Aberdeenshire Visitor Management Plan 2021 Overview This Plan is an Aberdeenshire wide plan for re-opening the countryside through the easing of lockdown under the terms of the Scottish Government’s COVID-19 Routemap. The plan ties in with specific plans put in place by individual landowners and Cairngorms National Park Authority. Aberdeenshire Council is working under the official guidance and documentation published by the Scottish Government. The council is working in partnership with partners, stakeholders, businesses and communities in relation to COVID-19. The purpose of the Visitor Management Plan is to: • Provide a warm welcome and support exceptional experiences for the public to enjoy the outdoors • Mitigate any negative impacts from increased recreation in sensitive or popular sites • Demonstrate actions being taken to mitigate the impact of visitors activity on local communities • Promote collaboration across estate and organisational boundaries ensuring a positive visitor experience. • Agree visitor infrastructure priorities for the area Quick Links within the Plan • Car Parks and Public Toilets • Coast and Countryside Hot Spots • Community Engagement, Consultation, Communications and Messaging • Key Contacts and Links • List of 'no-promotion' sites • National messaging & comms and launch of Scotland’s Responsible Tourism Promise • Paths Closure List • Public Toilet open/closed status • Resources and Staff • Scottish Government Timetable for planned easing of restrictions • Town and village Hot Spots • Traffic Management, Roads, Landscape & Waste and Signage • Visitor Management Scottish Government Timetable for planned easing of restrictions From Friday, April 2 The ‘Stay at Home’ requirement is due to be lifted and replaced with a ‘Stay Local’ message. Restrictions on moving between local authority areas, unless for an essential reason, are expected to remain in place for at least three weeks from this date. From Monday, April 5 The following changes are due to take effect in all Level 4 areas, including Aberdeenshire. Some of these measures are already permitted in Level 3 island communities: • the resumption of outdoor contact sport for 12-17-year-olds • reopening of non-essential ‘click and collect’ retail • extending the list of retail permitted to include: o garden centres (indoor and outdoor) o key cutting shops o mobility equipment shops o baby equipment shops o electrical repair shops o hairdressers and barbers (with shopfronts – not mobile services), by appointment only o homeware shops o vehicle showrooms (appointment only) and forecourts o The prohibition of in-home socialising will continue to be kept under review at this date. From Monday, April 12, or Monday, April 19 (depending on term times) All children are expected to be able to return to school on a full-time basis. From Monday, April 26 A more significant reopening of the economy and society is expected from this date. This will likely include the following changes, some of which are already permitted in Level 3 communities: • extending outdoor socialising to permit up to 6 people from up to 3 households to gather • allowing 12-17-year-olds to meet outdoors in groups of 6 from up to 6 households • travel within all of mainland Scotland permitted (arrangements for island communities to be discussed) • remaining shops can reopen, and mobile close contact services can resume • gyms can reopen for individual exercise • tourist accommodation to reopen (self-catering accommodation to be restricted in line with rules on indoor gathering) • libraries, museums, galleries reopen • outdoor hospitality to open till 10pm with alcohol permitted. Indoor hospitality permitted without alcohol and closing at 8pm • social mixing in indoor public places will be subject to current maximum of 4 people from up to 2 households. • The prohibition of in-home socialising will continue to be kept under review at this date. It is expected that all parts of Scotland currently in Level 4 (including Aberdeenshire) will be able to move down to a modified Level 3 at this stage. From Monday, May 17 It is hoped the following easing of restrictions will take effect from this date: • re-introducing in-home socialising for up to 4 people from up to 2 households • further re-opening of hospitality: bars, pubs, restaurants and cafes can stay open until 10.30pm indoors with alcohol permitted and two-hour time- limited slots, and until 10pm outdoors with alcohol permitted • adult outdoor contact sport and indoor group exercises can resume • cinemas, amusement arcades and bingo halls can re-open • small scale indoor and outdoor events can resume, subject to capacity constraints (to be confirmed following stakeholder engagement) • non-professional performance arts can resume outdoors It is hoped that all Level 3 areas, or as many as possible, will be able to move to Level 2 at this stage. From June Specific dates beyond May have not been finalised, but it is hoped that from the start of June the whole of Scotland will move back to Level 1 restrictions, and that by the end of the month restrictions can drop further to Level 0. 