UKH

Some of you probably already know this but no vehicle access has been agreed by  Glenavon and Braulen Estates for this winter. On foot and bike is ok as usual

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Thanks, that's good to know (even though bad news)

Is it still OK to park up by the gate, and leave a vehicle overnight if you were thinking of camping out in the hills?

Ok as far as I  know

Ta. Any idea what the issue is with access? It makes one-day winter mountaineering a bit of a pig.

Glenavon(Tomintoul) and Braulen(Strathfarrar) estates are owned by Andras Ltd a company registered in the Cayman Islands . The owner is apparently a Malaysian multimillionaire. The estate is factored by Bidwells from their Inverness office as far as I know. You could try contacting them for clarification although I think the chance of a response is fairly remote. The estate was even in legal dispute last winter when it attempted to block Scottish Natural Heritage from Wildlife monitoring in the Strathfarrar Nature Reserve.. I don't know what the outcome was. 

Also worth noting that Braulen have installed a second gate, part way up the glen. My uninformed guess is that they didn't want anyone to have a spare key for this new gate.

The road was originally built to enable construction of the Monar hydro scheme in the 1960's, obviously with the assistance of public funding. Subsequently  unfortunately the road never became an "adopted" road by Inverness shire or its successor Highland Council. As far as I know this would have facilitated public access. I don't know why this never happened. . Obviously the Council would have been liable for maintenance if it had been adopted facilitating access. A comparable road is that from Gairlochy along Loch Arkaig to Strathan giving access to Glen Dessary. This is an adopted therefore public road.

I suspect that if Scottish Hydro Electric  had remained in public ownership the issue of public access may not have arisen

 LP

The quality of the road is noteworthy. The "beware of potholes" sign on the gate is really on the wrong side.

"I suspect that if Scottish Hydro Electric  had remained in public ownership the issue of public access may not have arisen"

The North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board existed until 1989. Was there vehicular access in the 70s/80s? Personally I suspect not.

There's a similar-ish situation with the road onwards to Rua Reidh lighthouse from Melvaig near Gairloch. Road to the lighthouse was built on estate land, maintained by the lighthouse board, never adopted, but private vehicles have been allowed for quite some time (perhaps always). A few years back the then lighthouse owners (not the estate) erected a locked gate to try to restrict access. They had to take it down as it's up to the estate who uses the road apart from the mandated estate, resident and lighthouse traffic, and in that case the estate are fine with public access.

I know an old hand who had a story about the early years of motorised access,  the party were late off the hill and the gate keeper said they would have to wait till the morning and the official reopening time. The morning dawned and the keeper rushed off to Kirk as it was the sabbath and at that time the gate wasn’t opened on the day of rest , forgetting the party still behind the gate. After Church the keeper was tempted by a dram at friends. The Dram turned into a meal and it wasn’t till 24hrs after rolling upto the gate that the party rejoined open society.

You are right there were still restrictions in NSHEB days. The real problems have developerd in more recent times with estate ownership changes. I dont recollect vehicle number limits in earlier years and it is only under the current ownership that major access problems have developed in winter .  As a Gairloch resident I know all about the Ruadh Reidh road access issue. The hassles have ceased  since the previous owners at Ruadh Reidh have departed

Last time I was there (June 2018) the car I was in as a passenger went into a pothole which led to a lengthy wheel-changing session, albeit in lovely surroundings, and this affected what we were able to do on the hill in the time allowed.

Incidentally I've not been there many times over the years, but I've twice seen drivers be abrupt/borderline rude with the gatekeeper. That kind of thing probably doesn't help.

In October this year the road was probably one of the best surfaces in the Highlands.  I also got to chat with one of the estate owners (a good 'un) - mostly about spaniels and also how the Gate Lady was looking forward to her holiday.

Mmm, wheel changing in a scenic area?  I sense a pattern emerging.

First time I was up there was 1981 and there were restrictions then.

Restrictions featured in one of Sir Fred Hoyle's science fiction books written in the early 70s at the latest. 

Keeping cars out in Winter is newish though