A new scheme designed to protect Kingussie from flooding has been given the go ahead by a planning committee.
The project in the hills above the Badenoch town is designed to divert excess storm water into Loch Gynack instead of towards Kingussie.
The town has been badly hit by flooding in recent years, most recently in August 2014 when bridges were brought down and high school and rail stations flooded.
The new scheme will be built on the Pitmain Estate and will divert water from the Allt Mhor into Loch Gynack via a channel of about 1,300 yards
The Allt Mhor is a major tributary of the Gynack Burn which flows through the town and has been responsible for flooding events.
The scheme was approved a meeting of the Cairngorms National Park Authority planning committee in Ballater yesterday morning, where a call was made for similar plans to be considered for elsewhere in the park.
The national park’s planning convener Eleanor Mackintosh said: “Flooding is one of the key issues to be considered when the consultation on the next National Park Partnership Plan is launched later this month. With partners, we’ll be looking to see how we can create better flood defences in vulnerable areas.
“This application is a positive step towards reducing the flood risk to Kingussie and perhaps something that could be looked at for other places in the national park where flooding is an issue.”
The scheme received backing from the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and Highland Council’s flood risk management team which believes that there would be “a significant reduction” in flood risk for Kingussie.
Ailsa Schofield, chairwoman of Kingussie Community Council, said the body was “fully supportive” of the plans, which it believes “will provide significant alleviation of flooding in the town”.