Lights are on track... for Aviemore short cut

A POPULAR short cut in Aviemore from the village centre to the main housing in the north is to be lit up.

Highland Council chiefs are to install street lighting this spring on the track

running from the rear of the Dell of Spey to Dalnabay.

It follows a request by Highlands regional MSP Rhoda Grant (Labour) who raised safety concerns on behalf of local residents.

Mrs Grant complained lack of street lighting along the path made the route extremely dangerous for the public particularly in the winter months.

The southern section of the track is also used by traffic departing the Strathspey Steam railway for accessing Old Dalfaber Road.

One local resident told the Strathy the addition of lighting is long overdue.

He said: “It is pitch black in winter months and I have to use a torch when walking down there.

“Cyclists, walkers and dog walkers are regularly surprised by figures looming out of the darkness.

It is not conducive to the safety of vulnerable people at all.”

The footpath stretching around one kilometre runs parallel to the steam railway line and past the old railway workshops used by the operators.

It is a very popular shortcut for residents of Osprey Grange, Dalnabay, and the wider Dalfaber area.

One Dalfaber house-

holder said: “It’s a long and dark walk along that

track. It can be a bit spooky especially past the old haunted railway workshop. I always find it’s best to have a bit of Dutch courage inside if tackling it late at night.”

Mrs Grant said residents had contacted her saying the road was an accident waiting to happen and raised the concerns in a letter to Highland Council’s chief executive Donna Manson.

The council boss replied, granting the request.

She stated: “This is a section of footway that is not adopted by the Highland Council and is privately owned by Seafield Estates.

“We would not normally consider lighting unadopted roads and there is

no lighting budget for this.

“However, in this instance it happens that Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership have identified this as an active travel route.

“They have the required funding for this and so the Highland Council will supply a lighting design to light the path and HITRANs have gained permission from Seafield Estates to allow them to carry out these works.

“The works are planned for early in the new financial year so should be in place before next winter.”

Mrs Grant told the Strathy: “I was so pleased to receive this reply as were the residents.

“I will be keeping my eye on this to ensure this promised timeline is met.”

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