Aberdeenshire Council is ramping up its efforts to create a scenic 91-mile coastal path and bring more tourists to the region.
Council chiefs will join forces with local communities and other organisations to establish a long, continuous coastal route from St Cyrus to Cullen.
The Coast Aberdeenshire project was initially launched in 2020 to enhance “one of the best coastlines in the world” and create more walking paths for locals and visitors.
The aim is to essentially link all coastal towns in the region with a 91-mile route, stretching from the far south to the far north of Aberdeenshire.
Councillors now want to bring council-led projects and community initiatives together in an effort to achieve the most efficient results, while also speeding up the process.
Members of the infrastructure services committee unanimously welcomed the strategy, describing it as a “game-changer” for the region and a “boon to coastal communities”.
Speaking at a meeting yesterday, they said this would boost the local economy and improve local residents’ quality of life by offering more options for active travel.
Chairman John Crawley believes that working together with communities and other organisations will be the best way forward to achieve this goal.
He said: “This will help deliver the aspirations of some partners and communities to link together coastal and inland paths into a potential long distance continuous route.
“We have pledged to continue supporting community groups and identify the various funding streams which could be utilised to develop new sections of the coastal path.
“The establishment of a forum for the project will also help in the coordination of these hugely important improvements.”
Strong community efforts to enhance Aberdeenshire coast
While the council is currently not in a position to develop new sections of the coastal path, it will provide help and support to communities to deliver the missing path links.
The Coastal Aberdeenshire project has proved useful in the last two years in identifying areas which need to be upgraded or repaired.
This includes having a broader look at where additional public toilets or car parks can be built to improve the experience for visitors.
Meanwhile, there have also been a number of community-led coastal path improvements in Aberdeenshire over recent years.
The Mearns Coastal Heritage Trail has been working with Tangleha Artists Collective since 2019 to restore the once well-trodden path between St Cyrus and Johnshaven.
Last year, they launched an even more ambitious plan to extend the path to Cullen – creating a 90-mile route with 30 settlements, castles, sea stacks, beaches and waterfalls.
Isobel Davidson, vice-chairwoman of the infrastructure services committee, added: “We are pleased to support this as it will bring benefits to local communities and the local economy which long distance walking routes can provide.”
