Volunteers from SSEN lend helping hand to Beauly Community Council to clear up popular Cnoc walkway as Be the Difference scheme pays dividends
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A popular walkway in Beauly has been made more accessible and safe thanks to a team of volunteers.
Six employees from the Inverness depot of Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Distribution helped clear away stray bushes, brambles and vegetation from Cnoc walkway.
Beauly Community Council has kept it accessible for many years but with an increased risk of flooding from overgrown weeds and brambles blocking the burn, it accepted a helping hand from the volunteers.
They brought with them all the equipment needed for the task, and after carrying out a full risk assessment, set about clearing away the overgrown trees and bushes as well as giving the site a general spruce-up.
It was made possible thanks to SSEN's Be the Difference scheme which gives every employee a day away from their workplace to help a local charity or good cause.
Alex Mohun, project manager at SSEN Distribution, said: "Be the Difference is all about supporting good causes and helping the local community.
"So when I noticed the volunteers out working while walking in the Cnoc over a number of Wednesdays, I asked if there was anything we could do to support.
"The access we have to specialist equipment including mini diggers and chippers can sometimes make all the difference to the community effort so we were delighted to lend a helping hand."
Beauly Community Council treasurer Seona Fraser said: "We’ve been keeping the Cnoc Walkway accessible to locals and tourists by regularly strimming the path for many years. "Unfortunately, brambles and other weeds were encroaching into and over the burn, with a number of blockages which increased the risk of flooding.
"We purchased an industrial brush cutter and hedge trimmer with grant monies, but we needed bigger machines to tackle some of the growth and do the work quicker.
"Needless to say, we were delighted with the offer from SSEN Distribution, and the boys did a fantastic job.
"It’s saved us hours of work and we can now concentrate on clearing the last part of the burn."
