National Trust threat over ‘Glencoe’ jackets
THE National Trust for Scotland (NTS) was yesterday accused of bullying a small business after threatening legal action over use of the name Glencoe.
Lawyers acting on behalf of the charity, which owns most of the glen, have ordered Hilltrek Outdoor Clothing to immediately stop selling its £365 Glencoe waterproof jacket. A letter issued to Dave Shand, the business owner, said the charity was the “registered proprietor of the UK trademark registration for Glencoe”.
Concern was raised by community leaders in Glencoe when the trademark was registered in 2015 but NTS said it would not damage local businesses. However, Hilltrek is based in Aboyne, Aberdeenshire, around 140 miles away.
Hundreds of people have responded after he posted the letter on Facebook, including many NTS members threatening to cancel their membership. Mr Shand said he intended to take legal advice. He added: “I was really angry, I just couldn’t believe it. They obviously think that Aboyne and Deeside is too far away to have a geographical connection, but I’ve been hill-walking in Glencoe since my late teens. We don’t produce huge numbers and our product is a premium product... I hate bullies, so they’ve picked the wrong person. I’m determined to fight it.”
The letter said only goods and services with geographical links to Glencoe can use the name to protect the local community’s trade interests.
It demanded the business “immediately stop selling any goods which include the name Glencoe from your website” and refrain from using it in future. Failure to comply by Aug 11 could result in legal action, it warned.
An NTS spokesman said: “The National Trust for Scotland does hold the trademark for the name Glencoe and as such there are restrictions on how the name can be used by other parties.”
However, in a later statement, NTS said it would be willing to discuss the issue with Hilltrek to find a “mutually agreeable solution”. A spokesman told STV: “In retrospect, although the letter sent to Hilltrek was a standard one, it may have been in the circumstances of this particular company too harsh in tone. Our only desire is to protect the properties in our care and stop them being exploited.”