Steall Gorge. Photo: Alex Gillespie

A conservation charity is celebrating after winning £25,000 in a European competition.

The John Muir Trust’s appeal for urgent repairs to the Steall Gorge path topped the voting in the contest organised by the European Outdoor Conservation Association.

The cash from the online competition will be used for repairs to the route in Glen Nevis, in the shadow of Britain’s highest mountain.

Fran Lockhart, the trust’s Nevis property manager, said: “Over the last two weeks we’ve had a tremendous response from our members, local people and many others across the UK who value this wild place. I’d like to thank everyone who voted for our project to help us win the funding.

“We had stiff competition, including a German charity with around a million members, so it’s staggering to have received so much support.

“Steall Gorge is really important to a lot of people, which is why it’s vital to repair the path and keep it safe to use. This money will go a long way towards covering the cost of the work, and helping to protect the adjacent fragile woodland and montane habitats.”

The JMT has a policy of carrying out low-key path maintenance on existing paths to prevent excessive wear and erosion of the environment, while keeping visual intrusion to a minimum.

This year it has recruited specialist staff to work on projects such as the Steall Gorge repairs to ensure maintenance issues are dealt with before they become more serious problems.

Ms Lockhart added: “We want to give people the opportunity to walk in and enjoy the wild places in our care in ways that respect and protect surrounding habitats and wildlife. The repairs on the Steall Gorge will reverse existing damage and strengthen spots where there could be a problem in the future.”

The trust said it will launch a further appeal to support the repairs to Steall Gorge, and other footpaths later this year.