A new initiative has begun which will see young people restore and transform part of the Scottish landscape.

The Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) aims to lead work on the landscape of an area stretching from Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west, to Fife and the Lothians in the east.

The first group of young people to get involved in the project have been allocated to the core paths implementation team.

Four young unemployed Fifers are beginning a 26-week contract as core path workers through the Fife Young People’s Initiative.


They will be the first of up to 16 young people who will benefit from work and training over the next two years while helping to open up and signpost the core paths.

The Fife Council Parks and Countryside section will be working in co-operation with the Council’s Employability and Skills team and with Building Services to provide all the support and training required.

Senior Access Officer Alison Irvine said: "This project is bringing together the expertise of a number of Council Services and along with the very welcome funding support from the CSGN Development Fund and from the Fife Young People’s Initiative, it offers a significant way forward to delivering the core paths network.

"The core paths plan was adopted in January this year and there is a lot of work to do to get it all to a useable state, particularly after this very wet summer."

The team will also be helping provide improved access to greenspaces in those communities who have been identified in the Fife Greenspace Strategy as having restricted access.

(IT)