It is with complete disgust that I write to you in respect of the dangerous, despicable and cowardly behaviour of person (or persons) who tried to stop the (Etape) event by putting hundreds of floor tacks on the road near Schiehallion. It beggars belief that someone could be so stupid and mean, many cyclist were hurt because of this action, indeed this is a criminal act that the Police are investigating and I hope that the culprit(s) are found and charged. I also hope that the ACRE group that oppose the event had nothing to do with this reckless action and publically state as much or their campaign will be totally discredited and in tatters. When I first heard about the incident I logged onto the BBC website and it was the first news item there. What message is giving to tourists all over the UK and beyond? You are not wanted/ the people in Highland Perthshire do not tolerate cyclists/we are a bunch of NIMBIES that just want to live undisturbed in our ‘wee highland glen!! To the objectors of this event I would state, please don’t start again that you welcome the event but not on closed roads. It is totally unreasonable to have an open road event with well over 3000 cyclists. That argument may have had some weight when the numbers were half of that, but that is not the case now.No, this criminal act must surely backfire on the culprit and indeed the ACRE group. This will ensure that the event organisers and the participants will be even more determined to make this an even bigger success next year. I was sceptical about this event when it was first held, but I am definitely won over by it now. It brings in tourists and cyclists that may never have come here, it has to be good for the economy (especially in the financial climate that we are in at present). Speak to many businesses and they will tell you that they have had trade from cyclists over the last couple of months, speak to road users here and they will tell you that it is now common to see cyclists using our roads.Aberfeldy was buzzing on the Saturday with the fantastic cycling festival in Victoria Park and other events that day and there was a real feel good factor in the town, however, that was quickly changed to one of disbelief and anger early on Sunday.

The culprit(s) of this action must be known to someone and I would urge anyone with information to contact the Police so that justice can be done.

Cllr Ken Lyall, Highland Ward

To: Shona Robison MSP, Minister for Public Health and Sport, The Scottish Parliament

Dear Shona Robison

Re: Etape Caledonia – Closed Roads Cycle Event – 17th May 2009

I am appealing to you in your role as Minister for Sport, for your help and intervention in the running and organisation of the above mentioned event – billed as a national event - which is a) impacting detrimentally on thousands of residents, visitors, local businesses and churches, b) is causing schism within the population of Upper Tayside and c) is bringing the political process into disrepute.

This event, known as Etape Caledonia but in effect Etape Perthshire, variously described as a “Race” or a “Time Trial” and now merely an “Event” is the only closed roads cycle event in the UK – a condition demanded and imposed on Perth and Kinross Council by the organising company based in London. Perth and Kinross Council have acquiesced to this demand and have applied it for two years, this being the third year, and have given seed sponsorship to enable this event, ignoring the opposition to the closed roads from a significant number of local residents, businesses and churches and refusing to enter a constructive dialogue with the leaders and others within the community. A local protest group of 500+ signatories – ACRE Against Closed Road Events - has been ignored.

The event held on a Sunday in May (June in year 2007) impacts the whole weekend for some businesses as the overall weekend touring/residing visitor rate is reduced because of the closed roads. B&Bs and Hotels where long weekend bookings are reduced or have been eliminated altogether (one hotel lost a four figure booking in 2007), public gardens and other small-but-significant-to-the-local-economy businesses are all affected as are residents who cannot leave their homes because of closed roads. Equally employees of the affected businesses lose wages. These small and not so small businesses depend on the income of every weekend within a relatively short tourist season and cannot afford to be told that they will lose one of these weekends every year. The area affected stretches from Rannoch Station to Killiecrankie and Glen Lyon to Logierait – the whole of Upper Tayside. A rolling programme of road closures stretches from 5am to 1.40pm effectively blighting the whole of this area for the whole day and affecting the weekend.

It is true that some businesses which are not affected by closed roads benefit, but even in Pitlochry where the “Event” starts and finishes and where most of the visitors drawn by the event congregate, even here, I am informed that shops are to close for the day and business people and local residents say it is not worth the effort and upset to the community. My wife and I will lose money that day as an under-graduate music student from Dundee will be unable to attend his conducting and singing lesson. Obviously he will lose his lesson. For those businesses and residents and churches situated on the roads that will be closed the impact can have a truly detrimental effect and it is morally questionable to close roads and impact on church service times thus interfering with the freedom to worship – a basic human right at law. It is also morally and legally questionable to allow one business to use the public roads to make profit to the detriment of the community – resident and visinting.

An economic impact report by EKOS states that huge financial benefits accrue to the community from this event. However this report is believed to be deeply flawed as few of the negatively impacted and dissenting businesses were canvassed. John Swinney has told me that one can have little faith in economic impact reports as “we have all been involved in writing them” and know how figures can be presented in a particular manner to support an argument. I have to agree with him, having been involved with similar reports for arts organisation.

P&K Council also allow the statutory notice and information on road closures to be sent out to residents and businesses using third party mailing and since I and many others have ticked the preference box on the Electoral Form saying we do not wish to receive third party mailing we therefore never receive the information. P&K Councillors already knew of this in year one and were informed of this again last year. To date we, and I presume others, have not received the statutory notice of road closures. If it is deemed necessary for some to receive such notice then it is necessary for all.

These concerns have been put to local Councillors and Officers of P&K Council privately by many individuals and leaders within the community, but have never been taken seriously. Meetings labelled as “public” have been advertised in such a manner that only sympathetic supporters have been aware of them and few, if any, face-face meetings have taken place with local Councillors to listen to constituents complaints. This high-handed disregard for the views of many is significantly eroding an already low level faith in the political machine – local and national.

