The owner of an outdoor centre yesterday admitted that it failed to ensure the safety of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who died on an adventure holiday two years ago.
The owner of an outdoor centre yesterday admitted that it failed to ensure the safety of a 15-year-old schoolgirl who died on an adventure holiday two years ago.
The Abernethy Trust was fined £16,000 by Sheriff Kenneth Robb for the offence under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The trust has now reviewed the courses it offers at its four centres in Scotland, but will continue to offer "high-quality outdoor adventure experiences" while learning whatever lessons are to be learned from the tragic death.
Laura McDairmant, 15, from Carlisle, died after falling on to rocks while "gorge-jumping" into a deep pool on the Grey Mare's Tail burns near Black Loch in the Galloway Forest Park.
At Kirkcudbright Sheriff Court yesterday, the Abernethy Trust pled guilty to not properly managing the risks of the activity in July 2006.
Two instructors, Gareth Alcorn and Richard Farrell, had their not guilty pleas accepted.
Miss McDairmant was on an adventure holiday at the Abernethy Trust centre at Barcaple, near Ringford, in Galloway. When she was taken out "gorge jumping", she struck protruding rocks and died the next day in Dumfries Infirmary.
Mr Alcorn, of Coleraine in Northern Ireland, and Mr Farrell, of Barcaple, had denied failing to recognise the hazards involved and permitting and encouraging the girl to make the jump from a cliff directly above the rocks.
The trust was established in 1971 to " communicate the reality of the Christian message by providing high-quality outdoor instruction and excellent residential facilities, staffed by committed Christians".
Its first centre was on the 30-acre estate and buildings it was given at Nethybridge, five miles south of Grantown on Spey. It now has three other centres.
One is at Ardeonaig on the southern shore of Loch Tay. Another is near Ardgour on the western shore of Loch Linnhe. It had one on Arran which was subsequently sold, but the last to be added was Barcaple Outdoor Centre in Kirkcudbrightshire.
Miss McDairmant made five trips to Barcaple and yesterday the Abernethy Trust described her as being "very much part of the Barcaple family".
A statement released by the trust after the hearing yesterday said: "The whole Abernethy team was shocked and deeply saddened by the awful news of Laura's accident."
It added: "Over the 37 years of operating as an outdoor provider, Abernethy has taken very seriously the importance of safety in all aspects of its outdoor adventure programmes, and until that point two years ago had operated without major incident or injury.
"Well over 400,000 young people throughout that time have enjoyed adventure activities, all provided in full compliance with the regulatory authorities.
"Since the accident in 2006, stringent measures have been taken to completely review again every current site and activity offered in our programmes to ensure risk assessment and safety management procedures are being operated to the highest standards.
"Everything has been done that is practically possible to prevent an accident like this happening again in the future."
Tim Walker, principal of Scotland's National Outdoor Training Centre at Glenmore Lodge, supported Abernethy yesterday and said outdoor adventure would always have an element of danger.
"Accidents are a fact of life. Most occur at home or on our roads," he said.
"In delivering an outdoor experience for young people, there will always be associated risks and, while these can be minimised, if removed completely then the experience is rendered worthless.
"The Abernethy Trust has an excellent reputation within the outdoor education sector. Many hundreds of thousands have benefited from programmes offered by the trust.
"I know that the lessons learned from this tragic accident will be for the benefit of the whole outdoor education sector.
"My greatest concern would be that any future opportunities for education in the outdoors is denied to young people."
