Barbecues and camp fires could be banned in great outdoors in Cairngorms National Park post Covid-19
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Barbecues and camp fires could be banned for a time in the great outdoors in the Cairngorms National Park in the aftermath of coronavirus, it has emerged.
Cairngorms National Park Authority board member John Kirk had highlighted the danger as part of discussions on visitor management plans for when Scotland re-opens to tourism from July 15.
He flagged up disposal barbecues as a big concern for land owners and manager during Friday’s virtual meeting.
He said: “We’re going to be inundated by caravans and campers.
“These barbecues have been the source of a lot of fires in the area.”
CNPA chief executive Moir then revealed signs would be going out to the effect no barbecues and fires would be allowed in the foreseeable future in wild places.
He said: “I am sure that the issue will move up the agenda as more people come back to the area.
"We have to ensure people know that putting a barbecue on top of a tree is not a good idea.”
He said there was a lot the park authority could do to try and tackle the problem in terms of signage.
It is thought a bye-law would be required by the CNPA to introduce such a ban. Barbecues at home, of course, would not be affected.
CNPA’s head of visitor services Pete Crane told the Strathy yesterday: “CNPA and land managers are asking that while we are coming out of lockdown that people don’t light fires or barbecues in the countryside.
“Every summer rangers and other countryside workers have had to deal with smouldering barbecues, charcoal fuelled burning bins and glowing camp fires that people wrongly thought had been put out.
“Now that those workers aren’t all out there we don’t want to have to call the fire service or burn down the national park down.”
The CNPA has also taken on seven seasonal rangers - including four for Badenoch and Strathspey - to help with visitor management in the national park once holiday-makers start returning.
They began their two weeks of training on Monday and will start work at the end of this month.
