Bridge offers first walking path through Central Scotland
A new bridge is to be built in Stirlingshire creating the first off-road walking route across Central Scotland.
The new £25,000 structure is to be constructed over the Burnfoot Burn in the Endrick Valley.
The Heritage Path project has been made possible through a £22,800 grant from the Brown Forbes Memorial Fund (BFMF) and £4,600 from Forth Valley LEADER.
Once built, the bridge will provide a walkway linking Kippen with Kilsyth.
The Heritage Paths project is a joint venture run by charity group the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society (ScotWays) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
The group has been working to research historic routes in the Campsie Fells area for the last two years with a view to improving access along them.
Heritage Paths said the bridge will enable, for the first time, an off-road walking route through the middle of Scotland, avoiding the busy road networks in Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Project Officer Neil Ramsay said: "This is an incredibly exciting development in the project as this bridge is the last missing link.
"Existing routes such as the West Highland Way are so well known and well travelled and now we can offer people the chance of a new challenge, in new surroundings, to explore the Campsie Fells and its beautiful landscapes.
"The generous funding from both the Brown Forbes Memorial Fund and Forth Valley LEADER is a great boost to the project and will allow the Scottish walking community as well as visitors to enjoy a new walking experience right across the heart of the country."