A path will be created in the Cairngorms to connect two attractions in an attempt to keep tourists in the area for longer.
Work to upgrade the Speyside Way will include a new quarter-mile route linking Glenlivet Distillery and Blairfindy Castle.
It is hoped the new path will provide easier access to the ruin, which is due to open in spring 2020 following stabilisation work.
Much needed work on the Speyside Way’s spur between Glenlivet and Tomintoul will run until the end of August to upgrade sections that frequently become wet and muddy.
The Cairngorm National Park Authority (CNPA) and Tomintoul and Glenlivet Landscape Partnership (TGLP) project also includes replacing boardwalks with a raised path and chain gates with ones that are self-closing.
No sections of the path will be closed during the work although some walkers may have to wait to be guided through sites where improvements are being made.
Douglas Stewart, CNPA’s outdoor access officer, said: “These improvements mark the culmination of much hard work on behalf of all the TGLP partners and we eagerly await the results which will greatly improve opportunities for visitors and locals alike to experience and enjoy this special part of the Cairngorms National Park.”
Polly Freeman, a land management officer at TGLP, said: “The improvements to the Speyside Way spur will make a huge difference to people’s enjoyment of the route, and help them to appreciate the amazing landscape they are travelling through.”
A drop-in session about the work will take place with the project team on Thursday at Tomintoul’s Discovery Centre from 1pm to 4pm.