Countryside rangers will restart patrols at Highland Perthshire beauty spots this spring, as park bosses brace themselves for another tourism boom.
Visitors flocked to the Cairngorms National Park in their droves throughout 2020, stretching local services “to the limit” and leading to a surge in complaints about litter, fires, traffic and dirty camping.
In one high profile incident, officials released an image of abandoned tents and camping gear in a rubbish-strewn field on the Queen’s Balmoral estate.
During August alone, the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) had to deal with 143 fires and pick up 73 bags of rubbish.
There were also complaints that trees had been cut down to make firewood, and claims of human waste left in litter bins.
And the flood of visitors – escaping to the countryside as lockdown restrictions eased – led to congestion and parking problems on surrounding roads.
Park chiefs have now approved funding of £236,000 to relaunch its seasonal rangers service.
The scheme, which will run from March to October, will create nine jobs as well as five placements for young people at the start of their careers.
Spanning more than 4,500 square kilometres, the park covers the Cairngorms range of mountains and takes in five council areas including Perth and Kinross and Angus.
The seasonal ranger service was first launched last year, in response to the sudden influx of visitors.
CNPA Chief Executive Grant Moir said: “Given that people are highly likely to opt for a staycation again this year, we aim to establish a seasonal ranger service again in 2021. We need budget approval to do this now so that the recruitment process can get underway with staff trained and ready to go in time for Easter.”
He said: “Rangers are often the first point of contact for many visitors to the national park providing useful information to help them have an enjoyable visit. This type of face-to-face communication can also help to reduce incidences of antisocial behaviour.”
Mr Moir added: “Land managers, estate workers and ranger services were stretched to the limit in 2020 so it was with much gratitude that our team of seasonal rangers were able to hit the ground running and help out in particular hotspot areas.”
CNPA Board Convener Xander McDade added: “Visitors are essential to our economic recovery and while we love to welcome visitors to the park, we want to ensure that everyone has a great time, respects the park, its communities, landscapes and wildlife.”
Mr McDade, who is also an independent councillor with Perth and Kinross, said: “The seasonal ranger service is vital to ensure we have capacity to support our local communities.
“The extra ‘boots on the ground’ proved invaluable in 2020, engaging with visitors and helping people to act responsibly.”
He said he was delighted about the launch of the Kickstart programme, providing recruitment and training opportunities for five young people.
