1st April 2010
12th May 2009
What a difference a year can make. When this first photo was taken last May, the part of the Aber Path by the Millennium Hall down to the 'shortcut' was a pleasant footpath with a canopy of trees - a shady start to the walk down to the Loch. When I walked up there today it has become a highway for diggers with caterpillar tractor wheels tearing up the path. The trees have been cut back and completely removed and along with them the ancient stone wall which has been replaced by a wooden fence.
So sad to see the countryside spoiled like this. Farm vehicle access to the field was possible from the other fields around and certainly at present access for walkers is extremely difficult. Boots are essential and be prepared to get bogged down in places. At the very top by the gates (which have been moved around to make way for the heavy earth moving equipment) the only safe path is along by the hedge. As this area is outside the 'village envelope' and therefore will not be considered by planning authorities for housing development, it is difficult to see what the changes can achieve.
The layout and pattern of fields is very much a part of the local heritage and needs to be respected and preserved. This is very clearly demonstrated in the leaflet that Scottish Natural Heritage produced to enable people to appreciate the Aber Path and learn about what can be seen along the way. This shows how the pattern of fields has changed hardly at all since they were marked on a map in 1865 and are still recognisable from the air today. At last month's heritage group meeting, a copy of this amazing map which forms a book of maps and which covers the whole of the Parish of Kilmaronock was available for inspection. It is a sizeable tome and when opened out would cover a table that could comfortably seat four for a meal (once the map had been removed of course).
Any regular readers of this blog will notice that I have also made a few changes to design and layout which I hope you find pleasing. It keeps me amused to play around with all the various tools that are provided by Blogger.
