A CAMPAIGN against a Perthshire estate “stopping walkers” from accessing four popular munros on its grounds that sparked a fierce right-to-roam row has reached a historic milestone.
North Chesthill Estate has come under fire after its owners told hillwalkers to avoid the hills and the four Munros, Càrn Gorm, Meall Garbh, Càrn Mairg and Creag Mhòr, on the north side of Glen Lyon, from the start of September until the end of October.
Ramblers Scotland launched a petition last month after the estate, located in Aberfeldy, announced it would enforce a two-month ban on walkers accessing the routes to the four Munros due to deer stalking being carried out.
On the estate's website, a public notice read: “We are very much relying on the public and hillwalkers to act responsibly within the Access Code and guidelines and seek alternative walks during the main stag deer cull period in accordance with SOAC - Section 5 - over this short period September – October annually.”
The post also outlined that the public car park on the estate, which is commonly used by hillwalkers, was also closed until the end of October.
Campaigners said the petition was launched to say “enough is enough” after years of access rows with the estate, adding they want to send the message that “access to nature is a right, not a luxury”.
Since the petition’s launch at the start of August, Ramblers Scotland said it has gathered more than 15,000 signatures, and is the most backed campaign in their organisation's history.
Ramblers Scotland director, Brendan Paddy, told The National that along with a substantial public backing, the campaign has also been supported by several MSPs from the Greens, SNP, Labour and Liberal Democrats.
“More than 15,000 people have signed our petition calling for North Chesthill Estate to respect Scotland’s world-class outdoor access rights,” Paddy said.
“That’s more than any other petition we’ve run - and it’s a view reinforced by local and national authorities, and with cross-party support at Holyrood.”
MSPs who signed Mark Ruskell's motion backing the campaign included Holly Bruce, Ariane Burgess, Yi-pei Chou Turvey, Ross Greer, Patrick Harvie, Fulton MacGregor, Q Manivannan, Cara McKee, Paul McLennan, Jenni Minto, Laura Moodie, Kate Nevens, Lorna Slater and Paul Sweeney.
Paddy added that following the petition's launch, the estate has since announced through its website that there will only be seven days across September and October when deer stalking won’t be carried out and, “by implication”, that people can walk on the hills.
He continued: “While that’s a baby step in the right direction, it further reinforces just how excessive it is by still trying to deter visitors throughout the rest of these two months.
“North Chesthill Estate is at odds with public opinion, the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, and the common-sense approach followed by other landowners to benefit both walkers and stalkers.
“Other deer estates simply ask walkers to use alternative routes – often ridges – to avoid the specific corries and times that stalking is taking place. So must North Chesthill.”
Ramblers Scotland pointed out that other estates that restrict access do so for only a small sub-section of routes for a set number of hours or days to allow for stalking and that a blanket ban is excessive.
The petition also claims the estate is “notorious” for its history of access issues and that it is calling on the estate to “end the blockade”.
Last year, the landowners of the North Chesthill Estate were ordered to remove “No Walking” signs from the same area after they tried to impose a similar two-month-long ban on walkers.
At the time, a spokesperson for Perth and Kinross Council told The National: “Following concerns expressed to us, we have contacted the estate and are dealing with the issue under our obstructions process.
“The estate has undertaken to remove or revise the signs after October 21 – the end of the current stag season.”
The National had also previously reported that a graphic used by the estate online from the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) had been altered so that it read “stalking today, walk elsewhere over this period” instead of reading “stalking today, please use an alternative route”.
The words “follow reasonable advice on alternative routes” had also been removed from the graphic.
Ramblers Scotland accused the estate of sharing the altered SOAC graphic that omits that walkers are encouraged to find alternative routes in a bid to deter people from accessing the land.
However, a spokesperson for North Chesthill Estate called on Ramblers Scotland to “understand” their decision to ban hillwalkers from the area while they carry out deer stalking.
A spokesperson for the estate added that a “proper balance to the management of the countryside and conservation issues is required” and “before complaining, use better judgement and be more moderate, better balanced and less aggressive”.
In 2021, Ramblers Scotland also called on the local authorities to take legal action against the estate after they claimed the estate had continually breached public access rights after hundreds of public complaints were made.
You can find Ramblers Scotland petition here.
