About £200,000 will be spent to upgrade a footpath through a “dramatic and wild place” in Skye.
Specialist contractor Arran Footpath Partnership has begun work on the restoration project in the heart of Glen Sligachan.
The work has been commissioned by the John Muir Trust and will take place over several years.
The first phase is focused on a remote site five miles from Sligachan, where surface water, combined with footfall, has created a bare gully four miles long, up to 23ft wide and three feet deep.
It will involve three-and-half months work and will cost about £70,000, including helicopter lifts.
The second phase is scheduled to start in October next year, with the final stage expected in 2017.
Chris Goodman, footpath officer for the John Muir Trust, said: “Glen Sligachan is a dramatic wild place where you feel far removed from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It lingers in the memory of all those who visit.
“But in heavy rain, water cascades down the path line and, with no vegetation or roots to hold the soil together, more and more of the ground is being washed away exposing loose scree.
“The resulting scar is already visible from the slopes of nearby Bla Bheinn, and is growing longer, wider and deeper year on year.
“The repair work aims to reduce the visibility of the path within the wider landscape, and to reduce trampling and exposure of peat on the Sligachan Peatlands, a special area of conservation.
“Although the work will involve the construction of man-made features such as steps and drains, our plan is to construct these in a more organic style. We’ve also chosen a natural meandering line for the path so it will blend into the landscape, with more natural contours.”