UKC

After the recent incident where some people inadvertently visited the crag while deer culling was taking place the BMC Access Officer has been in touch with the forest management and clarified the situation.

The official position is that "climbing is permitted at Kyloe In as long as people use the agreed access route but that the woods may be closed on occasion for deer culling, in which case a specific notice saying that shooting is in progress and access is not permitted will be posted on the main access gate".

The management agree that the signage on the gate is not clear, and are going to try and sort that. There is permanent signage saying that deer shooting takes place at certain times of the year, and a different sign is added when the shooting is actually taking place.

Also, because of the limited parking, people have been parking up the road and using a different access to the crag - this is not permitted, so PLEASE use the access route described in the guide.

In reply to JDal:

The trouble with a notice on the gate is that most climbers have travelled from Newcastle or Edniburgh (or even further) only to see (or not see) a notice on the gate.

In reply to Steve Crowe:


Yeah, but Kyloe In is about 60 seconds drive, and Bowden Doors is only another 10 min, so seems a bit selfish to jeopardise access on this basis. Unless you really *must* run laps on Monk Life on that day - which I do on a regular basis

In reply to Steve Crowe:


That's not an excuse Steve. There's 3 other crags in easy reach with good bouldering, and 2 more beside Millfield if you've travelled from the north.

What's your alternative? Scottish Woodlands to run a Kyloe In website just for us? And would people bother checking it anyhow? Does anyone check the CRoW website so see if Simonside is closed? I doubt it.

People HAVE to respect the signage on private land or we'll just lose access.

In reply to JDal:

Very depressing that lovely woods can't be enjoyed for walking or running, never mind the whole question of access to the crag for climbing. Who owns them and why is access to them, other than that described, denied?

In reply to digby:

It isn't denied. Access for walking/climbing/running is permitted at any time except when the deer culling is taking place. What made you think otherwise?

In reply to JDal:


Two things you said or quoted - "climbing is permitted at Kyloe In as long as people use the agreed access route"
and "...using a different access to the crag - this is not permitted"

Which as I read it means walking and running is only possible on the agreed route to and from the crag and nowhere else.

In reply to JDal:

Other gates than the crag access route have the usual keep out signs that litter the English countryside. Never had any "encounters" in there though.

Kyloe is just that little bit too far east.

In reply to digby:
Ah! Yes. Fair point. I was just quoting the official line from the management. People have walked around the forest tracks there for years and there are are rights of way through the forest as well as the access roads. It could do with clarifying.

I'll see if we can find out, but often there are places you can access OK, but if you force the management to make a public "yes/no" decision they'll say no. I'm not saying that's the case here.