Agendas, reports and minutes

Present

Chris Hobson (CH), Chair – Land Manager
David Glass (DG) – Community Group
Roger Saxon (RS) – Thurso Ward Member of the Highland Council
Ben McGregor (BM) – Access Taker/User
Elena Koponen-Baikie (EK-B) – Community Group

In attendance

Matt Dent (MD) – Access Officer, Highland Council
Kirsty Rosie (KR) – East Caithness Countryside Ranger, Highland Council
Paul Castle (PC) – Countryside Ranger, Highland Council
Alex Macmanus (AM) – Ward Manager’s Team, Highland Council (clerk)

1. Apologies
Willie Mackay (WM) – Landward Ward Member of the Highland Council.
William Bruce (WB) – Access Taker/User
George Duff (GD) – Countryside Ranger & Long Distance Route Manager
Marina Swanson (MS) – East Caithness Countryside Ranger, Highland Council

2. Notes from meeting of 26th November 2013
Agreed by DG and EK-B

3. Action points from 2 above.
Core Path Plan – Call for sites sent out.

Core Path signs – Signage for Dunnet sent to Chair of local Community Council.

Brough to Dunnet Head – rubble being spread around area following SEPA intervention.

Reay – Locked gate will be opened. MD still trying to find new owners. ACTION - MD

Dunnet Forest – issue over difficulty in negotiating paths in the forest by members of the Local Disability Panel has been looked at and rectified. Signs and markers to come from Highland Council. ACTION – MD.

Braal Castle to the Pond – CH to speak to Cllr Gillian Coghill and local Community Council over condition of this path. ACTION – CH

Bishops Walk, Thurso – CH to ascertain land owner as queries over the path being all abilities due to its narrowing. ACTION – CH

Booklet on Caithness paths – along same lines as that produced for Ross and Cromarty. ACTION – MD

Core Path review – 12 week period of consultation required for any new paths. Any modification of existing core path does not require any consultation. MD is due to attend Access Strategy meeting on 2nd April.

4. Local Disability Access Panel Report
None submitted.

5. Caithness Core Path Review.
Thank members of CLAF for their comments and views on the existing core paths following the circulation of the path tables. CLAF support given for roadside footpaths where they form part of an existing Core path.
Look at next CLAF meeting in June to decide which paths stay in and which paths go out of the plan. Not a lot of suggestions put forward for new paths but lots of comments on existing ones.

Well used path from Holburn Head to Scrabster Quarry.
 Suggestion of path from Drumholistan to the coast.
Core path on Stroma indicates island is not private and path does get used by walkers.

MD reported that the bridge to St Mary’s Chapel at Forss is closed. (At close of meeting member of the public advised this was not in fact the case.)

MD would send out the call for sites proforma to the CLAF Members again for any further comments/suggestions. ACTION – MD.

6. Access Officers Report.
Still to look at the Sandside gate.
No contact details for the Scrabster Quarry locked gate.
Issue over a Thurso skyline gate.
Trying to establish ownership of Holburn farm. Believed that south based Company owns Scrabster Quarry.

Shorepark Latheron deer farm now has very poached ground and does not encourage access .Access is still available to the shore from the harbour.
Looking for information from Solicitor over Forss access issue.
Forestry Commission and the local Community Council are very keen on the Halkirk to Sibster path and the land owner is also keen. CH would action and report to next CLAF meeting. ACTION – CH

KR enquired about the scaffolding on the wick river rail bridge as access under the bridge is restricted. MD would contact Network rail. ACTION – MD

KR/PC would issue via the clerk the ranger walk booklets for distribution to the CLAF members. ACTION – KR/PC

7. North Highland Way (NHW) – Tina Irving
Ms Irving gave a short presentation on the history of the NHW and her work in trying to market this project. Hand-outs of the presentation had already been forwarded to the CLAF members a few days before the meeting.

Ms Irving asked for questions and BM commented that paths existed now to allow access from Cape Wrath to Duncansby Head. He felt that a route down the east coast of Caithness was more needed that NHW.

Ms Irving requested that the CLAF support the idea of the NHW and the Chair advised that the CLAF would need time to consider a response to her presentation. ACTION – CLAF MEMBERS.

The Chair thanked Ms Irving for her presentation.

8. AOB
Issue raised from the floor by John Calder over the replacement of Jesson’s bridge at Castletown. Suggest path be moved to take a new bridge over beside the road bridge. A lot of local support for this path. ACTION – MD

Short talk on the use of paths around Wind farms and the dangers of ice fling and lightning.

9. DONM
Thursday 5th June 2014

Meet at east beach car park, Castletown at 6.45 pm to allow visit to Jesson Bridge and core path (CA03.02) then retire to the Castletown Heritage Centre for 7.30 pm