Aberdeenshire Council is about to start its annual roadside verge grass cutting programme.

The council maintains around 62,000 miles of rural roadside verges. Seven local agricultural contractors have been awarded the 21 separate routes on a three-year contract valued at £250,000 per annum.

There will be one full cut of the entire network including all visibility areas, sight lines and junctions, with a second cut at junctions and some visibility splays later in the season where necessary.Work will commence on A and B class roads before moving on to C and unclassified roads.

The work does not include hedge cutting which would be the responsibility of hedge owners, but the Roads Service does have powers to intervene if necessary.

Self-seeded trees to some extent will be dealt with by routine cutting, depending on their size, or by the six-yearly fence to fence cuts, or can be picked up by inspection and targeted response where necessary.