A riverside path popular with walkers will be given a new lease of life after being “ripped apart” by floods.
Lover’s Walk in Peterculter is a half-mile stretch of path which hugs the banks of the River Dee.
After being repeatedly battered by rising water levels a section of the concrete walkway was “ripped apart” leaving nothing but an unpassable ditch.
But Culter Community Council has managed to raise £27,000 after securing a grant from the city council’s common good fund, their own online crowdfunding and donations from individuals.
With the cash in place, civil engineering firm Nicol of Skene has been selected as the contractor for the project to restore the path.
The ditch left by the floods will be fixed and replaced by fresh concrete on May 10 leaving a path able to withstand the rising waters of the River Dee.
Peter Brawley from Culter Community Council said: “We have a section of concrete and that was ripped apart by the floods.
“It has all been churned up and has taken away the path. All that is left is a V-shaped ditch.
“There’s been a path here for years. It starts at the heritage centre and goes for around half a mile. It is a beautiful walk.
“We don’t own the land but we do have responsibility for maintaining it so we work with the council and Scottish Water on it.”
Culter Community Council’s former chairman David Wakefield, who stepped down from the role after more than 30 years earlier this year, will project manage the upgrade work.
He has previously lead a group of volunteers to maintain Lover’s Walk and will be helping out once again to make sure people can enjoy it this summer.
Nicola Window, who is also a member of the community council and is in charge of the online crowdfunder, said the success means the “much-treasured” asset will be around for years to come whatever the weather.
She said: “A lot of effort was made in previous years to maintain the path and the recent flooding completely washed away some of the path.
“It is a much-treasured asset to the community, and we are determined to upgrade it so that future weather events won’t be so destructive, giving access to all users.
“We were so thrilled that the money was raised by the community, through Just Giving, private donations and from the Aberdeen City Council Common good fund.
“It is a great outcome in a very short period of time.”
For more information about the Lover’s Walk restoration project and Culter Community Council visit https://bit.ly/3dzz4Dd
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