Castle bosses act to halt vandalism
Police warn culprits they will be ‘treated robustly’
Bosses at Brodick Castle have stepped in to halt the ongoing vandalism and misuse of the new adventure playground.
They have installed CTTV cameras to catch the culprits damaging the new Isle be Wild park after it closes at night, thought to be local youngsters.
Wilful damage
In the past week, during their daily safety checks, staff have discovered wilful damage to the perimeter fencing, vandalism to the main tower, resulting in part of the playground having to be closed to allow it to be repaired, damage to the zip lines due to overloading and discarded rubbish left across the park.
Safety fencing in the main tower, which rises high into the tree line, and the bridge which crosses over a deep ravine, have both had holes cut into them, which is a major safety concern for officials.
Police on Arran, who are investigating, say they are treating the incidents very seriously and warn that anyone caught will be ‘dealt with robustly’.
In addition to the damage to the facilities, unauthorised vehicles which use the long castle drive and grounds as a meeting place and race track at night are continuing to be a problem for staff who live on the property, and for neighbouring properties, who hear the noise of the en-
gines during the early hours.
Now two CCTV systems have been installed, one to monitor the playground and a second to cover the main drive by the National Trust for Scotland who look after the castle and country park.
Interim property manager Chris Mills said: ‘Since Isle be Wild opened on Saturday July 1 we have had a fantastic response from visitors to the property who have found the playground to be an amazing experience.
‘Unfortunately we have also suffered from less desirable visitors once we have closed at the end of the day. Not only is this unacceptable behaviour a safety concern for those involved, but it raises real issues for children wishing to enjoy the playground the next day.
‘For the staff that live on the property the nightly activity of cars racing along the drive, parking near their homes and the noise from the ‘playing’ in the playground has become a matter of great concern. As a result a CCTV system has been installed in the playground to monitor when and who enters after the park closes and the local police have been informed. A second CCTV system has also been installed on the main drive to cover all vehicles entering and leaving the country park overnight.’
Mr Mills added: ‘This activity has to stop. Our primary concern is for the safety of all our visitors and this behaviour, by a minority, is endangering this. The team here at the castle are very keen to ensure that everyone can enjoy the park and grounds and we want to promote a warm welcome for those wanting to visit the Country Park as long as it is done in a responsible fashion.’
Acting island police sergeant Allen Gow said: ‘We are actively looking into all the incidents which have been reported to us. These appear to be the acts of young persons which we are treating very seriously.’
He urged anyone with any information to contact Lamlash police office using the non-emergency 101 number but added that anyone witnessing an ongoing incident should not hesitate to dial 999.