

In the first of our new monthly Viewpoint columns, outdoors writer, broadcaster and mountain walker, Cameron McNeish discusses the future of Cape Wrath.

“THE proposed sale of 58 acres around the Cape Wrath Lighthouse to the Ministry of Defence doesn’t appear to have stirred the Scottish hill-going public very much.

The MoD already own much of The Parph, the area known as the Cape Wrath peninsula, but at the moment the most north-western point, containing the lighthouse and associated buildings, is owned by the Northern Lighthouse Board.

The local Durness Development Group, who has registered an interest in buying the area in a community buy-out, has raised a petition but that has only garnered about a thousand signatures, and such a pathetic response is unlikely to influence the Northern Lighthouse Board who appear overkeen to sell to the MoD and no-one else.

OK, I admit I have a personal interest in this area. It’s the finish to the Scottish National Trail that I’ve been developing, the terminal of what I believe could be one of the iconic long distance walking routes in the world. But what is a long distance walking route without a good finish? A damp squib really.

I guess walkers could finish at Sandwood Bay, but what a pity if the last dozen miles up the coast to the most north westerly part of the Scottish mainland are put out of bounds by the military, as they may well be if this sale goes through.

A statement from the MoD to the Durness Development Group, makes it clear the public would not be welcome if the sale goes through. Although some Westminster politicians have tried to backtrack on that in the press the statement itself is unequivocal.

This is what it says: “Should the Ministry of Defence be successful in purchasing the land, it would be used for training purposes. This would mean that for reasons of Health and Safety access by the local community would be precluded”

A spokesperson for Durness Development Group told me: “This news is of great concern. Continued public access to Cape Wrath is of significant importance to the local economy of this small remote community which is heavily dependent upon tourism and hospitality. Cape Wrath draws people to Durness and to the whole of North West Sutherland and encourages many visitors to extend their stay in the area.”

The coastal walk between the John Muir Trust property of Sandwood Bay and Cape Wrath lighthouse is becoming increasingly popular and the lighthouse is also the finish of the Cape Wrath Trail, for which a new guidebook is being published this year.

Indeed the area has become so popular with walkers that John and Kaye Ure recently opened their Ozone Café in one of the old lighthouse buildings leased from the Northern Lighthouse Board.

I visited them last summer and they were bubbling over with enthusiasm at how successful the café had become and you could sense their excitement when they told me of their plans to build a walkers’ bunkhouse adjacent to the café.

At the moment walkers and tourists can access Cape Wrath via a ferry and minibus that runs regularly from near Durness. If the MoD get their way at least a dozen jobs would be lost.

Recent news from the DDG on the community buy-out is not encouraging. The Northern Lighthouse Board claims that the area in question is too remote from Durness itself for a community buy-out and another unknown bidder has been told the tendering process is over. It’s becoming increasingly obvious the NLB wants to sell the property to the MoD, and no-one else.

So what can be done?

Well, nothing really unless there is a better response from the general public, and especially those who have an interest in the area, like Scotland’s outdoor community.

There must be calls on the Ministry of Defence to abandon its efforts to purchase this land from the Northern Lighthouse Board and there has to be stronger support for the Durness Community Council to continue its efforts to buy the land. If all else fails there should be pressure put on the Scottish Government to secure the land through a compulsory purchase order.

Indeed, it’s probably time there was a review of all of the MoD land that is held in the Cape Wrath area, to consult with all appropriate interests, and to determine whether it is in the public interest that the use of such land as part of a NATO bombing range should continue.

Let’s be clear about this. Politicians will not get involved unless there is a public outcry and we, as hillgoers, have to play our part. If we don’t, the MoD will get its way and an iconic corner of Scotland will be closed to the public, a cruel irony given that Scotland boasts some of the finest access legislation in the world.

I would urge as many of you as possible to write to your MSP and demand the Scottish Government’s intervention in this. And copy in the First Minister (firstminister@scotland.gsi.gov.uk) Tell him why the Durness Development Group should be able to buy this land under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act of 2003 and in doing so save the jobs of those who work in the local tourism industry.

And please support the Durness Development Group in their Community Right to Buy application.

If we, as hill walkers and climbers who are passionate about access to areas of wild land in Scotland, can’t be bothered to do something about a blatant ‘land grab’ like this then God help us all.”

Cameron McNeish, March 2013

You can discuss the issues raised by Cameron on the forum.