The actions of waste-dumping visitors and boozy partygoers have strengthened calls for an alcohol ban in a Highland glen with links to an iconic James Bond moment.
Glen Etive, south of Glen Coe, is known for its outstanding natural beauty and attracts many thousands of visitors every year.
But there will be no shaking or stirring in Glen Etive if concerned councillors and local have their way – as the problems caused by overnight parties are also becoming increasingly well known.
Councillors are – not for the first time- understood to be investigating the idea of a no-alcohol bylaw amid claims problems are so severe it “must be considered”.
Consultation on the move is, however, likely to be an expensive process and it appears Highland Council needs to find the cash if it is to carry out a statutory consultation.
Rubbish and waste are scarring the landscape
In recent years there have been an increasing number of complaints about rubbish, human waste and campfires in Glen Etive.
There have also been claims wildlife is being disturbed in the glen.
As it is on the West Coast 200 driving route, tens of thousands of visitors come to the glen each year.
The “majority of those are responsible” according to Councillor Andrew Baxter.
But he thinks a bylaw is necessary to address the actions of those who take the glen’s beauty for granted – and is disappointed at the lack of movement.
Mr Baxter said: “We have a bylaw in Fort William and Kinlochleven, that people can not drink alcohol on the streets, and all I am asking for is a similar ban in the glen.
“We started these discussions pre-Covid and were told back then it would cost £100,000 to consult the public.
“We have been told that unless cases of drinking alcohol are going to be prosecuted then it would be pointless to have a bylaw.”
He continued: “While I understand that thinking, I also see the misery that people who are not wild campers, but partygoers who come to the glen with single-use tents and a massive carry out of booze, are causing.
“Things got worse after wild camping was made illegal in Loch Lomond.”
“I hear horrific stories about waste from residents”
“There are horrific stories from the glen, including residents having to pick up human faeces and party campsites weekend after weekend.
“National Trust staff have been abused for asking people to move on.
“I am so disappointed that nothing has progressed, after all the work that was done with the police, the National Trust and the residents of the glen.
“Here we are all these years later, and we are still looking for a bylaw. A ban must be considered.
“There is no off-season now as people come to Glen Coe and Glen Etive in their thousands year-round.
“We need a bylaw to protect the residents, the wildlife and the outstanding natural beauty of the glen.
“It is unacceptable to allow the status quo to continue.”
Glen Etive is the setting for the fictional home of James Bond
The area was used as a filming location for the James Bond movie Skyfall.
Glen Etive is the setting for Skyfall House, James Bond’s childhood home.
A major scene in the film takes place in Glen Etive, where Bond, played by Daniel Craig, and M, played by Dame Judi Dench, take shelter in Scotland to escape the villain, Silva.
While wild camping issues existed in the glen before the movie, problems have increased since its release in October 2012.
Increase in visitor numbers at Glen Etive has led to ‘regular patrols’
Inspector Ross McCartney from Police Scotland said: “We see an increase in visitor numbers in the area, particularly across the summer months.
“Officers carry out regular patrols in the area.
“When responding to reports of matters of concern in Glen Etive, we will always use discretion and professional judgement to ensure that any police advice or action is proportionate to the circumstances.”
Recently published minutes show Glencoe and Glen Etive Community Council heard that a consultation to introduce an alcohol ban through a bylaw is proving too costly for Highland Council.
In a report to the community council, Emily Bryce, National Trust for Scotland operations manager at Glencoe National Nature Reserve, is reported as saying a “suggested ‘no alcohol bylaw’ for Glen Etive” is being investigated by councillors.
However, the community council noted at its January meeting that “Highland Council is not willing to take on the cost of the public consultation process”.
A council statement, provided to the Press and Journal, failed to provide much clarity for the community.
A spokesperson said simply: “The power to make byelaws is reserved to Full Council.
“The council’s legal team provides advice to councillors on the process and considerations that can be involved in the creation of new byelaws and the subsequent enforcement.”
Efforts to reduce anti-social camping
A spokesperson from the National Trust for Scotland, meanwhile, said: “The National Trust for Scotland encourages responsible access to all of our places.
“Our ranger teams spend a lot of time speaking to visitors and informing them how to minimise the impact they have on the special landscape they have come to enjoy.
“A variety of solutions have been suggested to reduce issues with anti-social camping in Glencoe and Glen Etive.
“The Trust will work with other organisations to implement whatever changes are recommended.”
Have you signed up for our Oban and Hebrides newsletter?
Every week our Oban-based reporter Louise Glen curates the best news in the area.
Sign up here for local news straight to your inbox.
Conversation