Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is warning that visitors who persist in arriving at closed forests and then park inconsiderately are going to end up causing an accident.

Last week, after parking issues at the popular Scolty Woods, FLS asked visitors to always check the online forest updates and to avoid visiting locations that are still closed for safety reasons.

However, last weekend’s great weather saw an upsurge in parking problems, such as at Tyrebagger Woods, on the B979.

Fiona Robertson, area Visitor Services manager, said;

“We understand that people want to enjoy the great weather and enjoy a relaxing, soothing stroll in the woods but arriving at a destination that is closed because of storm damage is not helping anyone.

“Although the road at Tyrebagger is open, the car park is still closed, yet we have seen visitors arrive and park up at the side of the road.

“But this road is very winding and it is difficult to see oncoming traffic, or pedestrians who because of parked cars, have been forced to walk on the road.

“We do not want to see any accidents so we would once again urge people to check our web pages and only visit a forest that is open and safe.”

FLS has advised that dealing with the aftermath of the storms across all of the affected woodlands in the north east requires significant amounts of planning and preparation.

Some forests and car parks will remain closed for some time until the health and safety risk from fallen trees and storm debris is cleared and forest access made safe.

Inconsiderate parking not only presents hazards to road users and pedestrians but also creates unnecessary difficulties for local householders by hampering access to their properties, and would also hinder emergency services access, should they be required.

Members of the public are advised to always check the FLS destination pages for the latest updates on which forests in the area are open.

Notes to editors

1. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.

2. forestryandland.gov.scot | twitter.com/ForestryLS

3. Media enquiries to Paul Munro, Media Manager, Forestry and Land Scotland Media Office 07785 527590 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.