A landowner has broken her silence to insist that a site sacred to the travelling community is properly preserved.
Kate How, of Ardno Farm, Cairndow, said the Tinkers’ Heart, near the Rest and Be Thankful road pass in Argyll, was safe from cattle and available for people to visit if they wished.
She made the remarks in a letter to the Scottish Parliament’s public petitions committee, which is examining a call for Historic Scotland to schedule the site as a protected area.
The landmark, which consists of a heart-shaped design of quartz stones embedded in a field overlooking Loch Fyne, is said to have served as “the marriage place” for travellers for centuries.
A petition, backed by almost 1,200 signatures, was lodged by traveller, author and storyteller Jess Smith in May last year.
Committee chairman, Highland and Islands Labour MSP Dave Stewart, told a meeting on December 9 that Ms How had not been in touch with members.
But the landowner then wrote to MSPs to say she was under the impression the petition had been dropped because the site was not considered to be of “sufficient historical interest to merit a listing” and was located on land belonging to Ardno Farm.
In her letter, she wrote: “I can assure you that the site is well looked after and protected against cattle.
“Furthermore, there is a sign on the gate inviting passersby to have a look – the gate will be unlocked.
“I consider that enough has been done to ensure that everyone wishing to visit the Tinkers’ Heart can do so.”
Historic Scotland has insisted that the heart does not meet the criteria for legal protection, claiming most members of the travelling community had never heard of it before the petition became public.
However, Argyll and Bute SNP MSP Mike Russell, a former education secretary, claims the agency has “not grasped the importance” of the site which is “not properly preserved”.
He wants proper signs and parking provision put in place.