Aberdeen fisherman hits out at boulders blocking access to harbour

Cove Harbour, where a number of boats were destroyed in a fire last weekend

An Aberdeen fisherman today hit out at a landowner who is using boulders to obstruct a public access route.

Jim Adam, the chairman of the Cove Harbour Fisherman’s Association, says the boulders are a “determined” attempt to stop people from visiting the harbour.

The stones were placed on the site on Saturday morning by a JCB and it is understood several people have been unable to turn their cars around as a result of their placement.

The move comes after a four-year legal battle between the fishermen and landowner Pralhad Kolhe, which ended with a sheriff ordering the boats to be removed from the harbour.

Mr Kolhe said: “We are only doing what the sheriff told us we could do.”

Despite the order, Sheriff Andrew Miller said access should be maintained for people walking and driving to the pier.

Keep up to date with the latest news with The Evening Express newsletter

Mr Adam said: “There’s a very determined attempt to block anyone from turning their car down there at the harbour.

“The sheriff said that he could put those types of things around his property, but he also said that the public had the right to take their vehicles down there and park, but to me, in my simple way of thinking, if you have the right to drive down there, then you have the right to turn.”

Mr Adam believes this will have an effect on people who want to visit the harbour, not just fishermen.

He said: “I think that there’s going to be a lot of very aggrieved people.”

One resident, who asked not to be named, damaged the oil sump in their car after being forced to reverse back up the road and hitting a rock – which is believed to have been left by the contractors.

The resident said: “I had no idea that was there, so I was forced to reverse back up the road when I hit something.

“My car was so badly damaged that it had to be recovered. It’s really something that people should know about before they go.”

The new row comes after five boats, a shed and fishing gear were destroyed in a blaze last weekend.