Gillies Hill march to be focus of quarry protest
The annual March of the Gillies later this month is being heralded as the most important yet.
The march, which began in 2007, takes place on Sunday, June 21, at 1.45pm from Cambusbarron Public Park. Organisers say it is particularly significant this year as Stirling Council are considering Cambusbarron Community Council’s protest of plans by Patersons’ Quarries - and over 300 protest letters were sent by people from Stirling area and beyond.
Peter Paterson, of Save Gillies Hill campaign, said: “Almost 100 per cent of the population are against any further destruction of the historic hill where the ghillies, or servants of 1314, were placed by Bruce on the eve of the battle before he went to Cambusbarron Chapel, prayed there and took water from its legendary well ( known thereafter as Bruce’s Well) to pour on to the battlefield.
“The Hill is now visited by over 30,000 people a year - for red squirrel- watching, or to see pine martens, to run, cycle or simply walk. But it’s also my impression, following Stirling Council’s erection of boards about the Battle of Bannockburn last year, increasing numbers of people are interested in the Hill’s history.”
New Stirling MP Steven Paterson will be main speaker at the event, preceded by MSP Bruce Crawford.
Patersons Quarries Ltd lodged a proposal with Stirling Council to extract 300,000 tonnes of rock from the existing Murrayshall Quarry at Gillies Hill. Extraction could generate up to 132 lorry movements a day with trucks heading to the M9 via Polmaise Road and parts of King’s Park.
The developers say the scheme will create six jobs plus work for hauliers, fitters and electricians and allow the exploitation of good quality aggregate for the construction industry.
Planning permission to quarry the site was originally granted back in 1982, but campaigners have argued that they believe this should never have been granted without an Environmental Impact Assessment being carried out.