government reporters see how close route would be to house
Laird shows impact of bypass on estate
Published:
A campaigning laird whose family home lies 330ft from the proposed Aberdeen bypass yesterday led Scottish Government Reporters around his estate as part of the public local inquiry.
Henry Irvine-Fortescue spent more than three hours guiding the group through the Kingcausie Estate near Maryculter.
Objectors and promoters of the scheme were on hand to give their input and help the Scottish Reporters visualise the road. The group set off from the 16th-century Kingcausie House, a B-listed building.
Markers showed the proposed location of the road, which would cross the field in front of the house before heading down to join a new bridge across the River Dee. Chris Hamilton, a principal engineer with Jacobs Engineering UK, said the road would be built up to around 20ft above some parts of the field so it was high enough to meet the bridge.
The group, most in scarves, gloves and walking boots, then headed into woodland next to the main house, tramping over snowy ground untouched except for occasional tracks made by deer, rabbits and foxes, before stopping to track the line of the proposed bypass.
If the road goes ahead as planned, the carriageways would cut through the area of trees next to the house and the neighbouring Cleanhill Woods.
The sound of rushing water was heard by the group as they headed for the next stop – a craggy gorge known as Corbie Lynne and fabled to be home to a kelpie guarding a pot of gold. It would not be directly affected by the bypass but the road would run between the gorge and the main house.
After taking photos for their records, the group walked to another wood behind the house, directly following the line of the bypass. Red squirrel boxes were nailed to many of the trees along the route.
The boxes proved controversial during evidence at the inquiry after it emerged witness Anthony Hawkins, a research biologist, had helped Mr Irvine-Fortescue put them up. It was suggested he had been aiming to increase the species’ population to bolster his argument about the need for their conservation in the area.
Finally, the group headed to a high point in Craigingles Wood to see another part of the estate garden. The land borders the Blairs Estate, soon to be home to Paul Lawrie’s £115million golf course.
Today the Reporters will continue their work with visits to the Camphill Community and the Silverburn Community.
