Squad of rangers ready for season
Project makes its return
A new team of 10 visitor rangers is ready to start work in the region as the tourist season begins.
Seasonal visitor rangers were launched last year in response to the huge number of visitors who came to the Strath and beyond during summer 2020.
Perth and Kinross Council has said the rangers have a key role in welcoming and signposting tourists and visitors and in promoting responsible tourism in beauty spots.
A council spokesperson said that, although most visitors behave responsibly, a small number “engage in littering, dirty camping and other antisocial behaviours”, which in turn “ruin the environment for other visitors and residents alike”.
Visitor rangers tour locations popular with campers – including the likes of St
Fillans, nearby Loch Earn and Crieff – to remind them of their responsibilities under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, to tidy abandoned campsites and to act as a point of contact for local residents who want to raise any concerns.
Clare Mailer, Perth and Kinross Council’s depute director of communities, said: “The visitor rangers initiative was incredibly popular last year, with visitors and residents alike.
“They can react quickly to any issues but also provide information to visitors and campers to prevent problems arising in the first place. Residents can also report issues by emailing visitormanagementgroup@pkc.gov.uk
“We’ll have more rangers on the ground this year so they will be able to cover an even bigger area than before.”
She added: “Lockdown restrictions might have eased but we’re expecting another busy season. We’re working in partnership with a range of agencies to make sure Perth and Kinross remains a great place to live and visit.”
Over the five months of the 2021 season, starting in May, the rangers – together with representatives from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Forestry and Land Scotland – were on the ground for more than 5000 hours while seven vans clocked up over 10,000 miles each.
On their busiest day, the council has
said that the rangers provided advice at about 350 camp pitches across Perth and Kinross.
Supported by the ‘Love It Like You Live Here’ campaign, encouraging responsible tourism, the rangers were successful in reducing anti-social behaviour and protecting Perth and Kinross rural beauty spots so everyone could enjoy them.
Launched in Highland Perthshire at the end of April, Perth and Kinross Council is leading what has been described as a “multi- agency visitor management working group” which also includes Police Scotland, the fire service, Forestry and Land Scotland and other agencies to manage the 2022 season.
... restrictions may have eased but we’re expecting another busy season
Clare Mailer