Environmental organisations attempting to stop the unregulated construction of hill tracks in Scotland have been shocked by the scale of the problem, mid-way through a public campaign to identify the worst cases. Working together under Scottish Environment LINK, the nine organisations are asking members of the public to submit photographs of tracks in the Scottish countryside before 1 September, and have already received numerous responses. They say that time is now running out to uncover the true scale of the damage caused to Scotland’s landscapes and wildlife before they try to persuade the Government to change the law. The organisations have invited the Minister for Local Government and Planning, Derek Mackay MSP, to join writer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish to inspect the damage caused to one particular area.
Helen Todd of Ramblers Scotland and co-convener of the campaign group said:
“We have long been convinced that unregulated hill tracks needed to be brought into the planning system. Currently tracks can simply be bulldozed across the countryside almost anywhere in Scotland, and have caused huge visual and environmental damage in some of Scotland’s finest landscapes. Since we asked the public for help in identifying the worst examples of hill track construction, we have received many responses that show that the problem is more widespread and serious than we had feared. We are asking people to send us any examples and information they have by 1st September, so we can build a thorough portfolio of evidence to persuade the Government to change planning laws. Photos can be sent to us at http://www.scotlink.org/hilltracks/.”
The Scottish Government recently dropped its proposal to bring hill tracks with purported ‘agricultural or forestry purposes’ into the planning system, but said that it would keep the situation under review. Evidence gathered via the public appeal will be used to demonstrate the scale of the problem.
Beryl Leatherland of the Scottish Wild Land Group and co-convener of the campaign group said:
“We have seen evidence of tracks being bulldozed across some of the country’s most iconic landscapes without any care for their design or impact. Tracks have been dug deep into peat, releasing large quantities of CO2 and destroying sensitive habitats, carved straight up steep hillsides and even over the summits of several hills, leaving erosion scars that spread for years and are visible for many miles. Some of the examples we have seen amount to little more than vandalism. While hill tracks can have legitimate purposes, we think that a minimum amount of regulation is essential and should be welcomed by all concerned.”
The organisations involved in the campaign are: Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, the Cairngorms Campaign, the John Muir Trust, the National Trust for Scotland, the North East Mountain Trust, Ramblers Scotland, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, the Scottish Campaign for National Parks and the Scottish Wild Land Group.
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS), whilst not a member of LINK, fully supports the campaign.