A plan to put a quarry in a “pristine” Highland glen next to a nature reserve has been met with outrage.
Glen Creran, near Appin in north Argyll, is home to Glasdrum Wood National Nature Reserve where otters, badgers, pine martens, bats and more than 200 rare lichens can be found.
Now a planning application for the development of a quarry, for the extraction and processing of sand and gravel at Glasdrum, has been submitted to Argyll and Bute Council.
Objectors fear this could lead to up to 2,000 lorries a year on a single track road frequently used by cyclists and ramblers.
Oban based firm A&L McRae plan to extract an estimated 83,000 tonnes over a period of five years and six months.
The website www.quarryprotest.com set up by residents of Glen Creran has already attracted 200 objections.
Tony Kersley, of Invercrean Lodge in Glen Creran, said: “This is a tourist destination. We are not talking about some scrubland. It is pristine. It is protected for a reason.
“For the planners to allow a quarry in a designated area of panoramic beauty the applicant has to show a requirement.”
He pointed out that there are already quarries at nearby villages including Benderloch, Bonawe, Connel and Taynuilt.
He said: “What is more important? North Argyll depends on tourism. Surely it doesn’t merit the destruction of Glen Creran for a bit of building sand?
“We are surrounded by a nature reserve and areas of scientific interest, the river is protected. Lower Loch Creran is a protected loch.
“The whole glen is up in arms. It is just wrong.”
Harvey Wolfinger, of Invercreran House, said he was concerned there may be a fatal accident if 2,000 lorries a year start driving down the road which is often used by children.
Rob Latimer, of Dalgleish Associates, which is dealing with the planning application for A&L McRae, said: “The planning and environmental statement has been prepared following consultation with statutory consultees.
“All aspects of the development have been assessed in detail and the majority of impacts on either the environment or amenity shall be either negligible or slight.
“All of the issues raised by the local and wider community, during the pre-application consultation stage, have been addressed and it has been clearly demonstrated that there will be no significant impacts on Glen Creran or any of the designated sites.”
He said the quarry would address a shortage of sand and gravel in Argyll and would reduce the need for HGV haulage throughout the region.