Liz Smith's plan to give all secondary pupils in state schools a week of residential outdoor education has attracted considerable cross party interest and at a time when agreement across the partisan divide in Scottish and UK politics is rather rare.

The Scottish Conservative MSP introduced her Schools (Residential Outdoor Education) (Scotland) Bill in June just before the Holyrood recess with the legislation to be examined by the Scottish Parliament's education committee this autumn.

Ms Smith, who is the Scottish Conservative's finance spokeswoman and a former teacher, said that residential outdoor education "when young people can be away for a week in an environment very far removed from their own, can be life-changing."

She stated: "I want to ensure that the outdoor education opportunities I was fortunate enough to enjoy will still be there for generations to come.

"Adventurous new experiences in the outdoors develop young people with a lifelong connection and concern for the natural environment, self-esteem, self-reliance, confidence, resilience and an understanding of how to deal with new challenges and manage risk. It also helps young people to know what it means to be part of a team, to learn leadership skills and the importance of valuing friendship."

Like Ms Smith I was lucky at secondary school, in my case at Friends School in Lisburn, County Antrim, to have many opportunities learning about the great outdoors.

From outward bound residentials in County Down, weekend camping trips in the Glens of Antrim and Duke of Edinburgh expeditions in the Mourne mountains, I was a keen participant in these activities which relied on dedicated teaching staff to organise.

What I probably most enjoyed was the intense sense of camaraderie and achievement. We got cold, wet and tired and yet still managed to make it to the top of Slieve Donard, the highest mountain in Northern Ireland, and laugh about our water clogged boots and blisters later.

Looking back, those outdoor feats are among the most memorable experiences of my school years, for me starting a life long interest in walking and the power of nature and exercise to act as a stress buster and mood lifter.

Could this be among the reasons why Ms Smith's proposal struck such a chord for many people?

At the weekend, my colleague Neil Mackay co-incidentally examined a mental health crisis facing children and young people in a separate article in the Herald on Sunday.

The statistics Mr Mackay cited in an interview with child psychotherapist Louis Weinstock were stark; around one in five children and young people suffered a mental health disorder last year while an estimated 7% of UK children attempt suicide by age 17. One in four self-harmed in the past year.

In Mr Weinstock's view much of the blame could be put on the upsurge in children using smart phones and social media - platforms where cyberbullying has become rampant and where images of unobtainable lifestyles leaves many feeling dissatisfied with their own lives. Notably, one solution he advocated was “regular, deep immersion in nature”.

It will be fascinating to see what experts Holyrood's education committee call before them as they scrutinise Ms Smith's bill and if child psychologists and paediatricians are among those invited to give evidence.

Ministers are understood to be keen to engage with Ms Smith as her legislation moves through the parliamentary process.

Cost will be a key issue they will want addressed.

Finance secretary Shona Robison on Friday warned of "profound financial pressures" facing the Scottish Government and is to give a statement to Holyrood next month announcing significant public spending cuts.

On the same day a Scottish Government spokesman told the Herald on Sunday in reference to Ms Smith's plans: "We have been clear that any bill must be affordable in the currently challenging financial context.”

The bill's financial memorandum estimates that the policy would cost around £20m to £32m a year based on between 55,000 and 65,000 pupils doing the courses annually.

However, noting the potential costs, Ms Smith is exploring a number of options which could reduce the burden on the public purse.

One of these is for the Scottish Government to consider setting up a public trust model to assist with funding.

This is a legal arrangement where the trust manages assets and money for the benefit of a particular group of people within the general public in this case for young people to experience outdoor education.

Another funding model she is examining is the Scottish Government’s Inspiring Scotland model - which acts as an intermediary raising money collaborating with various investors including government, charities and other sources.

Ms Smith told me in researching the bill she came across employers who would be willing to consider providing funds to assist the government for instance by helping to provide transport costs, often a stumbling block to some schools who want to take children to outdoor centres.

Most of us will understand the Scottish Government's need to be cautious in the current financial climate of hard times.

But investment now in young people’s outdoor education could help create a new generation of adults with good physical and mental health – and end up saving public money in the long term.

Get this and more great comment, opinion and analysis from the best political writers in Scotland in our Unspun newsletter, delivered directly to your inbox every week night. Sign up for free here.