Fellow MFCC members, forgive the long wordy email, but this one is important for you to read please.
“We” as a club have been contacted by the land owners for the Culloden battlefield (NTS) and unless there is a change in what we do and how we behave we will no longer be welcome to congregate at the Culloden battlefield car park for our Thursday night chain gang ride.
The issues are twofold. Firstly there is a health and safety concern regarding our group of riders gathering and blocking the access road into the battlefield main car park. An area just off the access road has been suggested and is probably only 30m from where people normally gather. See the attached map for details.
People gather where the first few riders congregate. If you’re one of those first few riders make sure you stand at the off road area indicated, or ask people to please move to the correct area.This was happening towards the end of last season, but I’m not sure if people knew why we stood in a different meeting area. You do know why now and you all need to keep insisting that people gather at the right place.
Secondly, the battlefield and the wooded area to the side of the car park are actually war grave areas. Previously (and I include myself in this) the wooded area has been used as somewhere to have a last minute “toilet break” before the ride. This is to stop with immediate effect and anyone seen heading into the bushes must be told that it is out of bounds, and WHY. None of us would walk into a church grave yard and do this, and just because there are no head stones and obvious graves, we should adopt the same respectful principals.
A lack of knowledge may have previously been to blame here rather than being disrespectful towards NTS. But again, we all now know and need to keep insisting on the correct behaviour for everyone who turns up to our rides.
The committee members can only communicate with the land owners (NTS) and you the members to set out what is needed. We cannot enforce this week in and out. It is your job as a member of the club to help communicate and enforce what standard of behaviour is needed by us all to ensure we remain welcome at this venue.
As noted above, below is a map of the battle field meeting area giving the details you need to do your part.
If anyone has any issues or questions regarding this matter you can email me or give me a call to discuss.
Many thanks for taking the time to read this.
See you out on the road.
Neil
