LOCALS living near a picturesque Scottish beauty spot have been left “sad and angry” after clueless campers caused “irreparable damage” to the site.
Coire Gabhail is an iconic spot known as the famous Hidden Valley, which sits just south of Glencoe in the Scottish Highlands.
But experts have revealed that it is at risk of being destroyed by campers and walkers’ careless actions.
Members of the Glencoe National Nature Reserve NTS have slammed tourists who are damaging the area and “don’t realise the impact of their actions”.
Coire Gabhail is a narrow gorge that climbs up to 1,500ft and is surrounded by the rock walls of two of the two of the “Three Sisters” mountains.
Around 150,000 people visit the rocky route each year to take in the incredible, scenic views of the Highlands.
But the team at the environmental conservation organisation have said that the event behaviour of tourists is beginning to ruin it.
Visitors have been caught setting fires, cutting down trees and abandoning their waste at the beauty spot over recent months.
Coire Gabhail is one of our team’s favourite spots… but sadly its specialness is at risk of being destroyed by campers and walkers who don’t realise the impact of their actions
Glencoe National Nature Reserve NTS
And it has prompted the Glencoe National Nature Reserve NTS to take action.
They have taken to social media to urge people to treat the area with respect and have called on others to watch out for anyone who is damaging the area.
And they have called on locals to report anyone committing crimes like vandalism to the police and local authorities.
In a post on Facebook, the team wrote: “Who’s been to Coire Gabhail (also known as the ‘Hidden’ or ‘Lost’ Valley)? Who loves it up there? Who knows it’s suffering?
“Coire Gabhail is one of our team’s favourite spots in Glencoe National Nature Reserve NTS, but sadly its specialness is at risk of being destroyed by campers and walkers who don’t realise the impact of their actions…
“We need your help to get the message out and protect it!!”
Delving into the huge range of problems, they added: “Wild campers making fires. These leave a long-lasting scar on Coire Gabhail’s shallow, fragile mountain soils. Please don’t do it.
“Worse than this though – fire-makers are not bringing in their own firewood (heavy to carry up the steep climb). They are cutting and burning the precious trees and deadwood up in the core.
“Making a fire from damp or green (living) wood is a waste of time – it does not burn well. It’s also vandalism, causing irreparable damage to the ancient woodland habitats.
Really sad the way such fantastic places are being treated by a thoughtless minority
Comment on Facebook
“The rock art trend has reached us and though we hate to stifle creativity, dislodging rocks to position them into pretty designs has a lasting negative impact on nature, which we are sure the artists don’t realise.
“These rocks offer shelter to wee creatures and protect shallow, high-altitude soils from erosion. The concentrated trampling around these artworks also damages tiny fragile wildflowers and plants too.
“Abandoned rubbish, camping gear and human waste – we won’t labour the point as everyone knows why this is wrong.
“We can only imagine that after the challenging walk up, people want to lighten their load on the way down? If that sounds like you, probably best to stay low-level.
“Our rangers and volunteers had to make several trips up and down on a litter pick last week, including removing a tent full of gear.
“Big thanks to some fantastic walkers who mucked in. A 90min descent down the rocky path is no easy feat while carrying heavy bin bags!!
“SO, If you LOVE this special place or any busy mountain area…
“1. PLEASE treat it with the care and respect it deserves. Tiny careless actions x 150,000 people a year has a massive cumulative effect and will destroy what makes it so special.
“2. Take a spare plastic bag with you and help collect any rubbish you spot while walking – even if it is not yours.
“3. Be our eyes and ears, and if you notice anything that looks wrong, like people with axes, please DM us. Serious incidents of vandalism can be reported to the Police…
What is Coire Gabhail & why is it special?
THE TEAM at Glencoe National Nature Reserve NTS have revealed what makes this beauty spot so special in the poignant Facebook post.
They said: “Coire Gabhail is a narrow gorge, which climbs up to 1,500ft, opening out into ala wide bowl, surrounded by the rock walls of two of the ‘Three Sisters’, Gearr Aonach and Bheinn Fhada, with Munro peak, Stob Coire Sgreamhach towering above at the head of the glen.
“It’s a challenging, rocky route, 1 to 2 hours each way, but around 150,000 people go there each year.
“The narrow gorge entrance to Coire Gabhail was formed after the last ice age by the UK’s largest ever rockfall. Boulders the size of small houses litter the glen and there are very active scree slopes today.
“The Macdonalds of Glencoe, are said to have used this natural hiding place for rustled cattle (though it is hard to imagine cows coping with the climb!) and it became a refuge for people in February 1692, when men, women and children escaped into the hills during the infamous Massacre.
“Perhaps less well-known, but most exciting for us today, are the remnants of ancient Scottish rainforest, which cling to its slopes, protected over the centuries from felling and over-grazing by their inaccessibility.
“Coire Gabhail’s damp, sheltered conditions make it one of the richest sites in Europe for rainforest wildlife, like rare mosses and liverworts, lichens, fungi, insects and small mammals.
“These have their homes in the slow-growing, veteran trees and rotting deadwood. We’re reducing deer numbers up here to help the woodlands thrive and spread again”.
“4. Share this post widely to help get the message out, thank you!”
Locals quickly flocked to the comments to share their frustrations about tourists behaviour and thanked the team for the incredible, hard work that they do.
One person said: “So sad and angry that people are destroying the beauty of such an awesome place.”
Another added: “People need early education in preserving our environment for the future, and not turning everywhere into a campers’ waste tip. If you can carry it in, carry it out!”
Someone else wrote: “So incredibly ridiculous what is happening. Thank you for clearing this, you’re time and hard work is appreciated and applauded.”
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While a fourth shared: “Really sad the way such fantastic places are being treated by a thoughtless minority”.
And a fifth chimed in: “This makes me so angry. The selfish and thoughtless actions of some people is a metaphor for all that is wrong with society nowadays. Ignorance is no excuse.”
