Mountaineer welcomes plans to reopen Edinburgh's Radical Road

World-renowned mountaineer Stephen Venables has welcomed plans to reopen an historical way successful Edinburgh, saying helium is not convinced of the seriousness of the stone autumn risk.

The 68-year-old climbed cliffs connected the Radical Road successful Holyrood Park regularly earlier it was closed 4 years agone implicit information concerns.

Now tract managers are looking to marque a U-turn connected the decision.

It follows an outcry from respective organisations.

The way starts adjacent to the Palace of Holyroodhouse wherever members of the Royal household enactment erstwhile they are successful Edinburgh.

The Radical Road runs on Salisbury Crags astatine Arthur's Seat, an extinct volcano that is 1 of Edinburgh's best-known landmarks.

It was closed successful 2018 aft 50 tonnes of stone fell from cliffs onto the path.

Many organisations including Ramblers Scotland, Edinburgh practice watchdog the Cockburn Association, entree radical ScotWays, and Mountaineering Scotland person criticised the move.

Geologists and historians person besides antecedently called for the way to beryllium reopened owed to the value of the site.

Historic Environment Scotland manages the metropolis centre park, including the kilometre-long way acceptable precocious successful the volcanic stone of Salisbury Crags.

It is present saying it is looking into ways to reopen the site, which had been feared would beryllium closed permanently.

Mr Venables, who lives successful Edinburgh but has climbed each implicit the world, told BBC Scotland a fewer signs informing radical of the dangers was each that was needed astatine the path.

He said: "I person seen this happening much and much each implicit the world. Well-meaning officials emotion to restrict people's access.

"This creeping wellness and information is simply a planetary problem. I'm not convinced of the seriousness of the hazard of rockfall astatine this site."

Mr Venables, who successful 1988 became the archetypal Briton to ascend the acme of Mount Everest without bottled oxygen, added that it had been a large shame erstwhile the way and cliffs were closed.

The mountaineer said: "Edinburgh is astir unsocial successful having a upland successful its metropolis centre, and immoderate of the world's finest mountaineers archetypal learned their trade present connected Salisbury Crags.

"I americium ever highly sceptical of 'health and safety' concerns overriding the public's request to entree chaotic country, truthful I americium delighted to perceive that Radical Road whitethorn soon beryllium re-opened."

The Radical Road is wherever the founding begetter of geology, James Hutton, arrived astatine his mentation of however and erstwhile the satellite was formed.

In the precocious 18th Century helium recovered impervious for his mentation that the world's scenery had evolved implicit time, successful a spot known arsenic Hutton's Section.

The roadworthy got its sanction successful the aftermath of the Radical War of 1820.

Also known arsenic the Scottish Insurrection, this uprising was the effect of societal unrest among workers who were fed up with what they perceived to beryllium unjust moving and surviving conditions.

Unemployed westbound of Scotland weavers paved the way circular Salisbury Crags, successful a program which was suggested by writer Sir Walter Scott.

Brendan Paddy, Ramblers Scotland director, said: "It is encouraging to perceive suggestions that the 200-year-old Radical Road whitethorn reopen.

"The iconic way offers spectacular views of our superior metropolis and is 1 of the astir fashionable ways up Arthur's Seat, Edinburgh's apical attraction connected TripAdvisor.

"Quite simply, Historic Environment Scotland indispensable halt managing this world-famous geological diagnostic similar it would a crumbling historical building.

"Walkers should beryllium advised of the risks past beryllium allowed to marque their ain informed decisions, conscionable arsenic they bash everyplace other successful Scotland."

James Garry, the adjunct manager of the Cockburn Association, said helium was delighted plans were being looked into to reopen the road.

He said: "This is the astir fashionable and accepted entree done the King's Park successful Holyrood.

"It is the unsocial acquisition the way provides that makes it important that it is reopened and accessible."

Richard Barron, main operating serviceman of ScotWays - the oldest recreational entree organisation successful the world, said: "To reopen the Radical Road would beryllium of large relief.

"Closing this way for bully could beryllium the bladed extremity of the wedge for different paths, which would beryllium a travesty."

Stuart Younie, Mountaineering Scotland CEO, said: "There is simply a agelong past of climbing connected the crags arsenic the bouldering routes determination are easy accessible, and climbers are already utilized to managing the risks associated with climbing connected earthy rock."

A spokeswoman for Historic Environment Scotland said: "We anticipation to onslaught a equilibrium betwixt the existent hazard from rockfall and entree that volition supply payment for each whilst gathering our statutory obligations, and we volition proceed to research however we tin minimise the existent entree restrictions connected the Radical Road arsenic portion of immoderate aboriginal proposals.

"We are reviewing however we measure and negociate stone hazard information with specialists from the British Geological Survey and our specializer geotechnical engineers."