Patrols stepped up, but weather deters beauty spot crowds

Police patrols were stepped up at popular visitor areas in Tayside and Fife at the weekend, following reminders “the virus has not gone away”.

Officers upped their presence at Perthshire beauty spots which saw big crowds last weekend, although colder weather kept some tourists at bay.

Police were seen at Loch Tummel, the Hermitage near Dunkeld and Cargill’s Leap in Blairgowrie.

They also attended at Loch Clunie, where hundreds of campers were spotted last weekend.

Road closures were put in place at Brackllin Road, Callander, to stop day-trippers from flouting the five-mile rule to visit the Bracklinn Falls.

In Fife, beauty spots were busy and popular walking areas such as Devilla Forest, Tentsmuir and Lochore Meadows Country Park were being monitored by police.

Residents of West Wemyss took to social media to complain about people apparently driving to the village to go for walks along the Fife Coastal Path yesterday, but the car parks remained open throughout the day and no action was taken.

It comes after Health Secretary Jeane Freeman urged people to behave with caution ahead of the weekend.

“You’ve all helped to make progress by following the rules. Please don’t risk losing that. Stay at home is the message, follow the rules and let’s keep working to keep Scotland safe,” she said on Twitter.

Dozens of drivers flouted rules in the Sidlaws to enjoy the outdoors.

Despite the car park at Balkello woodland remaining closed, motorists parked on verges leading to the popular area north of Dundee.

The problems did not appear to be as bad in one of the Angus hot spots, Lunan Bay beach between Arbroath and Montrose.

Previous weekends had seen gridlock on the narrow roads leading to the area, but no waiting restrictions were applied ahead of the weekend to deter drivers from parking at the roadside.

Concerns were also raised about a lack of open public toilets, amid reports of people defecating outdoors.

Politicians have warned there were “already precious little” public conveniences prior to the pandemic, with the expectation falling on the retail, leisure and entertainment sectors to make their facilities available, most of which are closed.

Fife Conservative councillors have asked the Scottish Government not to overlook the issue as the country progressively emerges from lockdown.

Mino Manekshaw, who represents West Fife, said: “As we head towards the heat of mid-summer, we will all face a pressing need to keep hydrated outdoors and in the absence of any public access provision, needs must and there is already evidence that people, male and female, are relieving themselves in various locations – much to the disgust of local residents.

“Think of people with health issues or female issues, the elderly, the differently-abled, mothers with young babies or children?

“Are we now to permanently confine them at home because we cannot think of any way to safely bring public toilets back into use?”

Talks between local authorities and the public and private sector are ongoing at local levels across Scotland, but the Scottish Government’s position for phase one is unchanged.

“As we slowly and cautiously ease lockdown measures, we have been clear we simply don’t want, in this phase, to see large numbers of people at tourist hot spots or local beauty spots,” a spokesperson said.

“Everyone should still be sticking to their local area – that’s within around five miles – for all their exercise and leisure activities.”