£750,000 for West Highland Way

Jan 13 2013

Scotland's famous West Highland Way is to benefit from a £750,000 funding boost.

The cash will be spent improving parts of the popular trail, which is 96 miles long and takes walkers from Milngavie to Fort William, and its associated routes in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park areas.

The money is part of £3.15 million being spent improving Scotland's forest estates.

Environment minister Paul Wheelhouse said the funds would help more people enjoy the great outdoors.

As well as the cash for the West Highland Way, a total of £1 million will be spent building more than 11 miles of new paths and upgrading surfaces on the Great Glen Way, which goes between Fort William and Inverness.

Meanwhile, £900,000 has been earmarked for building refurbishment, including installing a biomass-based heating system in the forestry office at Aberfoyle and upgrading workshops in Cairnbaan in West Argyll and Creebridge in Galloway.

A total of £500,000 will go on work to stabilise the slopes above the busy A82 road near Fort William, where the harvesting of older trees is taking place.

The money, which is going to Forestry Commission Scotland, comes after the Scottish Government pledged to start a "building boom" with £205 million extra cash which was made available as a result of the Chancellor's Autumn Statement.

Mr Wheelhouse said: "We want more Scots and visitors to enjoy and have access to Scotland's great outdoors. This funding boost for the Forestry Commission Scotland will help towards achieving that."

He added: "The projects will not only create new work and jobs but will also have a lasting benefit in supporting green tourism in rural parts of Scotland and encouraging people to get involved in physical activity."