'Dirty campers' at Loch Morlich spark call-outs by police and fire service

Cairngorms National Park Authority chiefs have said they are working with police to change the irresponsible behaviour of a "small but damaging few" so-called dirty campers.

It comes after a weekend in which firefighters and police were called out to Loch Morlich at Glenmore because of the number of wild fires being lit at the beauty spot near to forested areas.

The area has been inundated with campers and motorhomes following lockdown, with the situation exacerbated by the continued closure of Glenmore Campsite.

Operators Camping in the Forest have closed the area's most popular site until April 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak and so far have not yield to pressure from Scottish Government Ministers to reopen the facilities on land owned by public agency Forestry and Land Scotland.

Around 30 campfires were extinguished on Friday night by firefighters with local residents reporting in excess of 55 tents set up along the shore.

Firefighters were also forced to return twice on Saturday evening, with a further 25 campfires doused with water.

That is despite warnings not to light camp fires in the national park including on the electric sign at Inverdruie on the Cairngorm ski road. There are fears it will add extra pressure on the 999 services during the coronavirus pandemic.

There was wide condemnation of the behaviour on local social media over the weekend.

Locals have been left dismayed by the lack of management of visitors to the beauty spot.

They say they have been left to fend for themselves and are calling on the public authorities to get a grip on the situation.

Local Duncan Ferguson said: “It is the worst weekend I have ever seen here and I have lived here all my life."

The Cairngorms National Park Authority is the access authority but it has said Police Scotland and council's are responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour and littering problems.

Pete Crane, the CNPA's head of visitor services, told the Strathy: "Sadly it’s not just the strath but across Scotland we are seeing a small but damaging number of people irresponsibly camping outdoors – and to be blunt the problems are the litter, the fires and human waste left behind.

"Many of us who live and work here both want and enjoy having visitors in and around our communities.

"At the CNPA we have been working with land managers, local businesses and community representatives across the park to prepare for the anticipated increase in people coming to the national park, particularly visitors who are new to the area, following lockdown.

"The #CairngormsTogether sets out how we can all enjoy the park with respect and care for local residents, nature and support for local businesses. "Last week we released a short video which explains how people who visit the park should behave and we are providing advice and information on our website and through our social media channels.

"We have recruited an additional eight seasonal rangers to meet with visitors to encourage responsible access supporting the work of land managers, communities and the existing ranger services across the park .

"We are also working with Police Scotland and the local authorities, who are responsible for dealing with anti-social behaviour, littering, and traffic management.

"The irresponsible behaviour is coming from a small but damaging few and we are all working hard to change this messy activity."

More on this story in the Strathy out later this week.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.