On track to make path safe

FULL repairs to the well-used Portknockie to Cullen coastal path will begin in mid-September nearly two years after a landslip.

Moray Council confirmed plans were now in place to make the damaged path safe after some temporary work was done last year to allow walkers to use the path. The route was closed after the landslip until December last year.

Moray Conservative MP Douglas Ross welcomed the news, saying: "This extremely popular footpath, used by local people and tourists, was damaged by a landslip back in September 2017, caused by torrential rain.

"I’m grateful to Moray Council for keeping us updated with the progress towards restoring this scenic coastal path – loved by so many people – and I hope that the planned timetable can be met.

"The consultant, Atkins, recently visited the area to get a greater understanding of the ground conditions at the site of the landslip and Sustrans, the charity who aim to ensure that people in Scotland have access to a network of safe walking and cycling routes, plan to enable construction to go ahead from mid-September.

"It has been a long time coming, but it’s encouraging that repairs to ensure that the path is safe for everyone will go ahead in a few months’ time."

Donald Gatt, Conservative Councillor for Keith/Cullen, said: "Moray Council has been in close discussion with Sustrans throughout this process and I am pleased that final repairs to the path near Portknockie, where the landslip occurred, are set to go ahead later this year."

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