Selfish minority making a mess

Sir, – I refer to the article in Wednesday’s Courier regarding the abandonment of baited hooks on the seashore (“Warning to anglers after dog injured by old hook”, Courier, August 1).

Sadly, this is not an isolated case – and not confined to sea anglers.

We live beside Marlee Loch where I have taken my dogs swimming for many years.

We have had dogs swallowing a baited hook on two occasions.

This resulted in much suffering for the dog and a large vet’s bill for us.

Fortunately, on both occasions, the dogs survived.

However, without a prompt operation this would have been fatal.

People are extremely happy to take advantage of “the right to roam” but seem not to care about the “with responsibility” part of the law.

We regularly have to pick up litter, including human excrement and dirty paper.

We have had trees decimated by chainsaws.

Fires are lit in dry weather near trees and, on one occasion, we had a gate removed from it’s hinges and burnt as firewood.

We are fortunate in that the road does not run right beside the loch.

Clunie is not so lucky and the mess there has to be seen to be believed.

Signs are displayed forbidding camping, but this makes no difference.

Will people ever learn? Caroline Crawford. Wester Kinloch Farm, Blairgowrie.