Walking back to health on new Carr-Bridge path
Walking back to health on new Carr-Bridge path
The latest path to receive the Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust (COAT) treatment is making a big impact on the people of Carr-Bridge and – in addition – COAT is introducing a regular health walk in the village.
It might only be 1km in length but the Riverside Walk along the River Dulnain from the Old Bridge in the centre of the village to the Gurkha Bridge upstream is giving residents and visitors to Carr-Bridge an accessible, enjoyable riverside walk for the first time, linking in with other paths around the village via Station Road and the Main Road.
The path is proving extremely popular already and caters for most abilities due to its design. It is attracting a wide range of users from families with small children to some of the village’s more elderly residents – and plenty of visitors to Carr-Bridge have been enjoying the path too.
Opening the new path today (Friday 4 June) and enjoying Carr-bridge’s first health walk were two local residents who have overcome recent ill health. Mairi Robertson (Grantown Primary School Head Teacher) is making a remarkable recovery after she collapsed in December last year from an aneurism and Carr-Bridge Community Council member Robert McInnes, who is recovering from cancer. Mairi and Robert live on opposite sides of the River Dulnain with both their homes overlooking the new path.
Speaking at the opening Mairi said: “I’m delighted to be here at the opening of the new path: it’s fantastic for the village and I’ve been using it already! I’m also very delighted that there is to be a regular health walk in Carr-Bridge. It’s definitely something that I will be taking part in. It will help my recovery a great deal and get me out and about with confidence.”
Robert has overseen the construction of the path by local path building firm McGowan Outdoor Access. He added: “There has always been a path of sorts along the riverside but over the years it has become so badly damaged by flooding and there were barriers such as stiles, it virtually made it a no-go-zone. The Carr-Bridge Community Council was keen to see something done about it. The new path is tremendous and I see so many different people using it – it’s really busy and popular with locals and visitors alike.”
Among the works carried out on the Riverside Path include raising the height of the path to avoid future flood damage, fences have been replaced, and there are frequent rest stops with seats and benches, ideal for those embarking on a Health Walk.
Alan Melrose, Health Walks Co-ordinator with COAT commented: “We have been looking to start a Health Walk in Carr-Bridge for some time now and this new path is a great way to kick that initiative off. Health walks are designed to be short, safe and targeted at people who would benefit – both physically and mentally – from increasing their physical activity.”
Local councillor and Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) board member Dave Fallows said: “Good quality paths in and around communities that cater for a range of users can make a big impact and we are happy to support projects like this one in Carr-bridge. Good quality path networks can help promote responsible outdoor access and they also encourage people to get out and about improving their health and wellbeing.”
Speaking at the opening Ewan Thain, West Cairngorms Access Project Officer for COAT said: “We are very grateful to all our funders for supporting the Trust and allowing us to improve access to the outdoors for communities throughout the National Park. This path is a great example of what can be achieved.”
Funding for the Riverside Path has come from a variety of sources including COAT, CNPA, Cairngorms Local Action Group EU LEADER, Scottish Natural Heritage, Highland Council and Paths for All.
The Cairngorms Outdoor Access Trust is actively seeking more community groups to join as affiliate members so that they can keep up to date with COATS’s work in the west of the National Park. Ewan is keen to hear from community groups in the area and can be contacted through the Trust’s website. More information on health walks can also be found on the COAT website.
Alert
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Relevant alerts
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Update - 21:55
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service have shared that emergency services continue to tackle a large-scale wildfire covering more than two kilometres in width near to Glenmore.
A number of homes and businesses, including campsites and ski resorts within the Glenmore Forest Park area, have been closed and evacuated as a safety precaution due to the close proximity to the incident.
As of 9pm on Wednesday night (15 July), Scottish Fire and Rescue Service currently has six fire appliances, a wildfire unit, specialist resources and tactical commanders mobilised to the scene after the alarm was raised just before 12 noon earlier today.
Firefighters are working with landowners to contain the incident and create fire breaks, with high winds causing the fire to spread across areas of trees and woodland. There are no reported casualties.
Road closures continue to be in place to support the emergency response, and people are asked to avoid the area within Glenmore Forest Park and Loch Morlich on Thursday, 16 July as this incident continues.
We will share updates as the situation develops. In the meantime, our thanks go out to the emergency services, gamekeepers, NGO and estate staff and many others from across the community who are working non-stop to get these fires under control, and providing support to those affected.
Update - 20:06
Emergency services and partners are continuing to respond to this wildfire. A number of properties and premises in the area have been evacuated as a precaution. The Ski Road is currently closed. Anyone walking in the Cairngorms should avoid the area and let family or friends know when they have returned.
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The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and partners are currently in attendance at a large fire in the open near to Ryvoan Bothy within the Cairngorms National Park.
Due to large volumes of smoke travelling towards populated areas nearby, residents in Aviemore, Glenmore and the surrounding communities should keep their windows and doors closed. If you are within this area and can see or smell smoke, please follow the same advice. If you are aware of someone hiking in the area, please ask them to get themselves safely off the hill as soon as possible.
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has asked that people avoid the Glenmore and Aviemore area, and remain vigilant. Our thanks go to all those engaged in active firefighting - we will post further updates when we have them.
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Very high fire risk - 15 to 20 July
The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has issued a very high wildfire warning impacting areas of the National Park on Wednesday 15 until Monday 20 July. If you are out and about in the Cairngorms National Park please observe the following guidance:
- Do not light any fire or barbecue, in line with the new fire byelaw
- Always ensure cigarettes are fully extinguished and take your litter (including glass) away with you
- Enjoy the outdoors responsibly - most wildfires are caused by human activity
- Stay alert - with dry vegetation and warm weather, fires can start easily, spread rapidly, and burn intensely
- If you see a wildfire, dial 999
For further updates on wildfire risk across Scotland, visit the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website. To find out more about the fire byelaw, and to see your questions answered, visit our fire byelaw page here.