Glen Lyon, scene of the access problems. Photo: Gordon Hatton CC-BY-SA-2.0

Mountaineers have launched a survey to gauge access problems around a Highland glen.

The Mountaineering Council of Scotland is asking for instances of difficulties from walkers and other outdoor enthusiasts in Glen Lyon.

The survey will help gather evidence of walkers being barred or dissuaded from using the North Chesthill estate. The MCofS said any evidence would also strengthen the hand of the local authority, which has responsibility for maintaining access.

An MCofS spokesperson said: “Long-running problems on the North Chesthill Estate have seen a steady stream of complaints from hillwalkers who feel they have been obstructed from their legal right of responsible access.

“Besides being internationally renowned for its beauty, the glen is also home to a popular circuit of four munros, but at the most popular starting point for the walk a gate is regularly locked and signs imply that access is forbidden.

“Perth & Kinross Council, which has the legal duty of enforcing access rights, has held discussions with the estate owner but so far failed to solve the problems faced by walkers, who have complained over a number of years about locked gates, intimidating and misleading signs.”

Towards the end of 2013 the MCofS wrote to the local MSP, John Swinney, asking him to take action in view of the lack of progress achieved by Perth & Kinross Council.

MCofS Chief Officer David Gibson said then: “The North Chesthill Estate has been restricting the statutory right of access for many years.

“Perth and Kinross Council, the Perth and Kinross Outdoor Access Forum, Ramblers Scotland and the Mountaineering Council of Scotland have all been involved in discussions with the owner but he still continues to lock gates and erect signs stating ‘Deer management in progress – please walk elsewhere’.

“The locked gates and signs effectively close the whole estate to access.

“In effect, the landowner is being allowed to prohibit access and responsible walkers are being denied their statutory rights.

“Our members and other hillwalkers are becoming increasingly frustrated by this blatant flouting of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and that is why we wrote to Mr Swinney.”

However, the MCofS has had little support from the Scottish National Party minister on the matter.

“We had hoped that he would intervene to see that the law is upheld,” Mr Gibson said, “but his response was brief, and simply copied us in on the correspondence he had received from the local authority and access forum.

“Given his previous support for the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, we would have hoped for stronger support.”

He reminded Mr Swinney, who is also Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Employment and Sustainable Growth in the Scottish Government that many walkers travel a significant distance to access the hills and in 2009 the value to the Scottish economy from walking tourism was estimated to be £533m a year.

The MCofS said, according to Scottish Natural Heritage, the overall contribution to the Scottish economy from all field sports – game shooting, deer stalking and angling – is £136m a year.

The survey can be completed online.