In this difficult economic climate it is reprehensible that our Councillors have done nothing and our MSPs appear to have down nothing to alleviate the adverse economic and social effects of the decision of P&K Council to acquiesce to the demands of a private organisation to run this “Event” on closed roads. P&K Council have given permission for this event to run for another four years without reference to the public or to a proper assessment of outcome.

M/s Robison we are not against cyclists or sport – we are against closed roads. I appeal to you to help us save this situation for the benefit of Scotland, the Community, Sport and the rights of people to live their lives whether for business or for leisure unhindered by the rights of others to enjoy the wonderful opportunities that Scotland has to offer. That is a Democratic Right. Let us all work to re-negotiate this cycling event without having to close the roads.

Since the poor management and organisation of “Etape Perthshire” is bringing much criticism on the Sport, the Organisers and the Local and National Politicians, why not have a real “Etape Caledonia” that annually moves around Scotland for the benefit of the whole country and does not require closed roads of any region?

With the wonderful results at the Olympics and looking forward to 2012, Scotland could, and should, become a world leader as a Cycling Nation. This Etape Fiasco is bringing disrepute on the Sport. It needs direction from Holyrood – from you M/s Robison as Minister – for the benefit of the Nation.

We are prepared to meet you in Edinburgh, Dundee or host a meeting of those concerned with you at our home.

I await your reply with anticipation.

Yours sincerely

Norman Beedie DRSAM; LRAM; ARCM

Appreciating the urgent need for clean electricity generation, I learned with interest of the hydro scheme involving Urlar Burn.  Unlike the socially insensitive Invervar hydro scheme, it would appear that this project has taken into account environmental and social concerns and has been redesigned to minimise negative impacts.Since some council/community land is being used as an essential element of the Urlar scheme, I would like to raise an important but subtle issue. There is a loss here to the community – that of the opportunity to use the power of the falls for a community owned hydro scheme. This potential loss needs to be acknowledged and to be reflected in the rental value of the land used. Any future community land asset used for private purposes needs very careful evaluation. Communities have too little land and the potential that its ownership brings to provide for their needs.In a triangle of government, business and community, the weak element is community. We cannot even get funding and action for adequate public conveniences in out tourist towns. We are steadily loosing valuable community social capital – the Pitlochry curling rink closure is but one example. Public spending will decline. What else are we due to forfeit? We have been undergoing an insidious social recession for some decades.Income from a community hydro scheme would empower a community to fulfil many of its valuable social and well-being needs – facilities for our youth, energy conservation  implementation, district heating, social and sporting opportunities to name but some of the many possibilities.Will we be able to fund these needs in the future without community assets, enterprises and partnerships? Liz HodgsonPitlochry

Having recently attended the ‘Wild Harvests of Scotland’ Conference at the Birnam Arts Centre, I am hoping that your readers will be interested to hear about some recent developments in this burgeoning area. The conference was organised thanks to the combined efforts of the Forestry Commission Scotland and ‘Reforesting Scotland’,…both of whom have been working towards developing a responsible (or sustainable) approach to the “threats and opportunities” of non-timber forest products (NTFP) and other wild produce. We began with an introduction to the Government’s new policy on NTFP which tries to clarify the legalities of foraging, the differences between picking for personal use and for profit, and the various ways to balance the need for protection of biodiversity against a growing interest in ‘free food’. We all once lived in wilderness and learned how to ‘manage’ the bounty of nature…how to make tools, shelter…weapons. In our long history on this planet, it is only a short time ago that we knew how to survive in this way, and so the genetic information is still there…and the desire! The success of the likes of Ray Mears who offer us the opportunity to re-connect to the earth demonstrate this deep need.Some in Scotland have kept their connection and make a living working with wild harvests… …basketry, bulbs, fruit drinks, mushrooms, preserves, honey, herbs and of course, wood craft. (There is a directory, and much more, on the ForestHarvest  website -     www.forestharvest.org.uk - hosted by  http://www.reforestingscotland.org )  In order for these folk to have a combined voice, the ‘Scotland Wild Harvest Association’ was launched at the conference. If you are interested in joining this initiative, or finding out more about new codes of practice, then contact Fiona Guest, at secretary@scottishwildharvests.org.uk  or phone Fiona on 01356 626425.We also heard about the development of the Slow Food movement, and Cittaslow, which grew out of it, but which also advocates strong local economies, environmental protection, personal well being and quality of life. And we heard about the economics of happiness! The New Economics Foundation has developed the Happy Planet Index and new research shows how harmony and balance between nature and people does actually make economic sense. (Of course we are part of nature…it’s just that we have forgotten.)But greater changes are afoot! Your readers may have heard the inspiring news from Ecuador – to give Nature the same rights as people! Inspired by the indigenous Quichua concept, sumac kawsay – balanced living, this new constitution promotes being in harmony with oneself, society and nature. (For details, see ‘Positive News’, No. 58, at www.positivenews.org.uk .) Alberto Acosta, ex-president of the Ecuadorian Assembly, helped draft the new laws and explains how western society has long viewed Nature and all its living species simply as objects of property or resources, available for exploitation, to be bought or sold…he says that the new laws are radical because they put sustainable development before economic growth. This is the vision for the future. We have no choice. Maybe Scotland isn’t quite ready to follow suit, but thanks to the work of some good folk, we are able to ‘think global and act local’.  Jane Withers by Pitlochry