Launch of new Sligo Walking Guide Imminent
A new, comprehensive and free walking guide to the many spectacular walks in Sligo is about be launched. The updated Sligo Walking Guide features over 50 walks around the county, including detailed descriptions on the walks themselves, access points, levels of difficulty, maps and directions, and is sure to become an important resource for anyone interested in walking in Sligo.
The Sligo Walking Guide was produced by the County Sligo Leader Partnership in conjunction with Sligo County Council and Sligo Walks, and over 5,000 copies are set for distribution in the coming weeks.
“It’s a really comprehensive description of all of the main walks in Sligo,” says
Deirdre Kennedy, Rural Recreation Officer with Sligo Leader and one of the editors of the new guide. “It includes many new walks, brings all of the original walks up to date and has lots of new features which weren’t part of the original guide.”
The Sligo Walking Guide loosely clusters walks into categories, such as coastal or woodland walks, to ensure ease of navigation for the reader. All of the information a reader may require such as how to arrive at the walk trailhead, what footwear or other walking gear is needed, the expected walk time, interesting features along the way, and much more, is all provided.
Additionally, other useful information, such as general pointers for those new to walking, safety measures and other key information is also available. There are plenty of beautiful photos and maps, many of which have been provided by local photographers, which really add to the visual content. The new guide also links very well with the Sligo Walks website, where new information will be added as required.
The Sligo Walking Guide will be available for distribution throughout the Summer to groups and individuals interested in walking. You’ll be able to pick a copy up from public locations such as at Sligo County Council’s main offices at Riverside, at City Hall, or in any of the tourism hubs located around the county. It was produced with support from the Department of Rural and Community Development, enabling it to be produced to a very high standard, while remaining free to members of the public.
“I think it is a wonderful resource for the entire walking community,” says Michael Boland of Sligo Walking Club. “For anyone interested in walking, whether as a novice or more experienced walker, this will be an important and valuable item to have in your backpack. Often when we plan our walks, we would have made reference to the original Sligo Walking Guide. To have a new and updated version, not to mention all of the additional features, is really welcome,” he adds.
Ray O’Grady of Sligo County Council was co-editor of the Sligo Walking Guide. “Together with my colleagues Deirdre and Nicholas, we wanted to provide walkers with the most detailed information on walking in Sligo possible, including producing resources like maps, GPS co-ordinates, etc.”
“We regularly build and then maintain the walks in Sligo, and we do that in
conjunction with other agencies like Coillte, and of course with the help of
landowners. It’s probably only a small exaggeration to say that during this process, every path on every route included in the new guide were walked either by myself or the others on the editorial team, by the support staff from Sligo County Council or by the Sligo Walks team.”
The new and updated Sligo Walking Guide is currently being finalised before going to print. It is expected to be available to the public by the end of June. More details on www.SligoWalks.ie.
