Work begins to improve both Speyside Way Spur and Blairfindy Castle
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THE Speyside Way Spur footpath between Glenlivet and Tomintoul is about to be upgraded for walkers.
Work is being carried out on both the surface and drainage of the popular route. Various sections will be raised stop them being regularly affected by wet and muddy conditions.
In addition, a new quarter-mile path is also being constructed to link Glenlivet Distillery to Blairfindy Castle.
The castle, which is thought to have been built in 1564 by the Gordon family, had to be fenced off several years ago because it was in danger of collapse.
The likelihood is it was set on fire by Cumberland's troop shortly after the Battle of Culloden in 1746 and has remained empty ever since.
Work is now going on to stabilise Blairfindy, with a target date of next Spring for it to become accessible again to the public.
The upgrades are all part of a £3.6million programme supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund to boos the area.
Polly Freeman from the Tomintoul and Glenlivet Landscape Partnership said: "The improvements to the Speyside Way Spur will make a huge difference to people’s enjoyment of the route and help them to appreciate the amazing landscape they are travelling through.
"During the works, we would like people to know that, although there may be slight delays at certain times, the path will remain open."
The work on the Speyside Way Spur is set to continue until the end of August.
Stiles and chain gates are being replaced with pedestrian self-closing gates, while new waymarkers are being put into position.
Douglas Stewart of the Cairngorms National Park Authority said: "We eagerly await the results. They will allow visitors and locals alike to experience and enjoy this special place even more."
A drop-in session is being held on Thursday from 1pm-4pm in the Discovery Centre at Tomintoul for the public to find out more and speak to the project team.
For more information, contact polly@tomintoulandglenlivet.com or 01807 580350.
