UKC

I've just sent this email to Alison Irvine. May I suggest a bit of a UKC letter-writing campaign on this? Those of you who live in South Fife, or indeed in Edinburgh, can try something like this out on your MPs, MSPs, and councillors:


"Dear Ms Irvine

I am writing to express my concern about a new threat to access to the popular and long-established climbing venue of Limekilns, near Inverkeithing.

Very recently a row of what are apparently bat boxes have been put up in rows across an impressive and atmospheric section of the crag called the Gellet Block, about 8 ot 9 feet off the ground. (There is a picture of them here: http://www.ukclimbing.com/images/dbpage.php?id=117530 .) So far as I can see, their presence makes it more or less impossible for climbers to climb approximately 30 well-established climbing routes of various grades-- all of which have been listed for years in the SMC's and others' official climbing guides to the area.

Also, the boxes have been put up by drilling bolts into the rock, which is limestone, a notoriously brittle rock; there is no way that this drilling can have failed to have damage the rock.

Finally, there is I believe a serious question about whether the boxes have been put up in a place, or at a time, which is at all suitable for nesting bats (as opposed to obstructing climbers). Bats, I gather, are likely to find their nests rather earlier in the year. But if they were to use these boxes in the future-- so far the boxes are unused-- they would be nesting in a very vulnerable position, in full view and quite easy reach of any passing human or animal (a cat, for instance) with malign intentions. Thus these boxes, as well as being very bad news for climbers, are not even good news for bats either.

The situation is worrying, both in itself and (even more so) considering the precedent it might be thought to set for what could happen at other familiar climbing venues in Scotland. Climbers do not, of course, think that they are the only people entitled to use such venues, and we recognise the rights of the landowner. But this does seem like an action which has little imaginable purpose except to obstruct climbers from the harmless pursuit of their chosen form of recreation-- a recreation which nowadays makes a significant contribution to the health, not to mention the economy, of Scotland.

So I do hope that some reasonable, friendly, and mutually agreeable solution to this problem can be found, and I am writing to you to urge you, please, to look into this as a matter of the highest possible priority.

With all best wishes

Professor Timothy Chappell"