1. Key Countryside, Town and Village Hotspots Very popular, pinch points on trails, could be on a dead-end road, limited parking and overspill sites, popular hills, parks or beauty spots, heavily promoted by third parties, close to main transport routes, i.e. trunk roads and accessible from large towns. Popular, parking previously sufficient for level of use, setting off point for hills or beauty spots and promoted by 3rd parties, likely to experience overspill from nearby popular sites Less popular, sufficient parking, generally used by residents 1.1 Coast and Countryside Hot Spots 2. Countryside Council area e.g. Risk Likely issues Landowner Any other friends Car Park Toilets. Location Marr, CNPA or community Capacities & groups other relevant associated with info site Aden CP Buchan Popular destination, play AC Friends of Aden Open park Bullers of Buchan Buchan Limited car park, v. popular during seabird season, narrow paths Clunie Flats Marr Invercauld No No Estate Coastal Path Cullen to Banff & Buchan Some sections closed due AC maintained Open Port soy to erosion, but some sections very busy (e.g. Findlater Castle to Sunnyside Beach), narrow paths Sandend Banff & Buchan Substantially increased Various land- Open need for parking Spring – Owners Autumn contacted in Demand causes unsafe efforts to parking elsewhere (A resolve. Miller & J Emery looking Current piece of for other potential sites work Duff House/Wrack Banff & Buchan Very popular, narrow HS - Duff Local Community PC in grounds Woods paths, pinch points House and Council (currently 10.03.21 JEE working with grounds, AC closed). Also St owners since 2018 to maintained on Mary’s car secure capital FC funds part of the park. (under WIAT scheme) to privately carry out numerous owned improvements – remove woodland dead trees, improve paths etc. JEE will get update from owners Balmedie Country Park Formartine V. high no. of visitors Council The Sand Open - Toilet Bothy/Better offering Balmedie reduced due to changing places toilet upgrade. Works underway Forvie N.N.R. Formartine Access paths from NatureScot Newburgh: Collieston end. follow Beach Overflowing car parks, Road at verge parking. Newburgh Inn, AB41 6BY. This is Birds - During the bird the closest car breeding season (April to park to the August) the southern area beach and the of the reserve is closed to best place to protect breeding birds. Do view seals. not enter this area - it is marked by a fence and Waterside car includes the dunes and park: 1.5 intertidal areas. It is an kilometres north offence to disturb of Newburgh. breeding birds. In the breeding season take extra care in the eider zone (marked by AB41 6AB is the signs on the paths) and nearest keep dogs under close postcode. control or on a short lead. In the winter please Visitor centre car prevent your dog from park: 5 approaching birds kilometres north roosting on the shoreline. of Newburgh. Turn right at the Seals - Forvie is a Collieston designated seal haul-out crossroads, and site; it is an offence to follow the signs intentionally or recklessly to the centre. harass a seal at these sites. AB41 8RU is the nearest If you are visiting Forvie postcode. please give the seals sufficient space - if you see their heads coming up, the seals starting to shift around or become agitated - you are too close and need to move back. Please keep dogs under control or on a short lead and away from seals. Bennachie Garioch FLS, Pittodrie The Bailies of Estate Bennachie are looking at Rowan Tree Limited parking FLS Integrated council/private Visitor Rowan Tree access to Management on Car Park, residents Bennachie and a AB51 5HZ meeting was (Community held on 23.3.21 Run) (disabled land managers. access) - closed for James Davidson winter represented Aberdeenshire Council. The project is supported by NatureScot's Better Places Fund Bennachie Visitor Centre Pay & display, busy car FLS Public toilets park at peak times Bennachie open in Visitor Centre winter, Fri - Trust Sun 10am- 3pm. Plan is that the BVC Pay & display opens on Saturday 1 May 2021 (subject to Covid-19 restrictions) until the end of October on a daily basis from 10am – 4:30pm. The toilets should then be open on a daily basis from approximatel y 8am – 9pm during this time. Back o’Bennachie Pay & display, busy car FLS toilets here park at peak times are open from Pay & display 1st April to 31st October Donview Pay & display, busy car FLS park at peak times Easter Aquorthies Car Garioch Car parking raised as an AC, HES Park & Woodland issue during lockdown Fetternear Estate, Garioch Popular Kemnay Keithhall Estate Garioch Popular. High usage issues private raised by residents and Covid signage in place River Don Inverurie Garioch popular busy council Shakkin, Briggie, Garioch Low level but regular use.