An Inverness councillor has expressed his disappointment after tonnes of rubble was dumped in a lay-by on the A9.
The huge pile of rubble – consisting of wood, mud and general waste – was discarded just half a mile north of Bogbain Farm at an entrance to Daviot wood, located opposite the former tourist information centre at on the A9.
Councillor Duncan Macpherson was first made aware of the act of fly-tipping by a concerned constituent, and says it’s the “worst case” he has seen this year.
He said: “It’s very disappointing. Easily there is about two tonnes worth of rubble there. It looks like they have just tipped it there with a low loader, a pick-up with a tip on it and they have just tipped it all there. It looks like someone’s driveway; it’s on an industrial scale.
“When I investigated a bit further in the little stream at the side there, there is an old washing machine that’s got moss growing over it and car tyres so they have obviously been there longer.
“This is a popular area with dog walkers and I remember in previous times you used to see the police dog handler park his vehicle to the side to not block the gate and then take his two police dogs for a walk in the woods so it’s a popular route.”
The incident comes less than a year after more than 30 car tyres were dumped between the A9 and the railway tracks, north of Slochd Summit.
As the city begins to see the start of another busting tourism season, Mr Macpherson said this incident is not the first of its kind this year.
He added: “It’s very disappointing and totally unacceptable.
“It’s certainly the worst case this year. I reported other ones and they have been cleaned up by the council and environmental health. In Culloden, there was an area where there was a lot of household waste. I think the council counted three fridge freezers that had been dumped there and they have all been cleaned up.
“We are getting into the height of the tourist season, the roads are busier and there is much more traffic about. Is this the message we want to send out to people? It is disappointing and I wouldn’t like to think this was the start.”