By Claire Taylor

A WARNING has been issued to wild campers to treat the countryside with respect this summer, following growing issues of abuse of Scotland’s scenic spots.

Police Scotland was called to an incident in Glenmore, following reports of campers causing harm to wildlife and verbally abusing local bodies.

Forestry and Land Scotland received complaints from distressed visitors about young campers kicking ducks, using an axe on trees, collecting deadwood from the environmentally designated areas and washing in the loch – which is also designated for environmental protection.

FLS are now calling for greater public support in dealing with anti-social behaviour after its staff were verbally abused and environmental damage was inflicted at the SSSI site. Area visitor services manager Laura McNally said: “Situations such as this can be very intimidating for our staff and I have to commend our Glenmore team for dealing with this so professionally over the course of three days.

“We engaged with the group of young men on Saturday to explain why they had to move their camp and to clarify appropriate behaviours but this fell on deaf ears and was met with abuse. Further engagement met with the same response.

“Anti-social behaviour by a small group can spoil a visit for everyone else. This is the case no matter where it occurs. Our rangers will do what they can to manage a situation but public support is vital, especially if the rangers aren’t in the area at the time,” she said.

With the summer holidays here, Scotland’s National Farming Union has partnered with outdoor equipment and clothing retailer Tiso and Scottish chef Nick Nairn to spread the message of responsible access.

For in-depth news and views on Scottish agriculture, see this Friday’s issue of The Scottish Farmer or visit www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk