Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust (PKCT) is today celebrating a £9,702.00 funding boost from SUEZ Communities Trust (formerly SITA Trust) for public access improvements to the Cateran Trail and Mini Trail.

The Cateran Trail, one of Scotland's 29 Great Trails, is a long distance circular route of approximately 64 miles (103 km) that runs between Blairgowrie and the Spittal of Glenshee.

The first part of the project involves improving 145 m of very rough, overgrown path that forms the start of the Cateran Mini Trail at Kirkmichael by surfacing it with compacted gravel and cutting back the overgrown vegetation. Signage and waymarkers will also be upgraded beyond this section of path to help guide walkers across the open hillside towards Lair.

Cateran Mini Trail at Kirkmichael before works

The second part of the project includes improving 20 m of path along the Cateran Trail just north of Kirkmichael by installing drainage and adding gravel to the path surface to prevent it from becoming muddy in wet weather.

Cateran Trail at Loch Cottage north of Kirkmichael before repairs

Andrew Barrie, PKCT Strategic Routes Officer and manager of the Cateran Trail, said

“The Cateran Mini Trail is a circular route connecting Kirkmichael, Lair and Spittal of Glenshee. It’s great for walkers keen on a shorter, two-day walk and shows off some of the best parts of the whole Cateran Trail. By improving the access to it, we hope more people will explore this lovely route. Similarly, the section of the Cateran Trail just north of Kirkmichael offers some of the most peaceful and scenic highlights of the whole Trail. Sorting out the drainage along the path so that people can enjoy the views rather than minding their step will be a great improvement.”

Loch Cottage just off the Cateran Trail north of Kirkmichael

Morag Watson, PKCT Manager said,

“Maintaining the Cateran Trail and Mini Trail is a huge task given the length of the routes and remoteness of some sections. This funding from SUEZ Communities Trust is a great resource for us to get some of these serious trouble spots sorted out for the benefit of all Trail users.”

Marek Gordon, Chairman of SUEZ Communities Trust added

“SUEZ Communities Trust provides funding awards through the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund – an important source of funding which came into effect in April 2015.  The scheme is linked to the Scottish Landfill Tax and encourages landfill site operators to provide contributions to approved bodies, who can then pass the funds onto community and environmental projects. We were delighted to be able to offer funding to Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust.”

For information on how to apply for funding from SUEZ Communities Trust call (01454) 262910 or visit www.suezcommunitiestrust.org.uk 

SUEZ Communities Trust (formerly SITA Trust)

SUEZ Communities Trust is an independent funding body set up in 1997 and provides funding through the Landfill Communities Fund and Scottish Landfill Communities Fund. To date SUEZ Communities Trust has supported more than 3,900 projects to a combined value of over £110 million using tax credits donated by Suez Recycling and Recovery UK (formerly SITA UK).

Scottish Landfill Tax and the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund

The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund (SLCF) is a tax credit scheme, linked to Scottish Landfill Tax that encourages landfill site operators to provide contributions to approved bodies, who can then pass the funds onto community and environmental projects. The SLCF only applies to Scottish Landfill Tax (SLfT) and not to UK Landfill Tax, as it replaced the UK scheme in Scotland on 1st April 2015

For more information please visit http://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/waste/scottish-landfill-communities-fund/ 

For media enquiries about SUEZ Communities Trust please contact our team on 01934 524013 or email

[email protected]

Follow us on Twitter: @suezCT

Like us on Facebook: SUEZ Communities Trust