The highly renowned waterproof fabric Gore-Tex is lending its name to a new Scottish walking trail. The Gore-Tex Scottish National Trail starts at Kirk Yetholm, in the Scottish Borders and ends at Cape Wrath, after 373 miles of fabulous hiking and scenery.

It’s Scotland’s first national trail and has been created and developed by TV presenter, writer and avid walker Cameron McNeish.

The Gore-Tex Scottish National Trail will take in sections of a number of existing walking routes, including the West Highland Way, the Southern Upland Way, the Rob Roy Way and the Cape Wrath Trail.

Gore-Tex is expected to feature on copper plaques that point the way along the route.

McNeish, who is working on a book and a TV series to accompany the route, said he was inspired to launch the trail after visiting Nepal last year.

He is reported as saying: “While I was there they had just announced the creation of the Great Himalayan Trail and I thought to myself, why can’t we have one back in Scotland?

“Most countries have some sort of iconic long-distance route and while we do have the West Highland Way, it’s quite short at 92 miles.

“Given the situation that Scotland is in now as it comes up to a referendum about independence, it is an interesting time to walk right through modern Scotland.”

McNeish received sponsorship from Gore-Tex to fund the project and in return the company’s name was included in the title.

The trail will be formally launched this year by First Minister Alex Salmond, whose mother was a keen rambler.

Gore-Tex spokesman Willie Fletcher said: “This is a new thing for Gore-Tex. We have worked with Cameron on a number of projects in the past but this is a first for us. We’re delighted to be involved in the trail and are hoping to develop local partnerships in places that the trail passes through.”