Councillors have agreed to push ahead with plans to create a new cycle path linking two Aberdeenshire communities.
Members of Garioch Area Committee have endorsed plans to create a shared cycle and walking path linking Kintore to Blackburn beside the A96 Aberdeen to Inverness road.
The route, running alongside the road, was chosen by local cyclists during a recent consultation exercise amid hopes it will encourage more people to cycle to work.
The same survey, which attracted 390 responses, found that around three quarters of people felt that improving the nearby Skair Road would encourage more recreational cycling.
An amendment was put forward by councillor Martin Ford at the online meeting, to consider improving the countryside track for that purpose.
Mr Ford said: “Personally, I prefer cycling along this route as along the A96 I find it’s quite noisy and there’s the fumes from the cars.
“However this was the preferred option for commuters travelling to their work.
“Generally speaking, I am very supportive of encouraging more people to cycle. There is clearly a demand for this especially right now, you’re seeing cyclists everywhere.”
The cycle path which the council will plough £40,000 into for design work, will start at Broomhill Roundabout, parallel on the north side of the A96 to the Marshall’s Farm shop underpass.
Cyclists or pedestrians will then be able to use underpass to cross the A96 to access the existing road parallel to the trunk route on the south side, and then use the bridge to cross the A96 and take the existing shared use path into Blackburn.