Call for greater public support after aggressive dirty campers intimidate Highland forest staff
A call has gone out for greater public support in dealing with anti-social behaviour after staff at a popular Highland forest were left feeling intimidated by the aggressive and environmentally damaging actions of dirty campers.
The problems were caused by a small group of young men camping at Glenmore who verbally abused staff of Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) in a way that made other members of the public feel unsafe. They were also reported to be kicking ducks and taking an axe to trees at the site, which is in the Cairngorms National Park.
It is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest because of its conservation value.
Maree Morrison, recreation ranger for FLS in Glenmore, said: “We try to offer a really great experience for visitors, and we do so by providing advice and looking out for public safety and environmental protection. This ensures that future visitors will be able to enjoy this beautiful area.
“We have a huge number of staff on site this year to help visitors who might not have visited the area before to understand what ‘responsible access’ means.
“It’s such a beautiful area and some people simply don’t understand what’s okay and what’s not. We have had real successes. We see our role as ‘here to help’ and most of the time it’s a great job, speaking to such a diverse crowd."
Over the weekend of June 26, FLS received complaints from distressed visitors about the group kicking ducks, collecting deadwood from environmentally designated areas, using an axe on trees and washing in the loch – which is also designated for environmental protection.
There were also complaints about the group’s fire, which was lit on peaty ground, and anti-social behaviour which included noise and litter.
Laura McNally, FLS area visitor services manager, said: “Situations such as this can be very intimidating for our staff and I have to commend our Glenmore team for dealing with this so professionally over the course of three days.
“We engaged with the group of young men on the Saturday to explain why they had to move their camp and to clarify appropriate behaviours but this fell on deaf ears and was met with abuse. Further engagement met with the same response.
“Police Scotland did attend and the group seemed to comply but simply moved their camp. We’ve also seen other groups put on a show of good behaviour when they have to and we continue to work closely with our local police partners to learn lessons from this event.
“Anti-social behaviour by a small group can spoil a visit for everyone else. This is the case no matter where it occurs.
Our rangers will do what they can to manage a situation but public support is vital, especially if the rangers aren’t in the area at the time. We would encourage members of the public to call Police Scotland on 101 or use the online form."