Visitors have been using the Queen’s Balmoral Estate as an outdoor toilet
Written by News on 29/06/2020
Rangers at the Balmoral Estate have found human waste and wipes near trails as people have been using the grounds as an outdoor toilet.
Staff at the 50,000-acre estate in Aberdeenshire posted pictures of fouling next to paths over the weekend.
Rangers tweeted: “Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments. Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment.”
The estate said public toilets near Loch Muick, managed by Aberdeenshire Council, have been closed during lockdown but that people had been “breaking into them”.
“Conditions inside are becoming unsanitary,” it added.
Alongside advice on what people should do if they are caught short, rangers advised visitors to be more courteous.
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They tweeted: “Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non-biodegradable wipes being discarded in the countryside.
“Also, people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination.”
It comes after local government minister Simon Clarke and environment minister Rebecca Pow wrote to councils urging them to look at reopening any closed public toilets.
The letter said: “Councils should consider the harm to public health and the local environment caused by people relieving themselves in public.
“The combination of the hotter weather and the government’s push to support outdoor hospitality has reinforced the need for public access to toilets.”
(c) Sky News 2020: Visitors have been using the Queen’s Balmoral Estate as an outdoor toilet
