Newsletter no. 35 - February 1998
ACCESS & CONSERVATION By Mike Dales
Due to the production of the last Newsletter being held up, the details of the Access Symposium went out after the event had actually taken place. The previous Newsletter (33) had given the date and topic, but we had hoped to give the full details in Newsletter 34 and send it out well in advance of the event. We can only apologise for not managing to do this. Despite this lack of advertising, the event was very successful. 38 people attended the symposium which was held at the Bell's Sports Centre in Perth. The topic of discussion was "Access Legislation Reform" and the speakers included Rennie McOwan, Alan Blackshaw, Nick Kempe, Dave Morris, Donald Bennet and Arthur Howcroft. The programme also allowed plenty of opportunity for open debate within the main group and in workshop groups. A full report of the symposium is being put together and will be available soon. Copies will be sent free to all those who attended, and will carry a charge of £1 for members, and £2 to non-members. In order to promote the 1998 Access Symposium on time, we can announce now that the date will be Saturday November 21st. The topic and venue haven't been decided yet, but will be announced well in advance. Watch this space. A solution could soon be reached to the long running car parking difficulties experienced by winter climbers heading for the north face of Ben Nevis. The MCofS has been involved in talks with Highland Council officials in Fort William, and agreement has been reached to develop a new car park in the forest behind Torlundy. It had been hoped that the new facility would be ready for the start of the winter season, but the work on the car park and path has been held up because of the sale of an area of forestry, and the need to obtain all necessary permissions. However, the final agreements are now being reached, and it is hoped that work, which is scheduled to take about 4 weeks to complete, will commence sometime in mid-February. A March opening now looks more realistic. If all goes to plan the new car park will be at GR 144 763. The car park will be beside the forest road, and on the north side of the Allt na Caillich. Vehicular access to the forest will be made by turning off the A82 at Torlundy, crossing the railway bridge, then turning immediately right onto the forestry road. Follow this road for about half a mile. The car park is just after a left hand bend in the road. To gain access to the mountain from this car park, a path will cut across the top corner of the golf course and will then rise up onto the dismantled tramway, which is then followed to the existing path leading from the golf club to the Allt a' Mhuillin. It is hoped in time that a new section of path will be created to cut the corner from the tramway onto the Allt a' Mhuillin path, which could potentially bypass the steep muddy section. The MCofS is pleased and relieved that a possible solution to this problem is finally in sight and we will keep climbers informed of its progress over the next few weeks. We will endeavour to make the opening announcement through the outdoor magazines; by placing posters in local climbing shops; and hopefully in our next Newsletter. The ranger service based in Glen Nevis are happy for mountaineers to phone them for an update on the development of the car park. The number to call is 01397 705 922. MCofS President, Nick Kempe, made the following comment about the new car park: "I am delighted that a solution has at last been found to this problem. I believe it can work, and would ask climbers to use it and give it a fair chance. The MCofS will certainly welcome any feedback about the new site, and will continue to work with the Highland Council Ranger Service to improve access to the Ben." One of the advantages that we gained from Newsletter 34 being late was that the "Wild Camping" leaflets were ready in time for the mail out. We hadn't mentioned the leaflet in the Newsletter because we had intended sending them out with this edition. We hope you find the leaflet interesting, and would like to hear your comments. The leaflet covers a number of issues, and gives advice that we consider to be good practice. We are now focusing on the sanitation issue which the Wild Camping leaflet briefly touches on. "Sanitation in the Hills." will be produced later this year. We see the educational aspect of our work as being of great importance. Please take the time to consider the points we make in these leaflets, and if possible pass the ideas on to other people that you know who go to the hills. We certainly hope that adults who introduce young people to the hills will think about passing on the advice that we give. Teaching human sanitation skills to a group of 14 year olds isn't easy, so hopefully our leaflets will simplify that task for a number of teachers and youth leaders. Mike Dales attended a meeting at Glencoe in December with Vodafone, Scottish Telecom, James Barr Engineers, NTS and Highland Council. It has been known for some time that Vodafone have been looking for a suitable site to install a telecommunication mast that will give mobile phone coverage in the glen. The proposal that was made at the December meeting was to install a mast behind the Clachaig Hotel and place a 2.5 metre relay station across the road from the hotel, but we have now been informed that the plans for this particular site have now been dropped. We have heard that a plan might be put forward to install a mast at Callert on the north side of Loch Leven instead. We would like to see plans for any masts in this sensitive area before giving our views, but in the meantime we are pleased that the glen itself is being seen as too precious for this kind of equipment. The whole issue of telecommunications masts in the countryside is of great concern to the MCofS, and is the focus of our main campaign at the moment. Masts under 15 metres are allowed permitted development rights, which take them out of the main planning system, and thereby allows developers to install new masts with little or no consultation. The result is a proliferation of masts which are seriously affecting some of our finest landscapes. Consultation took place in Glencoe because of its unique qualities, but in almost every other area the mast appearing is the first indication that a particular site has been chosen. Many people believe that within 10 years the masts will be redundant as mobile phone and radio signals start to bounce off satellites instead of using land based masts. For the sake of a few years phone service we shouldn't be destroying our best landscapes. If the masts were fully in the planning system, there would be more consideration given to their location, and better consultation with those concerned about their impacts. The MCofS is encouraging everyone with an interest in the
