£15,000 Highland Kings running ultra accused of vandalising Isle of Arran landscapes

An exclusive running ultra which charges over £15,000 per entrant has been accused of “criminal” vandalism on the Isle of Arran.

The Highland Kings race organisers were reported to have marked “hundreds” of native rocks on Goatfell, Arran’s tallest mountain, with bright neon spray paint to mark the way of the race.

It is believed that the paint could damage the lichens on the rocks by altering the pH balance of the granite, as well as defacing the natural environment.

The event claims on its website to be “one of the most sustainable endurance events in the world.”

Arran-based Mountain Leader Lucy Wallace found the markers when out on Goatfell mountain following the race.

She said: “Last night while I was having a brilliant time on Goatfell with my friends, (yet somehow leaving no trace of our presence), we saw that the mountain had been daubed in hundreds of these sprayed on yellow waymarks.

© Megan McEachern

“I contacted the race organisers for more information and they told me it was biodegradable chalk and therefore ok.

“I have since spoken to a number of event organisers who say this really goes against accepted practice, especially as the stuff takes a lot longer to wash off than advertised.

“I also understand it will fatally change the pH of the granite boulders and kill the lichens that grow there.

“Goatfell is a SSSI [Site of Significant Scientific Interest] and a landscape that is precious to a great many people.

“As far as I’m concerned this is criminal damage, vandalism.

“If this was done by ordinary folk the police would have had a word by now, but somehow the organisers of this event, who charge £15,000 per entrant, think this is OK.”

Highland Kings is “an exclusive and revolutionary luxury wilderness ultra-marathon designed by Ex Special Forces,” covering 120 miles and 10,000m of ascent across Scotland’s west coast mountains from Glencoe to the Isle of Arran, culminating in a final gala in a castle.

Over £15,000 to take part, it has been billed “the first of its kind on Scottish soil combining trail running over some of the west coast’s most iconic islands with transfer by speedboat and luxury accommodation at the end of each day.”

“Since the event ended, the Highland Kings team has been working with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to remove all traces of markers from the course.

Highland Kings have apologised for the path markers.

Organisers said: “We sincerely apologise for the upset we have caused in relation to route markers on our recent ultra-marathon event.

“It was always in our operations plan to have our team return to the route in the days following the event to remove all trace of the biodegradable chalk.

“This has now been completed as planned with every step retraced to ensure the markings are removed thoroughly and satisfactorily.  We are working with the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) to ensure that the removal meets its standards.

“Together with marshals, support runners, GPX routes pre-programmed on watches and daily athlete briefings the route markers were planned to support athlete safety as they were unfamiliar with the region and this type of terrain.

“All materials during the event were specifically selected to protect our green spaces including the use of biodegradable chalk. Living and working in the area, we are acutely conscious of the environmental impact that events such as Highland Kings have and will learn from this experience.

“We would like to assure anyone concerned about the lasting impact of the Highland Kings Ultra that we are absolutely committed to delivering a sustainable legacy for the region.

“We welcome all comments and would be delighted to work with anyone concerned on future Highland Kings Ultra events to ensure we continue to create unique experiences our community can be proud of.”