Landowner speaks out on ramblers row
A Highland landowner has spoken out as a landmark right to roam row over access to his estate edges towards a breakthrough.
Donald Houston, owner of Ardnamurchan Estates, has made a legal move to stop people walking through his timber yard at Glenborrodale, with both Highland Council and Ramblers Scotland contesting him over access to the land.
Mr Houston said he took the action to exempt the yard from right to roam legislation after local hillwalkers continued to climb over his gates to access a well-established route over the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. Two walkers were interviewed by police in 2019, but no further action taken.
Meanwhile, Highland Council is seeking to run part of the core path network, from Arivegaigtoglenborrodaleandlaga, throughpartofthetimberyard.
A court hearing at Fort William Sheriff Court next month has now been delayed to allow parties time to negotiate a resolution.
Mr Houston welcomed the move and claimed people walking through the yard posed a risk to safety.
He said: “We have absolute categorical, crystal clear endorsed evidence that there has never been access. We are not trying to take away something that was there.”
The landowner admitted the route trough the timber yard wastheeasiestwaytoaccessthe surroundinghillsbutsaidalternatives had been suggested.
He said: "You can’t have members of the public walking through areas where there are tractors, tippers, fork lifts and chipping machines. It’s like going through a factory site in the middle of town, or having a children’s play park in the middle of the M1.
"People have been climbing over gates to get access and we have to stop work, stop what we are doing.
"We have suggested alternative routes to the council for three to four years.”
He added: “We have been trying to get Highland Council to sit down and discuss these issues but they have refused to do so, until now.”
The Health and Safety Executive is now also involved and confirmed it was working with the landowner to insure “suitable measures” were in place to protect walkers in the area of the timber yard.
Ramblersscotlandsaiditwas open to finding a compromise.