A group of schoolchildren have worked with a professional artist to create a brand-new map for walkers.
Norma D Hunter, the artist in residence last year for the Moray Way walking trail, worked with Rothes Primary School over the course of several months, helping pupils to explore the local landscape through colour and storytelling.
The result is Rothes Rambles, a practical leaflet with six local walking routes, that’s been designed through the eyes of the pupils.
Faith Sargeant, the school’s headteacher, said: “Our idea is now and we’re all very excited. We hope that all our families and the wider community enjoy our Rothes Rambles for years to come.”
Norma D Hunter added: “It was an absolute delight to work with both the staff and pupils. The children were so enthusiastic about the project, proving very knowledgeable about their town and environment, and were given every encouragement by their teachers.”
Each walk features its own unique marker symbol created by the pupils which they handcrafted into metal markers to be installed on the routes.
The markers were made possible thanks to Norma who introduced the school to Fire, Forge and Furnace – Aberdeenshire specialists in mobile forging.
Additionally, QR codes published throughout the leaflet will link walkers to the Moray Way website and eventually to more information about the school’s creative work and the stories behind the routes.
The Rothes Rambles project is one of many projects from AIM, (Arts In Moray) a cultural initiative funded by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland.
AIM is a Moray-based collaboration between Dance North Scotland, M:ADE, Wildbird, and The Moray Way Association, supporting community-led creativity and connection across the region.
Kathleen Robertson, the leader of Moray Council, said: “This project is a fantastic example of creative learning in action. It has not only encouraged the pupils to connect with their local area in meaningful ways, but has also given them the chance to share that connection with the wider community.”
