New footpath signs stolen and damaged in Upper Achintore
A Fort William councillor has expressed serious concern about the damaging and theft of some of the new signboards waymarking the Skeegan’s Way Footpath route at Upper Achintore.
Councillor Thomas MacLennan, fort William and Ardnamurchan, spoke out following a recent meeting of Upper Achintore Regeneration Group (UARG) where the extent of the damage was discussed.
Many locals will recall that the Upper Achintore Regeneration Group (UARG) succeeded in obtaining funding, mainly from HiTrans and Highland Council, for the reconstruction and upgrading of the historic path between Ross Place and the Cow Hill Circular path in Upper Achintore.
The path dates mainly from the 1980s when a team of redundant Wiggins Teape Paper Mill workers created a network of local pathways under the auspices of the Manpower Services Commission.
Former Councillor Donald Cameron, founder of UARG, had the brilliant idea in 2010 of linking several of the paths together, along-with Highland Council core paths and the Scottish Water track to provide a one-kilometre long continuous "green" path from Ross Place (the densest housing in Fort William) all the way through to the Cow Hill circular path.
Funding was kindly donated by the Mushroom Trust for the signage and the logo for the signs was designed by 11-year old Emily Easson from Lundavra Primary School.
TSL Contractors generously donated their time, skills and manpower to erect the signs.
At the most recent UARG committee meeting it was reported that some of the signboards had been damaged, ripped from their posts and stolen.
Councillor MacLennan said: "It is very disheartening to learn that someone has stolen the signs from Skeegan’s Path.
"This is a much-appreciated route which was also the result of a local community-led initiative which greatly improves access in and around the Upper Achintore area and it is very disappointing to learn that someone has vandalised the path in this way."
A spokesman for the Regeneration Group said: "We are seeking additional funding to replace the damaged signage but we earnestly plea with the community to protect the signs - particularly as they were designed by local primary school student Emily and much of the original path construction was done by, and is a legacy of, Lochaber’s pulp and paper mill workers."
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