mountains to make their views known on this subject, by writing
to your local MP, and the Scottish Office Development Department
at Victoria Quay, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6QQ. The MCofS has called for an artist's plans to create a 1,000 foot long carving on the side of Ben Cruachan to be dropped. A first stab at a debate occurred on Channel 4 News on January 15th, with Mike Dales and the artist participating. This project is seen as a challenge to wild land. It's another example of man trying to control nature. That's not to say that it shouldn't be done in Scotland, but the mountains are not the right place. This is monumental art, and monumental art is a monument to the artist's ego. If this kind of carving is to take place it should be in a heavily developed area where it might actually enhance the landscape - perhaps in the central belt where it would be seen by far more people, and working conditions wouldn't be as extreme as those encountered on Ben Cruachan. The artist is Alexander Stoddart from Paisley. In the TV interview Mr. Stoddart said: "If this project is about waging war in any way, then it wages a total war on the dumming down, perfunctory, temporal, polaroid world. After all, it is entirely normal for mankind to do this kind of thing. If you think of the great Buddha that's carved in the cliffs at Kaiping in China. 600AD I think. You think of the Crazy Horse project in America currently running. If you think of the great lines that were made on the plains of the Central Americas. All these things are natural for mankind to do." Mr. Stoddart went on to say: "If you look at the great examples of 20th century mountain carving, a work of absolute genius, high taste and sensibility, conceptually wonderful, then complex. That's Mount Rushmore. You would have thought that the most famous carving in the world would have the name of its maker on everyone lips as a household name. Can you tell me who the man was, who erected that carving? Of course not, it's a tendency in great monuments that they obliterate finally the name of their maker for ever." Also interviewed on the Channel 4 News were local councillor Campbell Cameron and WWF Scotland Director Simon Pepper. Campbell Cameron spoke in favour of the plan, saying: "I think it's a tremendously imaginative project that Sandy has come up with, and that imagination has been caught by both the people and the councillors in the area. It's early days yet, because we've got a lot of work to do to actually move things forward, and indeed to bring the remainder of the public with us, which we must do." Simon Pepper said that: "Scotland has got a number of white elephants lying around, some of which had artistic intentions some time ago, and others had more economic development intentions, and all of them are rather embarrassing white elephants littering the landscape, failures, disastrous failures." Sandy Stoddart has chosen Argyll for this project because it is reputedly at the centre of the legends of Ossian. The figure that he wants to carve is Oscar, son of Ossian. Inspired by other giant rock carvings such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, Mr. Stoddart has chosen a granite mountain. There the similarity with Mount Rushmore ends. Ben Cruachan is made up of 5 different types of granite, and geologists describe the mountain as heavily jointed. With no visible faces of sufficient size on Cruachan, soil and vegetation would need to be stripped away to expose the rock, and the harsh West Highland conditions would also wear any newly exposed rock very rapidly. The planned development is expected to take 40 years to complete, and employ 20 people. Some simple arithmetic suggests that the wage bill, at today's prices, is likely to amount to around £10M. Mr. Stoddart gave no indication on Channel 4 as to how he intends to fund this project, although Rory MacLean, who made the report, ended the article by saying: "The next job for the monuments backers is to see how much it will cost, and that's only a tiny part of the mountain they'll really have to climb to realise this vision." Perhaps the last word should go to the locals who have dubbed the proposed monument as 'Chilly Willy' as the private parts of Oscar are particularly large and the winters cold. Thank you to all those who returned the Access Problems Reporting Forms that we sent out with Newsletter 33. This is helpful to us in assessing the nature and scale of the access difficulties that exist in Scotland. We try to follow up every reported incident with the landowner concerned, as well as using the reports for statistical purposes. It is worth saying here that these forms are for use at any time of year, not just for the stalking season, so please keep sending them. We are particularly wanting to find out about as many examples of unwelcoming and misleading signs as possible. If you see a sign which says: "Danger High Velocity Rifles" or "Please Refrain from Walking at this Time of Year" or some other form of wording that you consider to be outwith the spirit of the Access Concordat, then please take a photograph or write down the wording, and send the details to our office. We are also interested to see examples of good signs, so please make a note of these as well and let us know. Please send a stamped addressed envelope to our office if you
have lost your copy of the reporting form and would like another.
