Disabled access plans for Crieff trail

Nicole Reid • Published 24 May 2012 09:30

AFTER years of campaigning a popular walk can now be improved in Crieff thanks to fundraising efforts in the town.

In a final push to raise funds, Acorn Dell - the piece of ground linking Laggan Road and Lady Mary's Walk - now officially belongs to Crieff.

Stuart McLaren, who has been spearheading efforts to buy the patch of land, has been hoping to make Lady Mary's Walk wheelchair friendly and improve the uneven path.

In order to make the busy walkway - near Macrosty Park carpark - more community friendly, they needed to purchase the land before they could get to work. Efforts to acquire the land for the community date back years, but it was only last year a real opportunity to buy it arose.

Valued at £200, 000 by its previous owners the price became attainable after one of the businessmen donated his half to the town. With grants from Perth and Kinross Council, the Quality of Life Trust and the Drummond Foundation it was up to the community chiefs to raise the rest.

Thanks to generous donations from the people of Crieff, the target was reached and now Acorn Dell is in community ownership.

Stuart told the Strathallan Times: "I am delighted Acorn Dell is now in community ownership, and it is thanks to many hardworking fundraisers of Crieff and of course the generous giving of many donations from the community."

But the hard work doesn't stop there, as Stuart explained their next challenge is to upgrade the whole area.

As well as improving the "uneven and rough" path, they hope to improve the surrounding area associated with the land and already have interested Crieff in Leaf members planning tree planting.

Stuart said: "This path is a vital community asset and would benefit many if we could improve it. It will allow us to create a path that is fit for disabled people to use and will link a way from Crieff to Comrie through this popular walk.

"Many dog walkers use this path and it can get extremely busy through the summer months so this will really benefit the community. I want to thank everyone for their support."

The group will now be approaching the Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust to progress the upgrades.

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