South Loch Tay road is part ‘open’
Misleading emergency roadworks anger
An embankment collapse in Highland Perthshire has caused alarm for South Loch Tay residents because Stirling Council has said the road where it happened is “closed in its entirety.”
But in reality, only a small section is shut for emergency repairs, with access unaffected from the Kenmore end.
Rain last week, after a prolonged dry spell, has led to ground along the C107 giving way, at a point about two miles away from Killin, but about ten miles from the other end of the road, Kenmore.
On Friday afternoon, Stirling Council put up a notice flagging up that emergency work beginning yesterday would mean the whole road would be off limits for nearly a month - appearing to prevent residents and tourists driving along any part the south side of Loch Tay.
The notice read: “The South Loch Tay road C107 is closed for its entire length, beginning at the junction with the village of Kenmore from July 16 until August 5 for Stirling Council to make emergency roadworks following a bank slippage.”
Social media was rife with worried people shocked by the lack of warning and the seeming high season exclusion of traffic.
But on Monday morning it was business as usual for the Scottish Crannog Centre, with no restrictions on vehicle access from Kenmore village.
Managing director at the Crannog, Mike Benson told the PA he was angry with Stirling Council for misleading visitors to the living history museum.
He said: “Saying the C107 is closed in its entirety simply isn’t true. We’ve had frantic phone calls from tour operators checking if they can come to our event on Thursday. We could lose money if the public believe we cannot be reached because of Stirling Council’s wording of its roadworks notice. We’ve asked them to change it.
“It’s true for the next three weeks the section Killin to Ardeonaig is closed 8am to 5pm, so you cannot access Killin from this side of the
Facing three weeks of limited access from Killin loch. But there’s nothing to stop obstructed by road closures. He will drivers from the Kenmore end not be able to receive customers from coming to us or the Loch Tay Marina the Killin direction from 8am to 5pm. bar and tourist accommodation “What are we to do about opening or accessing the Rob Roy walking for lunch, or guests checking out after route, Abernethy Trust Activity breakfast? They will have a long drive Centre or the Ardeonaig Hotel.” to reach us, it’s crazy.
Perth and Kinross Council, “In the two years since we’ve had despite being responsible for half the hotel, between Stirling Council the length of the South Loch Tay and BT it has been an absolute road said: “Stirling Council are disaster. We are hit by constant road leading on this road closure.” closures.
Yesterday Iain Hitchins, owner “Stirling Council not only offers of the Ardeonaig Hotel, said he was no compensation when they shut “beyond p***ed off” with Stirling us off from our customers, but we Council, having had access to his pay their very high business rates in hotel from the Killin end regularly the meantime.”