The Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) has announced that access improvements at its Seaton Cliffs Wildlife Reserve in Angus have now been completed.

The work, which cost in the region of £40,000, started in April 2005 and was funded by the Scottish Executive’s Community Environmental Renewal Scheme (administered by Forward Scotland), Aberbrothock Charitable Trust and Angus Environmental Trust.

Two kilometers from Arbroath, Seaton Cliffs is famed for its spectacular cliffs, sea stacks and caves carved out of old red sandstone by the pounding action of the sea.

As a popular point on the Angus Coastal Trail, the cliff-top path with dramatic views has deteriorated increasingly over the last few years. Improvements have seen a more durable surface over 1.5km of footpath introduced to cope with increased pedestrian use.

Duncan Budge, SWT’s conservation team supervisor, said: “Seaton Cliffs is a spectacular reserve with stunning scenery, but until now access has been partially restricted due to issues on site.

“By introducing upgrades to the main path and addressing drainage problems we are now confident that more people will be able to enjoy what is on offer.

“At the entrance points to the reserve we have also installed kissing gates to discourage unwelcomed use of the site by motorcyclists.”

As a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), the 12-hectare reserve is also home to an abundance of birds, flowering plants and insects. Dolphins, porpoises and seals are regularly seen from the cliffs and house martins nests in overhangs while arctic terns fish in the sea below.

Access improvements have been carried out by local contractors working alongside SWT’s Conservations Teams which consist of local unemployed individuals learning practical conservation and land management skills first hand.