Work to start soon on safer access at Cairngorms beach beauty spot
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) hopes to start work on a new multi-user footpath by Loch Morlich to improve pedestrian safety this autumn.
The government agency has also ruled out the use of the Hayfield at peak times to help deal with parking problems in Glenmore.
An FLS spokesman told the Strathy: “We are continuing to work with Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and VisitScotland on the multi-use path project, and are looking to start work once visitor numbers decrease this autumn.
“The project will make significant improvements to pedestrian and road safety at Glenmore, in particular to the area between the beach and the visitor centre where there are considerable issues with roadside parking.
“We continue to look at options for providing safe and appropriate facilities for visitors throughout Glenmore.
“The existing car park at the Hayfield is often under-used and we will promote this better to provide an alternative when the beach car park is full.
“The Hayfield itself is next to some particularly sensitive wildlife habitat so it would not be appropriate to expand parking into this area.”
Highland Council convener Bill Lobban had suggested the field be used for car parking at busy times in summer to alleviate traffic problems on the Cairngorm ski road by the loch.
Cairngorm and Glenmore is the most popular countryside destination in the national park attracting more than one million visits per year and boasts some of the country’s finest native woodland and mountain habitats.
Pete Crane, CNPA’s head of visitor services, said: “It is truly a great place for nature and people. However, right now there isn’t even a path along the road from the village to the beach.
“This project funded by VisitScotland-managed Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund, FLS, CNPA and Scottish Government is to build a new path, with safe road crossing points, from the Hayfield Bridge to the beach car park.
“This links to all the car parks in the village and will make it easy for us all to safely access the attractions from the Reindeer Centre, cafés and visitor centre to the watersports.
“It will also link with the Old Logging Way path, used by 60,000 people a year, and the wider Glenmore path network including the very popular path out to the Green Lochan.”
