A call has been made for an access road to one of Galloway’s most popular nature-based attractions to be urgently repaired.
Thousands of visitors make the trip to NatureScot’s Cairnsmore of Fleet National Nature Reserve every year.
But winter rains and frost have left the single-track route to the visitor centre at Dromore Farm badly rutted and potholed.
According to local resident Mike Edwards, the road margin has disintegrated at one spot creating a giant water-filled crater.
He fears without a proper fix cars and bicycles could be damaged by the crumbling hazard.
Mr Edwards told the News: “It has been there a long time and it’s getting worse.
“It’s always been a bad corner – 10 or so years ago a council gritter lorry got stuck in the ditch.
“They had to fix the road but since then it has collapsed in.
“They need to fox the drain next to it because the pothole is part of the drain now.
“I would not want top go through that pothole on a bike and a low-slung car would scrape.
“There’s 20,000 visitors to the centre and every year it gets busier.”
Just beyond Dromore is the old railway viaduct over the Big Water of Fleet – another popular attraction and overnight stop.
That section of track is also in a bad state and NatureScot say they will repair it next month.
Mr Edwards said: “Easter is coming up and camper vans are already going down there.
“There’s free parking between the viaduct and the river for camping.
“There are so many cyclists as well because gravel biking has really taken off.
“It has got a lot busier and the council has not realised.
“In the past there’s been this belief that it’s a road to nowhere – but now it’s a key tourist and cycling route.
“When the Scottish and English school are both on holiday you can get 200 cars and more than 100 cyclist per day.”
He added: “Tourism is a big part of the local economy.
“You don’t want tourists – or local people – ruining their cars or bikes.
“It’s the council’s responsibility and they need to realise the road is a major through route, not a dead end.”
A NatureScot spokeswoman said: “We are aware of the issue on the tarmac road and have raised this with the council.
“NatureScot will be resurfacing the section of track that we are responsible for between the visitor centre and the viaduct in March.”
A key aim of NatureScot’s 2016-26 plan for the reserve is to “improve visitors’ experience so people value and enjoy their visit to the reserve and the wider area”.
