GB TTIt is over three years since parkwatch published a letter from Alistair Bell in Canada about HIE’s corporate gaslighting at Cairn Gorm and why people had allowed downhill  skiing there to die (see here).  There have of course been several campaigns against  HIE before,  successful in the case of the opposition  to extend downhill skiing to Lurcher’s, unsuccessful in the case of the opposition to the funicular and the alternative proposal to build a gondola from Glen More.  But never a community protest like this.

This is not to argue there has not been widespread concern about HIE mismanagement of Cairn Gorm on Speyside. It’s been there for a decade now, ever since HIE’s disastrous decision to sell Cairngorm Mountain Ltd.  But that concern got expressed in the Aviemore and Glenmore Trust which chose to be reasonable and not to protest.  The long quote from the AGCT in the article about the proteat  suggests that is still the case:

AGCT is still concerned but still trying to be reasonable with a Scottish Government agency which is anything but!   That approach has so far not changed anything and the organisation of this protest is therefore a very welcome development.

It will be interesting to see if Cairngorm Mountain Scotland Ltd ‘s CEO, Susan Smith and Directors, who are all appointed by HIE will be on the mountain Wednesday evening to meet the protesters and discuss their concerns.

While previously Highland MSPs generally avoided criticising HIE in public that now appears to be changing.  While Tory MSP Edward Mountain led the way by calling for a Public Inquiry, the SNP’s Kate Forbes openly criticised HIE in her most recent community newsletter:

So far, however, the level of understanding and concerns shown by politicians about what has happened  still appears to lag behind that of the public. If Cairngorm Mountain is so “absolutely key” to the Badenoch & Strathspey economy, as Kate Forbes claims, why haven’t we seen massive downturn in the Aviemore economy since 2018, when the funicular closed, far less the rest of Badenoch & Strathspey?

At best Cairngorm Mountain is an add on to an a local economy. It’s primary importance is that if managed properly, it could still be enabling people  to enjoy downhill snow sports in Scotland.

The Herald recently reported on the extraordinary news from HIE that the flaws in the repairs to the funicular might not be fixed to the end of the year.  HIE have still avoided answering two fundamental questions:

1. What caused the funicular to become dangerous in the first place?  And to become dangerous again in August, having been declared safe in January 2023 when it re-ooened?
2. How much more, on top of the £25m to date, does HIE believe will need to be spent on the repairs between now and next Xmas and who will pay this?

Until these questions are answered all repair work should be halted.

Even if the contractors have accepted liability and will now pick up ALL the extra costs, without a guarantee the funicular will function for the next 30 years, it would be better to use the money towards the costs of demolishing what is a failed structure. What is left of the £73.09m of public subsidy committed to Cairn Gorm over 30 years in the full business case approved by the Scottish Government (see here) could then be invested in an alternative plan before yet more public money is wasted.