The Queen’s Balmoral Estate being used as ‘open toilet’ as staff find human waste

One of the Queen's favourite royal estates has been turned into an open toilet by tourists and hikers during lockdown.

Rangers at the Balmoral Estate have found discarded waste and wipes near trails as people have used the grounds to relieve themselves.

Staff across the 55,000-acre area, which houses Balmoral Castle and is the Queen’s private estate, posted pictures of fouling over the weekend next to paths on the Aberdeenshire estate.

Public toilets at the site have been closed, and rangers tweeted: “Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments. Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment.”

The estate said the toilets near Loch Muick, managed by Aberdeenshire Council, have been closed but that people had been "breaking into them."

“Conditions inside are becoming unsanitary," it added.

Alongside advice on what people should do if they are caught short, rangers advised visitors to be more courteous.

They tweeted: “Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non biodegradable wipes being discarded in the countryside.

Rangers at the Balmoral Estate have found discarded waste and wipes near trails.

“Also, people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination.”

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Staff at Balmoral Estate are finding discarded non biodegradable wipes.

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