Ben Lui, the 28th highest munro and site of a classic winter climb up its central gully

A national park boss has recommended the reopening of a goldmine in the Highlands despite it being against the park authority’s landscape policy.

Gordon Watson of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority said long-term benefits to the area around the Cononish mine outweigh the disruption for the 10 years the mine owners plan to operate.

Mr Watson, director of planning and rural development for the authority, made the recommendation after the original application by Scotgold Resources was turned down by national park bosses last year. The director’s u-turn came after assurances on restoring the area around the site near Tyndrum, in the shadow of munro Ben Lui.

The national park authority’s board will make a site visit in 10 days’ time and there will be a special meeting at Crianlarich to consider the plans, at which supporters and objectors will have their views heard.

The national park authority said the Australian mine applicants had pledged to carry out improvements in the Cononish Glen, including the planting of 25ha (62 acres) of native woodland, plus tree planting around the mine site at the foot of Beinn Chuirn.

Scotgold Resources estimates it can extract 21,000 ounces of gold and 83,000 ounces of silver from the mine each year, with most of the gold exported overseas for treatment, though a quarter of the precious metal would be smelted at the site.

The company has committed itself to a 30-year restoration plan, and some of the slurry produced – the ‘tailings’ – would be dried and reburied in the mine.

The authority said 50 conditions will be imposed if the application is approved. It also said the reopening of the mine would provide 52 jobs and an economic benefit to Scotland of more than £80m.

The Cononish mine. Photo: Helen Wilkinson CC-BY-SA-2.0

The value of gold anticipated to be extracted each year is more than £22m at today’s prices, though Scottish this could be higher as Scottish gold commands a premium price.

Mr Watson said: “On balance, I have concluded that the temporary adverse impacts are outweighed by the anticipated outcome of a higher quality landscape and recreational experience being delivered in the long term.

“This benefit is in addition to the considerable economic benefits likely to accrue both to the park area and wider Scottish economy. Critical to this is that the size, shape and contouring of the tailings management facility can be restored to appear as a natural feature in the landscape.

“It is a significant material consideration that, following mine restoration and a successfully delivered Greater Cononish Glen Management Plan – which includes areas of native woodland planting – there will be an improvement to the landscape and relative wildness of the area.”

Referring to the previously refused application last year, Mr Watson added: “I have greater confidence in the restoration techniques now being proposed and that, in combination with the smaller and more contoured form of the TMF and associated tree planting, the impacts of the mine will not be adverse following closure and restoration.

“It is important to note that I consider that the impacts and benefits associated with this development will have a favourable contribution to the national park aims over the medium to long term.”

Ben Lui, at 1,130m (3,707ft), is the 28th highest munro; the 880m (2,887ft) Beinn Chuirn is a corbett.