Aberfoyle ‘dying on its feet’ for lack of action

I agree with Fergus Wood’s letter regarding the lack of funding for the doctors’ practice in Aberfoyle (Observer 17).

I feel for the people who live in this area, who seem to have been by-passed by the health services and NHS CEO Cathie Cowan.

I think the government could do more to promote this district and bring some pressure to bear upon the NHS.

Which brings me to straight to the lack of government funding to build a flood defence wall to keep the Forth away from the main street here. Aberfoyle is slowly dying on its feet because the shopkeepers cannot afford to pay high insurance premiums for having their premises on a flood plain.

Stirling Council does not help the situation here by painting double yellow lines all the way along the main street and all round the poor butcher’s shop, the post office, the Co-op and what cafes and eating houses remain – totally unnecessary.

What we need here is to encourage tourists and others to park on one side of the street, causing no obstruction to anybody, helping the few remaining shops to survive.

The national park wants to promote tourism and “enhance the visitor’s experience” to the whole area. Tourism is the backbone of the Scottish economy and the council is doing its best to destroy this experience,- even charging visitors to park at The Lodge which cost more to install than any money collected.

I think this compulsion to cover villages with double yellow lines is a big mistake. Just ask folk in Callander and Thornhill.

Bob Hunter, The Lochans, Gartmore

Write to: The Editor, Stirling Observer, 34 Upper Craigs, Stirling, FK8 2DW Email: news@stirlingobserver.co.uk