Peffery Way group blazing a safe trail between Dingwall and Strathpeffer launches fresh appeal
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A GROUP trailblazing a safe walking and cycling link between Dingwall and Strathpeffer has launched a £10,000 appeal for funding to help complete the next section.
The Peffery Way Association (PWA) project will result in a route that allows walkers and cyclists to avoid the busy A834 between the two communities.
It also fits in with current guidance on choosing active travel for health and environmental reasons.
PWA chairman Ron McAulay said the route of the path has been chosen to avoid steep gradients, ensuring people of all abilities can use it and avoid having to walk or cycle on the "very busy and dangerous" A834.
To date, just over half of the route has been built and during the Covid-19 lockdown, increased numbers of people were using the path to take their daily exercise.
The path has been progressed in phases so far and the next phase to be tackled is one that links two previously built sections. Once this section is complete, it will create a length of finished path just under 2.5km long from just outside Dingwall to a point close to Fodderty.
The Peffery Way Association is a charity registered in Scotland. It has seven trustees and around 200 members. It was formed in 2015 with the sole aim of creating an ALL abilities cycle and foot path between Strathpeffer and Dingwall.
In 2017, full planning permission was granted for the entire route of the Peffery Way which largely follows the line of the old railway between Strathpeffer and Fodderty and then runs parallel to the operational railway between Fodderty and Dingwall.
Since 2017, it has managed to complete just over 3km of the path. The entire route of the path will be 6km long.
Mr McAulay said: “Earlier this year, we managed to raise sufficient funds to allow us to construct the foundation or main structure of a difficult 350m long section of the path which runs over undulating ground on a steep slope beside the operational railway. We need another £10,000 to allow us to complete this section with the top layer of stone and the surface of whin dust. We are keen to get this work completed before the winter sets in and are asking people to help us by donating on our website."
To donate or find out more see www.pefferywayassociation.scot .
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