Fears of a rise in irresponsible tourism as valued outdoor access ranger service to end
A VALUED ranger service set up in response to widespread problems caused by increasing numbers of visitors to the Highlands and particularly on the NC500 tourist route, is to come to an end after three years.
Highland Council has confirmed that it has been unable to secure funding to continue the highly successful outdoor access ranger service with rangers told their contract will finish on March 29.
Kinlochbervie resident Margaret Meek, who co-founded the NC500 - The Land Weeps website which highlights incidents of irresponsible tourism, said it was a “huge step backwards” and that the local authority should instead be “strengthening and building on the service”.
“When you think back, it was absolutely horrific, “ she said. “There were tents everywhere, campervans and fires. It was a desperate situation. The rangers have made a real difference but the problems have not gone away.”
The service was set up in 2021 when 17 posts for seasonal access rangers were created in response to widespread reports of so-called dirty camping with litter and issues over human waste, inconsiderate parking and fires blighting many communities after early pandemic restrictions were lifted.
Funding was provided by Highland Council and also by the Scottish Government through NatureScot’s Better Places Green Recovery Fund.
The rangers - four in Sutherland - patrolled sites and engaged with visitors to ensure awareness of the Outdoor Access Code, monitoring use and reporting incidents to the relevant council teams or emergency services.
They also helped to maintain and manage council-owned sites and core paths and worked with communities and land managers on other sites to protect the habitats and respect for the landscape.
Ms Meek said she first became aware of the threat to the service through an email from the access ranger team in response to a query from a member of NC500- the Land Weeps.
The email reads: “There is no funding allocated for rangers in the next financial year. We currently have a skeleton crew of eight part-time rangers Highland-wide carrying out maintenance works. They will finish their contract on March 29. From Easter all camping and motorhome activity will go unrecorded and unchecked. We are hoping that we can se up an inquiry port incidents and complaints so that at least is recorded."
Ms Meek said the website had run a couple of polls on the service with the latest one attracting 1000 comments from people praising the difference the rangers had made.
“In my opinion, it should be a full-time, professional service so that you can have consistency, she said. “In a county that is very dependent on tourism, I think the rangers are a necessity. If we get rid of them this year, we will lose everything that has been built up. It is very demoralising.”
A Highland Council spokesperson said: “The seasonal access ranger service has been funded by NatureScot’s Better Places Fund for the past two years. There is currently no external funding available to continue the service.”
A NatureScot spokesperson said: “The Better Places Fund was a temporary fund originally established to help manage the increase in domestic visitors during and after the Covid 19 pandemic and to help manage visitor pressures in some of the busiest parts of rural Scotland, including Assynt. The current pressure on budgets means that difficult decisions have had to be made and there are no plans at present to extend this fund.
“We fully appreciate that this may have an impact on the ability of some organisations to undertake visitor management activities. We will continue to work with partners such as local authorities, national parks, Police Scotland and Forestry and Land Scotland to address any issues, share best practice and encourage visitors to enjoy the outdoors and nature responsibly.”
Sutherland County Committee chairman Councillor Richard Gale said local councillors were considering whether a local ranger scheme could be put set up.
