Pitlochry residents say they are victims of the success of the Enchanted Forest event, after the manager of the land explained why parking charges were being introduced.
Forestry and Land Scotland [FLS] has announced that free parking at Faskally Woods will end in January.
Cars will be charged £2 an hour, £3 for the day and £10 for a minibus. An annual pass will cost £50.
The woods are a popular walking spot for residents of Pitlochry, who often drive there due to it being almost two miles from the town centre.
They are also the location of the annual Enchanted Forest event, which attracts up to 80,000 visitors over the course of a month.
Now the land manager suggests the site’s popularity is a reason for the introduction of parking charges.
A spokesperson for FLS said: “Looking after all of our visitor destinations and maintaining them to an acceptable standard – especially those that are most visited – does place increasing demands on our resources.”
‘Forced to live like tourists’
The Courier reported that hundreds of people had signed a petition opposing the parking charges.
And the FLS comment has made them even more angered about the situation.
A statement by Friends of Faskally Forest Parking Charge Protest said: “Locals of Pitlochry are being forced to live like tourists in their own town.
“This parking charge is being introduced due to the popularity of the forest – which has been created by FLS by starting Enchanted Forest in 2002.
“Many of us feel we are being unfairly penalised by this.
“In comparison to their other sites, Faskally Woods generates income from events such as Enchanted Forest and the filming of Outlander etc; it has no main car park as such to maintain, no visitor centre or viewing point.
“It is very natural in its offerings, and as we already pay taxes towards this government agency we believe access to locals should be free.”
Fee is ‘small and proportionate’
The FLS spokesperson added that it had already delayed the introduction of parking charges by two years.
They emphasised that the £50 annual pass works out at 13p per day and allows for up to two named vehicles.
The pass also gives unlimited parking to holders at FLS sites Queen’s View, Glen Doll and Braes of Foss.
The spokesperson added: “Like any organisation, we have to balance the books and ensure our visitor sites are managed sustainably to keep them in good repair.
“We have found that most visitors think that a small, proportionate car parking fee is an acceptable contribution to make.”
‘We will be taking our petition further’
In our previous article, users of the woods said they would no longer visit the park if charges were introduced.
The statement from the friends group added: “Our petition has been signed by over 600 people and there are many who use the forest that are not on social media.
“We will be taking our petition further.
“£2 an hour is targeting the many local dog walkers. And £50+ a year is simply outrageous, especially for families with kids that love to explore the outdoors.
“This is just adding to current cost of living stresses for many, who will lose the health and fitness benefits from accessing the woods.
“What has our world come to when we can no longer go for a calming walk in our local woods without a fee?”
Conversation