For this particular project the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) in conjunction the Anagach Woods Trust, (AWT) wished to upgrade the existing Speyside Way route through Anagach Woods and in particular to realign a short section of a steep, narrow and poorly drained path within the woods. Philip Thompson Ltd were engaged to review the existing path condition and identify the best method of upgrading the existing route. Additionally the brief required the company to provide a new realigned section to increase the accessibility for path users.

Following these early phases, the company was also engaged to apply for Planning approval from Highland Council for the overall project. Having completed all the offsite approval documentation, including the successful application for a grant to fund a major part of the project, the company undertook the project management for the construction phase. The works were undertaken over an eight week period and completed in early 2023.

The section of the Speyside Way that passes through Anagach woods (just under 4kms) is used not only by visitors but is also a very popular walking route for locals. There are a variety of routes through the woods and the proposed path realigning allows a much more accessible route for path users.

Realigned route - 685m. This section of path was notable for its steep gradients, narrow width and open watercourses crossing the path route. The intention was to realign the steepest sections to reduce gradients to a more moderate and user friendly vertical alignment. At the same time, the path would be widened to 2m, to be consistent with other upgraded sections of the Speyside Way and additionally cross path watercourses would be culverted. By forming this realigned path, access to the wider path network becomes available to less mobile path users. This route will also allow a good circular link path for local use, in addition to improving the overall condition of the Speyside Way for the many thousands of users.

A feature of the realigned path is to weave the route between existing trees, thereby mitigating any tree felling requirements.

For the remaining 2.96km of the Speyside Way going through Anagach Woods the gradients are relatively low and often within the margins of 5%. As a general rule of thumb the path width becomes less and less the further out the path went from Grantown-on-Spey to Nether Port in the east, the variability changing from 1.8m to 1.2m in width. Nevertheless, for the purposes of the Speyside Way it was considered that the path should be consistent throughout i.e. widening to 2m, installing drainage ditches and culverts where required and re-surfacing to raise up a cambered path.