The agency responsible for managing Scotland’s national forests and land has urged people to “stay local” this weekend.
Staff at Blairadam Forest near Kelty have been forced to close the area’s car park due to the influx of vehicles, while several instances of flytipping have been reported at woodland sites across the region, including at Thornton Wood, where what looks like the contents of people’s landfill bins have been dumped.
Simon Hodgson, chief executive of Forestry and Land Scotland, which manages the sites, said: “Our staff where possible are now working from home, which means regional offices are closed, as are all of our visitor facilities – including toilets, car parks and mountain biking trails.
“Government advice is for people to go outside to take physical exercise where it is safe to do so as this is not only good for physical health, but also can boost wellbeing and reduce anxiety too. However, we need to avoid unnecessary travel, so make your walk a local one; do not get into your car to travel to one of the woods we manage.
“The walking trails within these local forests will remain open but you must exercise alone or with your own household and, if encountering other people, maintain the social distancing rule. “Remember our toilets, mountain biking trails, and car parks are closed.”
Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, which manages many areas across the kingdom, urged people to heed the government advice and stay away.
A spokesman said: “We are still experiencing high volumes of visitors to some of our sites, we would ask that you stay local and do not drive to locations at a distance from your home to exercise dogs.
“Please be aware that all bins managed by FCCT are now closed, so if you are walking you dog on any of our sites, please take home any dog waste.”
