The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Heart 200 tourist trail to open despite residents’ discontent
Bid to boost number of visitors to Perthshire and Stirlingshire
The team behind the controversial Heart 200 tourist trail are set to formally launch the route today at Loch Leven.
Looking to build on the success of the North Coast 500, a handful of business owners have come together to create a road trip route around Perthshire and Stirlingshire.
Organisers say the tourism push will help combat the dwindling visitor figures for the area, but communities have voiced their fears about how the environment and infrastructure will be able to cope with an influx of vehicles.
Residents have called on the firm’s directors to take out nearby stretches close to Loch Tummel ahead of the launch, but the firm have said their map is only advisory.
Strathtummel resident Anne Randle said: “There is already quite a bit of traffic on the B8019.
“In addition to coaches travelling to Queen’s View, the Lochs and Glens coaches travel to and from the Loch Tummel Hotel at Tummel Bridge.
“The B8019 is a very windy road and narrow in many places, with no formal passing places. The road condition is already quite poor and a lot of extra traffic will not improve things.”
Johnathan Stephenson, from Keltneyburn just outside Aberfeldy, believes the stretch which passes him is not suitable for sending swathes of tourists down.
He said: “Heart 200 makes use of the B846 to take its encouraged traffic through the Glen of Keltney in part ascending in zig-zag fashion through wooded surroundings where the visibility of oncoming vehicles is limited and again passing places are necessary.”
Robbie Cairns, managing director of Heart 200, said: “Any narrow roads will be highlighted on our website as unsuitable for larger vehicles to use, such as campervans.”