A couple of access problems at Inverlochlarig have been reported to us in recent months. One of the problems concerned two MCofS members who were charged for taking their mountain bikes along the track. We feel that cycle access on forest type roads is a traditional part of Scottish mountaineering and see no reason to justify the charge being made. Our advice to anyone who finds themselves in a situation where they are being charged for cycle access is to politely say that you do not wish to pay. You could also go on to point out that if you did pay, the landowner/farmer would be increasing their level of liability and duty of care, and you could ask them whether they are offering to provide you with a receipt. If money were to changes hands, then a contract would exist between the parties, and a receipt containing the person's name and address would be needed as proof of that contract. The claim being made was that the charge was to cover maintenance of the track which was necessary because of damage caused by bikes. We would argue that a bike will cause little damage to a track which is used by 4 wheel drive vehicles, and tracks which have been built for forestry purposes have usually been paid for with public money. The main message from this incident is to be prepared for anyone who tries to charge for access. The basis of free access is that a contract doesn't exist between the owner of the land and the person taking their recreation on that land. The owner's liability is therefore as low as it can be, although nobody can totally absolve themselves from liability altogether. We believe that landowners shouldn't carry unnecessary liability for people taking recreation on their land, and that the dangers of charging for access leading to increased liability should be fully understood. Please note however, that the MCofS is against the use of mountain bikes in remote areas or on small paths, but we don't object to their use on vehicular tracks where they are likely to cause minimal or no damage. If anyone else has been asked for a payment for access in any way, we would like to hear about it. Please write to us with the details. It was announced in November that Glenfeshie had been sold to Klaus Helmersen, a Danish businessman with interests in the clothing industry. He is believed to have succeeded in his bid for the 42,000 acre estate by offering somewhere in the region of the £6M asking price. Scottish Office Environment Minister Lord Sewel said he was disappointed at the news of the sale of a piece of land which is likely to become a part of a Cairngorms National Park, and in a thinly veiled warning said: "I hope the new owners will work closely with SNH, the Forestry Commission and the Deer Commission for Scotland, and that there will be no need for these organisations to consider invoking their statutory powers." SNH, Forest Enterprise, Highland Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise each have the power of compulsory purchase, and we believe that if the new owners don't come up with positive changes within the first year, then these powers should be invoked. A consortium of SNH, John Muir Trust, National Trust for Scotland, HIE, Highland Council and Forest Enterprise submitted a bid which was in tune with independent valuation and had Government support. Had it been successful this consortium would have brought the property into public ownership and relatively accountable management. A News Release from SNH said: "We are very disappointed that the Will Woodlands Trust did not deliver its original vision for Glenfeshie. The significant damage which the area had previously suffered remains and the necessary reduction in deer numbers has not yet been tackled." Articles we have seen from Danish newspapers highlight the disbelief amongst Danes that such a prime area of Scotland can be owned by a Dane, and one who will continue to live in Denmark at that. The MCofS will continue to monitor the situation in Glenfeshie, and will report any news in future Newsletters.
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