Beach sand plan may be bunkered

The plan to move sand to Aberdeen has raised concern

Aberdeen is set to battle Montrose for sand which it is hoped will save the city's beach.

About 100,000 tonnes of sand has been earmarked to be taken from Montrose to shore up the Aberdeen beachfront.

However golfers in the Angus town say the proposal means that their erosion threatened course could be sacrificed.

The plan to take sand dredged from Montrose harbour in Angus up to Aberdeen was recently unveiled by the Scottish Executive.

'Great asset'

Members at Montrose Golf Links argue one of the oldest courses in the world should be preserved.

One member, Montrose Central councillor Terry Wood, told BBC Scotland: "The golf links is a great asset to Montrose.

"The golfers believe the sand should be used to protect the golf course dunes.

"They cannot understand why it is going to Aberdeen when it is needed to protect our own beach from erosion.

Golfers in Montrose fear they may suffer as a result of the plan

"The Golf Links Trust would have to realign the course."

The executive announced the funding package to bring in more sand after Aberdeen City Council officials warned that the city's sands could be lost in about 100 years, with homes and businesses destroyed by flooding.

The scheme would replenish Aberdeen with thousands of tonnes of sand from Montrose harbour.

The project was born after a previous funding scheme for the beach was turned down by the executive.