FOOD ingredients firm Macphie has donated £30,000 towards the creation of a new coastal path from St Cyrus to Aberdeen in North East Scotland.
The Platinum Jubilee Coastal Path, named in honour of Queen Elizabeth II’s 70 years on the throne, will stretch around 90 miles from St Cyrus to Cullen, taking in 30 settlements and scenery including castles, stacks, beaches, and waterfalls.
The company, currently celebrating 50 years at its rural Aberdeenshire base, pledged to donate £50,000 to good causes as a gesture of gratitude to the communities which have helped the family-owned firm grow.
The five-figure donation, which has been paid over the course of the last three years, will support the project by facilitating two dedicated project officers.
James Ferrier, one of the Project Managers for Kincardineshire who will benefit from the funding said: “Our goal is to ensure the coastal route is not lost.
“The work so far has benefited the local community by providing paths to link the settlements and has helped put the area on the tourist map.
“My colleague Caspar Lampkin and I are responsible for the development of the trail and for creating sustainable strategies for the route.
“There is still a substantial amount of work still to be done over the next three to five years and obtaining funding like this from Macphie is essential to allow us to progress a project of this size.”
While many sections of the path already exist, vital stretches are needed to join them together.
The idea was stimulated by the work of MERCHAT (Mearns Coastal Heritage Trail), which is affiliated with Tangleha Artists Collective.
Working closely with Aberdeenshire Council; the group has been upgrading and restoring the route since 2018.
The Lord Lieutenant for Kincardineshire and Chairman of Macphie, Alastair Macphie, has championed the initiative to extend the path, and believes it is key to enhancing the facilities for residents, visitors, and local businesses.
He said: “Macphie has a long association with the communities along the Aberdeenshire coastline.
“We are pleased to support this exciting project which will showcase the region’s natural beauty and bring benefits to residents and tourists alike.
“We hope this project will leave a legacy within Aberdeenshire and bring local communities together.
“The creation of the Platinum Jubilee Coastal Path over the coming years will be a great asset for tourism and social capital and with funding in place, significant progress has already been made on the path.
“Community groups have developed multiple sections of the path which we now plan to link together as well as repair some areas that have suffered from erosion.”
Last year, Macphie donated over £31,000 to over 100 local causes including youth football teams, community events, golf courses, green spaces and play parks across Aberdeenshire.
