Core Path Report for D030 formerly C47 Scalasaig to Beinn Nan Gudairean view point
1. Proposed Core Path
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2. Summary of Representations Received Representation Respondent Organisation/ Objection Respondents Respondent Objection Name Group Summery proposed Ref No. withdrawn action Objection Frieda Bos About Argyll Reinstate Reinstate P166 Walking as Core Holidays Path Support Alex Isle of P144 Howard Colonsay Estate
3. History of Access i. Right of Way Status: none
ii. Recorded Access Issues: none
4. Site Visit
Track between the public road at Scalsaig There are some wet sections on the And Turrsman Loch is generally in good track condition
Rutted section on the track The short section of path from the track to the cairn is trod earth; looking north west from the cairn
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5. Alternative Route/s An alternative route has been proposed from the public road to the north of Beinn Gudairean
6. Consultation with Objectors & Other Interested Parties If these core paths are deleted, Colonsay will only have the tidal walk to Oronsay as a core path, which is not very much and deprives visitors from possibilities to go for a walk, D30 should even be extended to Colonsay House.
The proposed route passes through farmland, there is a much better route to the vantage point from the public road where it passes Loch Turamin on the other side of the hill.
7. Access Officer’s Initial Comments The condition of this path is generally good and it is close to the village of Scalasaig, the ferry pier and the hotel.
There are a number of core paths in the plan that cross farm land, and the basis of both the Land Reform Scotland Act and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code is that access and land management can be successfully integrated.
The route is already promoted on the Aberdeen NEKF Hill Walking and Cycling Web Site as part of a longer route http://www.walks.able-technologies.eu/colonsay.shtm See Appendix IV.
The sole objector to the deletion of this path is the owner of a commercial business which promotes walking holidays across Argyll & Bute to an international clientele. Commercial guides have the same access rights as any private individual and although it may appear that because there is a commercial interest this objection should be discarded this is not true. The provision of a good Core Paths network will in future underpin much of the tourism in the area and in turn the economy of many rural communities.
The land owner has objected to the designation of the path because it passes through a farmyard. This is not clear from the Ariel photography however and it would appear that the path passes by rather than through the farm yard. The farmyard is close to the hotel and a number of houses therefore it is reasonable to expect that a number of people will walk in this area regularly whether the Core Path is designated or not.
I consider that the island of Colonsay has a deficient Core Path network, the only paths currently being proposed that are available to residents and visitors are on the connected island of Ornsary. During the public consultation on the Consultative Draft of the Core Paths Plan objections were made to the designation of all Core Paths on Colonsay by the land owner. Following this a letter was sent to the Community Council seeking their view on the sufficiency of the network if all the proposed Core Paths were deleted. No reply was received and on the advice of the Access Forum the decision was made to delete all the Core Paths that had been proposed on Colonsay.
Therefore in the light of this objection to the deletion of the path I believe that this path D030 should be proposed as Core Path.
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8. Advice received from the Access Forum
Argyll and Bute Council Core Path Plan Finalised Draft 2012 Minute of Discussions by the Access Forum Path Number: D030 Path Name: Scalasaig to Beinn Nan Gudairean view point, Colonsay Forum Members Present x John Urquhart (Chair) x Dave Tomlinson x John Cameron Little x Duncan McDonald x Neil Duncan x Tim Lister x Mike McManus x Malcolm Holder x Blair Fletcher
Declarations of Interest x None
Members Familiar with the Location
Discussions x Community Council view x Comparisons with similar x Island community paths/locations x Previous funding x General rights of access x Sufficiency
Access Forum Advice to Argyll and Bute Council Support Officer’s Recommendation (in Section 7) Object to Officer’s Recommendation (in Section 7) Mixed opinion amongst Access Forum members (record all views below)
Majority View Majority of Forum felt the route should not be recorded as core path
Minority View Blair Fletcher and Dave Tomlinson feel the route should be recorded as core path
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9. Access Officer’s Final Recommendations There was a mixed opinion from the Access Forum.
The path passes the farmyard and not through it as far as we have been able to establish. It would not appear to be intensively used for housing or handling stock. The advice in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code states that land managers should allow access where this does not interfere with land management operations. Therefore the designation of a Core Path along this track should not cause any difficulties. See extract from the code below.
Scottish Outdoor Access Code Guidance regarding Farmyards
In the absence of any response from the community on the island there is no way guage the opinion of the islands residents, which is in contrast to the strong views received from Iona. Since the route is already promoted on the island’s websites it is recommended that the proposed Core Path is designated to support tourism on the island The path leads to a viewpoint marked on the both the 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 OS maps the only addition will be the promotion of the path leading to the viewpoint and trig point from the public road.
Therefore it is recommended that this path is designated as a Core Path.
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10. Appendices
Appendix I. Copies of the representations received during the formal consultation
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Appendix II. Copies of relevant correspondence
Appendix III. Copies of responses additional consultations
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Appendix IV. Additional supporting documents Extract from the Aberdeen NEKF Hill Walking and Cycling Web Site illustrating this walk http://www.walks.able-technologies.eu/colonsay.shtm
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