There is a review of the Core Path Network and you can contact the Access Officer Matt Dent for details. His contact details are on the Highland Council web site. You can see the letter below.
I have today input my own comments as below as a result of receiving the letter dated June 2013 which I received in November:
Matt,
Further to our discussions and emails, I submit below my comments and suggestions regarding the CPN review.
1. Improving connectivity –
There are many places along the north coast, our area of interest in the light of the North Highland Way, where connectivity could be achieved. There was a petition carried out for improvements to access at the eastern side of Dunnet Head but this was suppressed by the Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council. We will raise another petition over the summer and submit it directly to THC. The western side of Dunnet Head is well used and could easily be incorporated into the CPN.
Given the new skate park at Murkle, there could be connectivity between Thurso and the new facility. This could potentially be upgraded to be a cycle track as well as a walking route.
On the western side of Thurso, a link could be made between Holborn Head and Ness of Litter.
The route from John o Groats to Brough Bay is very well used and could be included in the CPN.
2. All core paths should be usable by non motorised vehicles as per SOAC. Clearly it is not safe for horses to be on cliff top paths, but all other routes should on CPN should be usable by horses and even carriage drivers.
3. Review mapping …. no comments at this stage.
4. Work with LDP team. It is well known by now that the Vice Chair of the Dunnet & Canisbay Community Council is also the Chair of the Caithness Access Forum and there have been efforts to undermine work done by the Dunnet Head Educational Trust and Brough Bay Ltd. by this person. We would ask that all correspondence relating to access be sent to myself when it is sent to other interested parties.
Aspirational routes should include all of the north coast in the light of the North Highland Way, but I do realise that this would be a tall order. If it is possible to put the whole coast line between John o Groats and Cape Wrath as an aspirational route, it would potentially help in the long term development of the North Highland Way.
It is disappointing that documentation relating to the the aspirational routes and wider access network routes as drawn up prior to the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 seems to have gone missing and I will be raising this matter with the Director of Planning and Development. Undoubtedly this will have an impact on how routes are developed now. A lot of time, money and effort both by THC and the public was spent on developing those plans and it is not acceptable that they are not available.
I look forward to receiving your comments, and to receiving the review of the CPNs once it is complete. However, I do realise that this is an ongoing process, but there will no doubt be a report at some stage.
Best regards.
It should be noted by all that any intellectual property rights around the development of the North Highland Way belong to Brough Bay Ltd. t/a LetsGoNorth.
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