puffin 8x32 Binoculars

Closing date: Sunday 5th January 2020

Entry instructions:

• Email your entry to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (see competition rules for more information on photo specifications)   
• You can enter up to three photographs per person.
• Email subject should read “Winter Wanderings: [Insert your name]”
• Entrants must complete and attach the competition entry form, including their name, contact details, location where photograph was taken and which ‘Wanderings and Windings’ route it is located on/ near.
• Entrants should include a sentence or two to explain the inspiration or reason for taking their photograph.
• By submitting an entry, entrants are confirming they have read and agreed to the competition rules.

IFLI partnership wins top national award

The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative (IFLI) has won a national planning award. It was one of just four organisations from across Scotland that have been recognised in this way for their partnership working in the Scottish Awards for Quality Planning 2019, which are considered some of the Scottish Government’s most prestigious awards.

Partners and project staff receive the award from Kevin Stewart, MSP

The Inner Forth Landscape Initiative was a £4m partnership programme that ran between 2014 and 2018. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, it delivered over 50 projects to conserve, enhance and celebrate the natural, built and cultural heritage of the unique landscape at the upper reaches of the Firth of Forth. As a legacy of the partnership, Inner Forth Futures (IFF) is now continuing to work towards its aims.

There were a number of awards up for grabs, including ones for partnership working, plans, process, people and place. IFLI’s award is in the partnership category. Four criteria were used to select the winners by an independent judging panel. They looked at innovation in the project; the impact that the project has had; the transferability of the project and lessons learned from it. The final decision was made by Scottish Ministers.

Scottish planning policy says that ‘The planning system has a vital role to play in delivering high-quality places for Scotland.’  IFLI aimed to deliver this, working together as a Partnership, bringing local people and communities together, and acting as a catalyst to bring in investment and resources to help protect and enrich the area’s unique natural, historic and cultural heritage.

Commenting on the award Dave Beaumont, RSPB Regional Director, and Chair of the IFLI (now Inner Forth Futures) Board, said ‘It’s absolutely brilliant that this award celebrates the Inner Forth Landscape Initiative’s partnership, because real, meaningful partnership working was at the very heart of our acheivements.  The fact that all the partners want to continue working together to secure IFLI’s legacy after the end of our HLF funding, and that Fife Council have now also joined us, is testimony to that success. The Inner Forth is such an important area where wildlife, heritage and conservation all come together and the success of IFLI is a great example of multiple partners and agencies recognising this. IFLI was an exceptionally good start to an ongoing programme of work that will restore ecological function, conserve built heritage and link this together with improved and appropriate access and interpretation.’

Caroline Clark, Director Scotland to The National Lottery Heritage Fund, added:

"This is fantastic news and we congratulate all the partners for the sterling work they're doing. The enormous pressures on our environment mean that we have to approach its restoration and conservation on a bigger scale than ever before and the Inner Forth Partnership have had the foresight to do just that. With the help of National Lottery funding, they worked hard to help communities around the Inner Forth reconnect with nature, which often lies overlooked on an industrial landscape, while helping to conserve and protect it. Congratulations on the recognition of your impressive partnership working."

Eight new day-long trails launched to explore the Inner Forth

Eight new day-long walks and cycles exploring the unique landscape and heritage of the Inner Forth, plus a mega Round the Forth route, have just been launched by Inner Forth Futures, a partnership of local authorities and national organisations.

Image: Doug Shapley Photography/IFF

The trails, called the Inner Forth Wanderings and Windings, range from 11-mile rambles to a challenging 35-mile long cycle. They use existing paths and tracks to encourage local people and visitors to the area to explore the landscape and discover some of the many hidden gems to be found around the Inner Forth. The routes include nature hotspots, historic buildings, riverside views, cultural landmarks and simply places to escape from the bustle of urban life.

Trail guides for all the routes, plus the round the Forth ninth route, incorporating elements from all the trails, are available to download free from https://www.innerforthlandscape.co.uk/about/wanderings-windings, along with GPX files to help people navigate the routes from their smart phone or GPS devices.

The Wanderings and Windings project, led by Inner Forth Futures, a partnership of Fife, Falkirk, Stirling and Clackmannanshire Councils, plus Scottish Natural Heritage, Historic Environment Scotland, Sustrans and Central Scotland Green Network Trust, has been funded through a £47,000 award from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, with an overall value of £67,000.

Inner Forth Futures appointed Ian White Associates Landscape Architects to develop and deliver the trails. They ran 12 co-design workshops to work with local communities to design the routes and identify the key points of interest along the way.

A celebratory video has also been released, created by pupils from Falkirk High School, in conjunction with film makers D Fie Foe. You can watch it via the Wanderings & Windings page of the Inner Forth Futures website.

If people would still like to get more involved, IFF have a Facebook Group called Inner Forth Wanderings and Windings, which they can request to join.

For more information please contact the Inner Forth Futures team, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.,  telephone 01324 831 568.

Launching Wanderings & Windings

You may have spotted on our social media channels that we have just announced a series of eight free events to launch the new 'Wanderings & Windings' trails. The trailguides are nearly ready to go live and the team will be out putting up markers over the next few weeks.

In the meantime, why don't you browse the events calendar to find the walk, cycle or workshop for you or join us on Saturday 19th October 11am - 3pm at Pittencrieff Park, Dunfermline for a day of drop-in activities and information about the 'Wanderings & Windings' project and the new trails.

We look forward to seeing you there!

All the events are free due to the way the project if funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.