ACCESS to a luxury Loch Lomondside hotel and part of its grounds could be restricted for five days at the end of this month – as speculation grows over who might be seen in the area during the forthcoming COP26 climate change conference.
Police Scotland has asked the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority for permission to restrict access to Cameron House Hotel between 12noon on Friday, October 29 and 12noon on Wednesday, November 3.
According to a notice published on the park authority’s website, the purpose of the restriction is “to manage security for guests attending a private event”.
Section 11 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act gives local authorities the power, either on their own initiative or at the request of others, to make a particular piece of land exempt from the country’s usual access rights “for a particular purpose and for a short period of time”.
No further information is provided about the nature of the “private event”, and it’s not clear whether there is any connection between the application and the start of COP26 in Glasgow, which runs from October 31 to November 12.
Global leaders are expected to travel to Scotland later this month for the event in the hope of agreeing on co-ordinated action to tackle climate change around the world.
The Queen, Prince Charles, the First Minister and the Prime Minister are all expected to be present, along with US president Joe Biden, French president Emmanual Macron and Sir David Attenborough, as well as around 30,000 delegates in total.
No rooms can be booked at the hotel – at least via Cameron House’s official website – from October 29 until November 2.
Cameron House and Police Scotland both declined to comment on the application.
Regardless of which – if any – world leaders end up staying at Cameron House during the conference, the chief executive of the Dunbartonshire Chamber of Commerce said he was excited at the economic
benefit to the area from the event.
Damon Scott told the Reporter: “The impact of COP26 cannot be overstated. Scotland as a country will be centre stage globally with the Glasgow region as the focal point.
“The long-term benefits that the profile brings are immense and during the fortnight the economic impact in Glasgow and surrounding areas will be enormous.
“That is great news for Dunbartonshire, and with around 30,000 delegates coming to the region the economic impact will be significant.
“The hospitality sector will be the big winner with accommodation across the board booked up but secondary spend will also be important too.
“The chamber network also has an important part to play in COP26 with a range of opportunities lined up for businesses across Scotland during the two weeks.”
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