SCOUTS have been putting their best foot forward to map out walking routes in Greenmount and Tottington.

For their Scout Environment Award, Greenmount Scout Group undertook a variety of activities last year, including a two-hour walk every Friday evening last June.

Those walks are now highlighted on a map of the area, and has been placed on a new noticeboard showcase outside Greenmount Old School, which will be officially unveiled on Sunday.

Alistair Waddell, chairman of the Greenmount Scout Fellowship, said: "The map of the area will have local footpaths highlighted on it. Then as we walk a route it will be coloured to show where we have been. There is room in the showcase to add photographs from the walks or other activities that we do. In this way we will be able to keep the noticeboard fresh and of interest to passers-by."

He explained: "The walks were started to see how the environment had recaptured the industrial sites in our community which dominated our landscape in the last two centuries. Each of the four walks took in numerous old industrial sites in our area."

"On the first walk we had 20 people join us and by the final one, this total had risen to 70. Initially it was people connected directly to the Scout group but by the end we had people from all walks of life joining us. This inspired us to look to make something more of these walks and to provide something that would last."

It was the walks which inspired the Scout group to organise a sponsored stroll down the old railway line for the tsunami appeal, which raised £6,726.

Mr Waddell said: "This showed how much the community enjoyed our idea of walks in the locality and the need to preserve our lovely countryside."

The showcase will be unveiled at 11am by Ramsbottom, Tottington and North Manor area board co-odinator Kim Griffiths. The ceremony will be followed by an hour-long walk in the area.