Safety to be improved at Devil's Pulpit after Outlander fans flock to beauty spot

Safety is to be improved at a beauty spot now visited by 70,000 people a year following its appearance in hit series Outlander with a number of accidents and rescues recorded at the site.

Safety is to be improved at Finnich Glen and Devil's Pulpit after a number of rescues were made to the beauty spot made popular by hit show Outlander. PIC: Flickr/Ian Dick/Creative Commons.

Finnich Glen and the Devil's Pulpit gorge near Killearn in Stirlingshire was used as a location in series one of the show in 2014.

Now, a significant investment is to be made in improving the site as a tourist attraction with plans to charge and entrance fee at the site.

Around 2m is to be spent on developing the Devil's Pulpit as a tourist attraction. PIC: Flickr/Creative Commons/Anika

Landowner David Young said he wanted to make the 25-acre site safe with further issues arising from visitors trampling over fences and leaving behind human waste and litter, according to a report in The National newspaper.

A new wood and metal staircase will also be built to take visitors down into the gorge.

Architect Iain Cram said that a 150-space car park will be free for visitors to use with an entrance fee to be charged for visiting the gorge, the newspaper reported.

Mr Cram said: "Parking has always been a top priority and our plans centre around the creation of a 150-space car park which will eliminate the danger caused by people abandoning their cars along the grass verges.

"Visitor safety has always been of paramount importance to that's why we have designed smart, sound paths and bridges which allow people to enjoy the views without going dangerously close to the edge of what is a 100ft gorge.

"Mountain rescue has seen a spike in the number of call-outs as people get stuck in the Glen.

"With this in mind we've included an emergency access stair for the mountain rescue team.

"This will give them fast access into the gorge, while at the same time avoiding damage to the plant life on the rock walls."

Building work could start in summer 2021 if the plans are approved by Stirling Council.