Upgrade completed on New Elgin shared use path

Work has been completed on a shared use path which provides a traffic-free route through a busy part of Elgin.

The £310,000 project in New Elgin has been funded by sustainable travel charity Sustrans as part of its community links programme.

The 3m wide path will help to encourage walking and cycling to the new Elgin High School for pupils and for other members of the fast-growing New Elgin community.

The route follows that of an existing path which was upgraded and widened to accommodate pedestrians and cyclists.

It links the expanding residential areas of south-west Elgin to the new high school currently under construction.

The school campus – due for completion later this year – will be a community facility and will have a high usage level outwith school hours.

The upgraded path, which runs for 1km, also links with the core paths network in the surrounding countryside and with the national cycle route.

Moray Council transportation technician Katherine Forrest, who oversaw the project, said: “The old narrow path has been upgraded to provide adequate space for both cyclists and pedestrians to safely use the shared path and enjoy their journeys.

“We would like to take the opportunity to thank local residents for their goodwill and co-operation during the six months that the contractor was on site.”

Moray Council area stretches from Tomintoul in the south to the shores of the Moray Firth, from Keith in the east to Forres in the west. The council and its 4,500 employees respond to the needs of 95,510 residents in this beautiful part of Scotland, which nestles between Aberdeenshire and the Highlands.

Famous for its colony of dolphins, fabulous beaches and more malt whisky distilleries than any where else in Scotland, Moray is a thriving area and a great place to live.

Headquartered in  Elgin, the administrative capital of Moray.