At a time when Scotland is celebrating the contribution of a great Scot, John Muir, to the worldwide National Park movement over 100 years ago, the Scottish Government has been criticised by some conservation bodies for placing roadblocks in the way of the creation of more National Parks.
In recent weeks the Scottish Campaign for National Parks (SCNP) and The Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS) have stepped up their calls for more National Parks to be considered as part of a push to protect more of Scotland’s outstanding landscapes and to provide an economic boost to some of the more economically fragile parts of rural Scotland. However, the Scottish Government’s Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Paul Wheelhouse MSP, has rejected these calls and has introduced more barriers which consign the prospects for creating more National Parks to the long grass.
Ross Anderson, Chairman of SCNP said, “The Minister’s response is hugely disappointing and demonstrates there is a vacuum in forward planning for the future protection and regeneration of many National Park candidate areas at Scottish Government level. The introduction of new criteria, such as demonstrating the financial sustainability of prospective new National Parks, is also disappointing and simply adds to a growing list of barriers being placed in the way of the creation of new National Parks.
“If the list of hoops to be jumped through that the Scottish Government has introduced now, before they will consider new National Parks, had existed in the early years of the new Scottish Parliament, we would have no National Parks at all in Scotland, as both the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs would have failed the tests at the first hurdle.”
Charles Millar, Chairman of APRS added, “Scotland is fortunate in having some spectacular landscapes and seascapes. The designation of more National Parks would help to protect them for future generations and ensure that their special scenic values are recognised more on the international stage as well as boosting local economies. We are looking to the Scottish Government to adopt a bolder and more visionary approach to protect and promote these special areas, and the National Park model is a well tried and tested mechanism for doing this in an effective way that makes a real difference.”
SCNP and APRS outlined their views in a report entitled “Unfinished Business National Parks Strategy”. The report calls for National Parks to be established covering Ben Nevis/Glen Coe/Black Mount; a coastal Marine National Park, centred around Mull; The Cheviots; Galloway; Glen Affric; Harris and Wester Ross. The report’s recommendations have been supported by Claire Baker MSP, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment and David Stewart MSP.
SCNP and APRS also plan to work more closely with local communities in National Park candidate areas to garner more support.