Tinto Hill road works may affect longest day fun

Many people travel to Clydesdale’s highest peak, Tinto Hill, to celebrate the solstice on the evening of the longest day.

However, a note of caution is being sounded – as road works in the area may well affect their plans.

In December 2017, the Scottish Government awarded £600 million to the R100 programme, the biggest public investment ever made in a single UK broadband project.

And the R100 program is now finally reaching rural Clydesdale...just in time for the solstice!

Lochyloch Road between the A73 and Tinto Hill Car park will be closed for three evenings from June 21 to June 23 from 6pm to 11pm.

This is to enable BT engineers to undertake apparatus installation works for the R100 programme.

The road will be closed to all vehicles, other than emergency services. Drivers are being asked to use the C26, A73 and Lochyloch Road instead.

Local community council chairman Barry Knock has asked the Gazette to advise locals of the closure – to avoid any issues on the longest day.

He said: “The R100 scheme is desperately needed here – many get just 0.48mbps broadband speed at the minute.

"We have advertised the closure on all our local groups but any other way of disseminating information about the road closures would alert intending visitors and would be very much welcomed.

"Historically, we get an increase in visitors on the evening of the longest day – that being June 21 this year.

"We just want people to know the road to Tinto Hill car park will be closed from 6pm to 11pm so they know in advance.”

R100 engineers are working to deliver half of the target areas in both central and the south of Scotland by the end of 2021, with the majority completed by the end of 2023.