A well-trodden riverside walk that was closed to the public following a 600-tonne landslide is to be reopened.
Blairgowrie’s historic Oakbank Road, on the edge of the river Ericht, was fenced off two years ago, amid health and safety fears.
Last year Perth and Kinross Council said the cost of making the damaged route safe again could run into millions of pounds and announced that the pathway would be shut indefinitely.
However, the local authority agreed to investigate alternative solutions after an appeal by residents. The town’s community council argued that the trail was the only direct route to the iconic Cargill’s Leap beauty spot and was important to local tourism.
Now, members of the council’s environment committee have unanimously approved plans to reopen the road at a cost of £100,000.
New fencing will be installed at the edge of the path and signs will be put in place to warn visitors of potential risks.
Councillor Dennis Melloy described the area around Oakbank Road as the “jewel in the crown” of Blairgowrie and pressed for it to be kept open.
He said: “I was brought up in the town and know first-hand how popular Oakbank Road has been for generations of residents and visitors who walk down to view Donald Cargill’s leap, watch the salmon fighting to get up the Ericht, the history of the jute mills and let’s not forget the berry farming, all on this wee bit of road.”
Mr Melloy said the stretch was an integral part of the Cateran Trail and brought visitors to the area, boosting the local economy.