Signs have been erected at a north-east beauty spot following a spate of incidents involving dogs falling from the cliffs.
Slains Castle, near Cruden Bay, is a popular walking spot but rescuers after often called out to assist after dogs go over the side of the cliffs.
Now Aberdeenshire Council has erected signs on public land north of the castle, urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead.
Local councillor Alan Fakley has been campaigning for safety improvements at the site for some time.
He said: “The cliffs around Slain’s Castle are beautiful but extremely dangerous.
“I have been campaigning for new signs to be erected in the area in light of the number of dogs falling over the cliff.
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“Whilst I’m glad the sign has been erected I still implore people to look after their family pets and don’t let them fall over the dangerous cliffs.”
The coastguard and RNLI teams in the area have been called to many dog related incidents in the last few years – with eight such call-outs in the Aberdeenshire and Moray area last year.
Despite the fact the lifeboat crews are not obliged to help animals, the teams often respond to the reports and assist coastguards in these cases as owners often get themselves into difficulty attempting to rescue their pet.
A spokesman for the Peterhead RNLI said: “I really hope that the council’s sign does make people appreciate that a lot of dogs are at huge risk if owners don’t put them on a lead.
“I would imagine it will help and really would like for it to make people think about the behaviour at the cliffs.
“Of course we all have these hopes and really I’m not sure what more the council can do.”
Stephen Smith, Peterhead South and Cruden councillor, added: “This has been raised as a concern locally and again at this week meeting of the community association.
“I’m pleased to see some progress on this and hope it serves as a warning to all dog owners to take care of their pet when visiting the castle.”
