Cairngorms campsite operator had initially agreed to reopen after Covid-19
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There appears to be little leeway for Scottish Ministers in a 75-year lease to legally force the reopening of Glenmore Campsite this year.
It has also emerged that the campsite operators initially agree to return to business after an offer of rent support from the Scottish Government only to have a change of mind.
The Strathy has secured sight of the agreement for operating the site by Loch Morlich which was closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Operators Camping in The Forest, who are owned by the Camping and Carvanning Club, have resisted pressure from the highest level to unlock the gates.
They do not intend to reopen until April 2021 despite repeated calls to do so, with the beauty spot being plagued by dirty campers following restrictions in lockdown being eased.
There have been on-going problems with litter and human excrement, camp fires being lit requiring the fire service to attend and trees cut down for fire wood.
Local residents are angered and feel swamped by the influx of people with little infrastructure in place to serve them.
The campsite lease was signed between Scottish ministers and Forest Holidays (Scotland) LLP – then the commercial arm of Forestry Commission Scotland and site operators – in May 2006.
The Strathy understands the variation for names for Camping in the Forest to take over the lease was agreed in 2014 but otherwise nothing else substantial changed in the agreement.
It states the operator will forfeit all rights and the site will revert to the landlords – Scottish ministers – if there is a default on payment by 14 days or more or if the firm becomes insolvent.
The lease can also be deemed broken if there is a “breach, non-observance and non-performance” by the operator but closing the site is not specified in the document.
Annual rent of £35,000 for Glenmore Campsite is paid in two instalments.
The document does spell out that the landlords will “not exercise any rights or act in such a manner to prevent or prejudice the use of those facilities by the tenants or anyone entitled to do so or in such a manner as to cause unreasonable disruption to the business”.
But there appears to be no safeguard the other way round to ensure the continued operation of the campsite which is a vitally important part of the accommodation offering in the Aviemore and Glenmore area.
Badenoch and Strathspey Highland councillor Bill Lobban (Independent) said: “£35,000 a year for such a potentially profitable site would seen to be a really good deal for CiTF and their owners the Camping and Caravanning Club.
"But obviously not so great for the taxpayer, or given their refusal to reopen this year, for local people and our economy.
“Personally I’m sure that opening the site would have alleviated some of the worst effects of the overcrowding we have seen in recent weeks.
“The income generated would have gone a long way towards paying the minuscule annual lease.”
Highlands regional MSP Edward Mountain (Scottish Conservative) told the Strathy: “I am disappointed that there is no provision in the lease for the landlords – the Scottish ministers – to ensure that the public is served by the tenant delivering public good from what is publicly owned land.”
A Forestry and Land Scotland (formerly Forestry Commission Scotland) spokesperson said they were frustrated by the lack of progress made with CiTF on reopening the campsite and its facilities.
He said: “We remain extremely disappointed that despite being offered rent support and very generous funding – which was initially accepted but then later refused – the CCC is refusing to open the site to visitors.
“We continue to press the CCC through all available channels to reverse its decision and make these great facilities available at what is the height of the season.”
The Strathy approached CiTF for comment but was just issued with the same general statement dated July 14.
They do not believe it is viable to operate some sites including Glenmore “as they would be reliant on a large volume of customers over a very short period of time”.
Despite its stance at Glenmore, however, the CCC is operating many of its sites elsewhere in the UK both with and without facility blocks being available.
Details of the many locations reopened by the CCC can be found at https://www. campingandcaravanning club.co.uk/2020/
CiTF gives its reasons for not reopening Glenmore Campsite here
