Pay and dismay... parking charges planned at Cairngorms' most popular beauty spot
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
There has been a backlash locally to plans to impose parking charges on roads by the strath’s most popular beauty spot with some residents claiming they will be penalised for enjoying the outdoors.
Highland Council wants to introduce street pay and display along Loch Morlich on the C1126 Cairngorm ski road between its junction with Rothiemurchus Lodge’s access road to the snow gates for Cairngorm Mountain.
The local authority also intends to charge for parking on the access road to Glenmore Lodge and on the section of road at the entrance to the Coire Cas car park at the mountain resort.
A maximum stay of only 12 hours would be allowed with the parking from 7am to 10pm costing £2 for one hour; £4 for six hours and £5 for 12 hours.
Parking would be barred in the designated areas from 10pm to 7am next day. The proposal are now out for public consultation.
Cairngorm Runners members who were meeting up at the Hayfield at Glenmore – a regular venue for the group – on Monday night were angered by the move and are urging the council to think again.
Member Colin Cadden said the proposed charges and restricted parking times need to be ‘completely dropped’.
He said there was no doubt something needs to be done about unregulated parking on the roads around Glenmore particularly by Loch Morlich but this was not the answer.
Mr Cadden commented: “Parking charges are nothing more than a cynical attempt to extract money from visitors, both local and those from further afield.
“The proposed charges are also incredibly high for a rural location where the majority of visits will be in excess of one hour, resulting in, at least, a £4 fee.
“While disallowing any parking whatsoever between 10pm and 7am can be seen as a means to control campervan and motorhome parking, no provision has been made for those simply enjoying longer days out or for those undertaking multiple day journeys.
“There is a long tradition of walkers, climbers, cyclists and skiers making these multi-day trips from the Glenmore area throughout the year and the current bus service is inadequate to provide for their needs.”
Fellow runner Rachel Jenner, a regular runner in the Glenmore area, said: “I am disappointed to learn about this.
“Naturally with such beautiful scenery in abundance, locals and tourists want easy access to explore the great outdoors which for most sadly means there is demand for parking nearby.
“But the proposed scale of parking charges and times is excessive. There’s a level at which charges keep locals away – maybe that is the point.”
Malcolm Hinsley is a volunteer who helps to organise running sessions locally for the group.
He said: “We have a long standing association with the Glenmore area, and probably about half of the routes we use each year are based from there.
“It’s obvious that the proposed charges will result in a large drop in attendance as people have said they won’t come and we may simply be forced elsewhere.
“If people that commit year round to club sessions will not pay these charges then what does that imply for locals who may just occasionally want to take their children for a walk or bike ride?
“We already pay to use roads and lay-by parking through vehicle tax and Council Tax. This is very bad news for local people.”
But Forestry and Land Scotland – which already charges for use of its car parks in the area – is 100 per cent behind more pay and display.
Paul Hibberd, FLS regional visitor services manager, said: “Glenmore’s popularity as a visitor destination draws hundreds of thousands of people to the area every year.
“This has the potential to impact negatively on this environmentally sensitive area and while there are designations in place to protect both habitat and species, the pressures of high visitor numbers must be actively managed.
“We believe that greater control of parking within Glenmore will be a significant help in managing unsafe and irresponsible parking by some of our visitors in recent years and strongly support this move.”
“Our response to the current consultation stresses that all plans must go through due process, with proper environmental and safety assessment.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “Visitor management in the area of Glenmore has been a challenge in this part of the national park.
“In light of the pressures being experienced and as the roads authority, the council has published some additional proposals to improve the control of vehicle activities.
“These proposals are at the public consultation stage and all feedback will be reviewed before further steps are taken in this process. Any restrictions on the public road are enforced by Highland Council parking enforcement staff.”
The council was the lead public agency partner in a botched effort to introduce more parking bays alongside the loch and had to reinstate the ground after failing to put in place the necessary permissions for the works. Conservationists had complained that Caledonian pines were being damaged.
Comments or objections to the proposals need to be made by next Wednesday (September 13) by emailing parking@highland.gov.uk or in writing to the council.
