Access Ranger roles continue throughout winter
A team of seven Highland Council Access Rangers will continue to patrol and carry out countryside, core path and visitor preparation works throughout winter.
During summer the Council’s Seasonal Access Ranger team patrolled much of the Highland Council area and helped reduce the impact of thousands of visitors on local environments and communities. The Access Rangers have welcomed and engaged with nearly 20,000 people, informed them about the area and available services and advised them of responsible behaviour. They encountered 8,600 tents and 24,500 motorhomes and identified and removed the remains of 3,500 fires, 4,200 toileting sites and over 2,000 bags of dropped litter.
There has been extensive positive feedback from communities, members, organisations, and visitors for the Access Rangers’ work with calls for the service to be continued in 2022.
Council Members recognise the benefits that the Access Rangers provide and committed to extend the Visitor Management Plan funding into 2022 by a one-off investment of £1.5m. Consultations will be held with Council services to determine specific funding allocations.
Funding allocated to the Outdoor Access team for the remainder of this financial year will allow five Access Rangers to continue employment until April 2022. They will assist the Access Officers in carrying out countryside site and core path improvements. The work programme is to be confirmed but paths at Ceannabeinne and Melvich in Sutherland, Swinney Hill in Caithness, Fyrish, Torridon and Strathpeffer in Ross-shire, Tomich and Fort William are likely to see maintenance works.
In addition, a further two Access Rangers will continue employment until April 2022 through other funding opportunities. One in partnership with Visit Inverness Loch Ness and SSE, who will continue to work in the Loch Ness area and the other will help identify opportunities for biodiversity enhancements and community food growing on Council managed land.
Destination plans for hotspot areas including Morar/Arisaig, Durness and Glen Brittle will be produced in preparation for the 2022 season. Other maintenance works will likely take place at Ardvreck, Strathy, Duntelchaig, Duntulm, and Gruinard with other areas to be confirmed.
In September this year, the Corporate Communications Team produced a video about the work of the Access Rangers, on location at Loch Duntelchaig and Loch Achilty.
You can view the video on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/LvDcHV3zxfQ