Leave No Trace

• Never miss the chance to use a proper toilet!
• If at all possible, carry away your waste.
• Always pack a toilet kit (see reverse)
• Never dig on or in the Canal landscape – this is an Ancient Scheduled Monument.
• Avoid going to the toilet within 50m of paths,
  200m of huts, bothies or crags and never in caves.
• Burns or streams may be someone’s water supply –
  always go at least 30m away.
• Do not bury waste in ecologically sensitive areas,
  popular wild camping spots or exposed plateaux.
• To bury waste, dig a 15cm deep hole. If the
  ground is snow-covered, dig through the snow and
  then through the soil. Then fill in the pit. 
• If digging is absolutely impossible, spread
  excrement thinly so that air can circulate. Do not
  simply cover your waste with a rock as it slows
  decomposition.
• Use antibacterial handgel afterwards.

Visual pollution and smell: Carrying away waste, especially solids, is best. Many people and animals use the countryside, for work and for pleasure, and removing your waste ensures that everyone and everything can still enjoy their experience.

Human health: Drinking contaminated water can result in potentially serious gut pathogens such as eColi and Giardia. Numbers of infections are increasing. You should take particular care if you have just returned from abroad. Remember: remote burns or rivers may be someone’s water supply!

Environmental health: Some sites are ecologically significant and must not be polluted. In areas where there are many users (such as the Great Glen Way), cumulative impact is high and therefore damaging to the environment.

• Always use toilets when available
• Always carry out waste whenever possible
• Pack a toilet kit for your trip, including:
  • Resealable bags
  • Toilet paper
  • Antibacterial hand gel
  • The trusty trowel.