A band of stalwarts in a Moray town are readying themselves for months of back-breaking work to complete the restoration of a historical landmark.
For more than a year the Cullen Past and Present Volunteer group has been aiming to improve access to Castle Hill in a £16,000 project.
Members have already spent countless hours clearing away tonnes of gorse and weeds to allow walkers to get to the summit.
But now their cause has been boosted after they were given approval to create a network of paths on the slopes.
Yesterday group chairman Dennis Paterson revealed work would begin in July to create walkways to the summit from the location of an ancient moat that used to encircle the castle.
He said: “This has always been the ultimate aim. We still need permission to do the lower half but now we are allowed to do the top I don’t think that will be an issue.
“If everything goes to plan then we could get it finished in spring next year.
“A lot of the work has been done by volunteers, some of it has been back-breaking. We’ll need to get a digger in now but the costs should be kept down by us doing a lot of the manual work.”
Historic Environment Scotland had to be approached for consent to create the paths due to the hill’s historic significance.
Archaeologists will keep watch during the work to ensure care is taken around historical artefacts.
The ruins, which are known locally as “the folly”, are steeped in history as the site where Robert the Bruce’s wide Elizabeth de Burgh died in 1327 and a strategic meeting point for the Duke of Cumberland’s army before victory over Bonnie Prince Charlie at Culloden.
It was also the scene of the Battle of Bauds between native Scots and Viking invaders in 962AD.
Permission has also been granted to erect a flagpole at the summit so the coat of arms of the royal burgh can be proudly displayed above the town.
Efforts to kick-start the project have been bolstered by fundraising events as well as grants from Scotmid and Tesco.
Member Steve Horrocks added: “It’s exciting to be at the final planning stage now. It’s taken a while to get here. We just need to work out the logistics and the materials that are needed.”
