One is not amused...outrage at
LITTER louts are being blamed for spoiling the beauty of the Queen’s Balmoral Estate.
Rangers on the 50,000-acre estate in the Highlands have warned that visitors, who have the right to roam over much of the land even when the monarch is in residence, are spoiling its beauty.
They have published pictures of discarded plastic bottles, wrappers, hamburger cartons and other rubbish left behind by the public and have also warned that abandoned camp fires risk igniting wider areas and causing serious damage. On Twitter, the estate posted a picture of a camp fire: “A typical and very depressing sight at this time of year. A used barbecue, scorched ground and litter strewn across the forest floor! All cleared away by forest rangers,” it said.
Another picture showed sacks of rubbish collected by staff. “Some of the rubbish collected from the Glas-alit Shiel bothy this week! Disgusting!”
Rangers found more rubbish around a tree displayed in a photo. “Please tread lightly and leave no trace when visiting Balmoral Estate,” it said. “This mess was found near Loch Muick recently and tidied up by Balmoral Ranger Service.”
Royal aides have complained that picking up litter and replacing scorched turf is detracting from the rangers’ main duties, such as maintaining footpaths, fences and bridges.
Last year the estate collected 43lb of rubbish on Lochnagar, the 3,789ft mountain that inspired Prince Charles to write the