Company fined £30,000 for illegal water work at castle
Inverness Sheriff Court heard Ms Gloag had instigated the work to make the Belladrum burn deeper and wider for children to swim in and to protect a summer house from potential flooding.
But contractors S.D, Cameron Limited failed to secure the necessary licence from Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) which claimed the work would make the banks unstable and could result in flooding.
Twenty trailer loads of silt, gravel and stones were removed by a digger and dumped on estate land last summer.
The firm stopped work after members of the Beauly and Ness River Trust spotted pollution downstream from the burn and reported the matter to the protection agency. Sheriff Ian Abercrombie heard the work on the river bed was reinstated.
S. D. Cameron Limited, Ceraig, Kiltarlity pled guilty to carrying out engineering works between 1st and 28th July last year at the Belladrum burn without authorisation under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 (CAR).
Depute fiscal Heather Swan said the site was on a flood plain in a wooded area of Beaufort Castle grounds.
“Members (of the fishery trust) became aware of the digger working in the burn and attended Beaufort Castle and Ann Gloag told them she instigated the work for the deepening of the burn for children to swim in,” she said.
SEPA investigated and found no authorisation had been given. Miss Swan said the channel cut by the digger was 44 metres long and 14 metres wide.“The effect of this work had left the burn likely to future erosion,” she said.
Defence solicitor for S. D. Cameron, Angela McCracken, said the business had been formed by Steven and Donald Cameron (no relation) two and half years ago. They employed three staff and earned about £20,000 a year.
“It cannot be underestimated the impact this has had on them,” she said. “They are two hard working men with families who have never had any involvement with SEPA,” she said.
Since the incident, both have been in contact with every job to seek guidance from the agency. “During this time, Steven and Donald Cameron were distraught and I would say have cooperated fully with SEPA to protect the burn,” she said.
The two men declined to comment after the case.
