Military road could ease the way

The ruins of Ruthven Barracks near Kingussie

A long-distance walk could be extended by using a military road built to suppress Jacobite rebellion.

There are moves to stretch the 84 mile (135km) Buckie to Aviemore trek on to Newtonmore.

Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) is suggesting the old Wade Road be used to take it as far as Dalraddy, just south of Aviemore.

General Wade led the building of 250 miles of roads to help the government counter any uprisings.

The programme was hugely expensive and included the construction of barracks such as Ruthven, near Kingussie.

Wade's building scheme was scaled down in the early 1740s.

CNPA's board has agreed to recommend to Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) that the road be used for the proposed extension.

Preferred route

A public consultation in late 2004 and early 2005 helped to identify a preferred route most of the way to Newtonmore.

However, there were difficulties in determining the best way to go between Aviemore and Dalraddy.

This led to further consultation on whether to use the old Wade Road that runs through Kinrara Estate or along the north shore of Loch Alvie near to the A9.

Bob Grant, CNPA's senior outdoor access officer, said: "Of the 45 responses that we received none favoured the Loch Alvie option, while 21 respondents, including the two community councils, expressed a preference for the Wade Road option."