Human waste and wipes found in the grounds of Balmoral Castle have forced park rangers to urge Scots not to use the area as a wild toilet.
Staff at the 50,000 acre Balmoral Estate, which houses the castle and is the Scottish home of the Royal Family, say they have found wipes discarded next to paths and monuments.
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Pictures were posted over the weekend of pulling on the Aberdeenshire estate, and rangers say they are 'disappointed' at the state.
With public toilets at the site closed, rangers tweeted: “Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments.
"Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment.”
Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments. Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment. pic.twitter.com/QRXixXWZRL
— balmoralcastle.com (@Balmoral_Castle) June 27, 2020
The estate said the toilets near Loch Muick, managed by Aberdeenshire Council, have been closed but that people had been “breaking into them.”
They tweeted: “Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non-biodegradable wipes being discarded in the countryside.
“Also, people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination."
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It comes after local government minister Simon Clarke and environment minister Rebecca Pow wrote to councils urging them to look at reopening any closed public toilets.
The letter said: “Councils should consider the harm to public health and the local environment caused by people relieving themselves in public.
“The combination of the hotter weather and the Government’s push to support outdoor hospitality has reinforced the need for public access to toilets.”
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