Its no wonder the Loch Lomond and National Park Authority are disappointed by the collapse of the Great Scottish Swim.  For the last few years they have told everyone who would listen – particularly gullible civil servants and Scottish Ministers – what a success mass commercial events events have been:

Now, the Park’s most prestigious event is no more.  The claims last year that European Swimming Championship would cement Loch Lomond’s reputation as a world class venue for competitive open water swimming are in tatters.  While the Park’s claims of “ongoing sustainability” and “progress…..towards commercial viability”  have disappeared in a puff of air.   What’s gone wrong?

Reasons for the collapse of the Great Scottish Swim

I suspect LLTNPA senior management may have provided an update on the Great Scottish Swim at the end of their Board Meeting last Monday.  Hence the Statement which appeared on the Park’s News Page on Wednesday.   Unfortunately, its unlikely any member of the public stayed to the end of the marathon meeting and, because meetings are not recorded, there is no way for the public to find out what might have been said.

The LLTNPA claimed the decision was taken by the “Great Run Company”, although there is no company with this name registered at Companies House.    There is nothing on the Great Swim website (see here) to explain the decision either. That website provided the vehicle for organising the event last year.  It contains glowing quotes from the powers that be, including the Park’s Chief Executive Gordon Watson, as to its success.   How then to explain the collapse?   Its possible the new sponsorship arrangements between the “Great Swim” and “John West” might account for what has happened.  Its also possible that the level of public funding offered meant the event was no longer “attractive” in business terms.

There are also some other factors which, although they may not explain the decision, almost certainly would have impacted on mass events at Balloch in the near future..

Loch Lomond is a high risk site for open water swimming events

Last Monday Board Members expressed shock at the following statistic from the Wild Park report:

Currently 44% of waterbodies within the National Park have been given the status of either high or good overall condition by SEPA which is below the national average of 62%.

Despite the spin about clean fresh water, Loch Lomond is one of Scotland’s  polluted lochs and Drumkinnon Bay, which is frequently affected by algal blooms, is one of the places most prone to this.  Not a good place for running open water swimming events.

The problem has been that the Park, instead of focusing on what it should have been doing – which is ensuring the Park’s natural environment is in good condition – has instead focused it resources on tourism promotion.  That the Park’s freshwater bodies are on average in less good condition than most of the rest of Scotland is a national scandal which threatens to undermine the reputation of the area and along with that tourism.

Then there are the safety challenges posed by such mass events.   To me this was epitomised by the death by drowning of Reban Rehan last year (see here) which the Procurator Fiscal’s office has now told me will not be subject to a Fatal Accident Inquiry.

Also being swept under the carpet is the key role of volunteers from the boating community in providing safety and rescue services.  With boat launching prices being hiked (see here), why should any of the boating community continue to support these events voluntarily so other people can make money?  The problem is that senior Park staff, without any discussion or consultation, are alienating the very people on whose goodwill such events depend.

The absence of any strategy or consultation

The LLTNPA has failed to produce the Events Strategy it had promised to deliver under the Balloch Charrette which could have given both these factors their rightful place (see here):

Had the Park done this, the importance of the natural environment and people to mass events might have been given their rightful place.  That could then have instigated a serious attempt to prevent pollution in Loch Lomond and proper consideration of the needs of the boating community.  Neither has happened.  It might also have initiated discussion on the extent to which events were likely to need continued public subsidy.

Instead, the Park appears to be grabbing at further at straws, hoping that it can get another operator in time for Scotland’s “Year of Coasts and Waters”.  Rather than getting the fundamentals right, the priority for senior staff is still being seen to contribute to the latest Scottish Government Year of this or that.

The implications for the Flamingo Land development

The announcement also has implications for Flamingo Land, not that many people would be keen to dive off into the loch under the shadow of a large hotel.   One of the major arguments for the large number (100 or so) of camping pods which would destroy the woodland around the Riverside Site is that Balloch has insufficient accommodation for major events.   However, if there is no events strategy and its unclear when the next event might materialise, what is the justification for all these pods?

 

What needs to happen

The collapse of the Great Scottish Swim provides an ideal opportunity for the LLTNPA Board to reconsider the Park’s uncritical approach to tourism and in particular how it has promoted mass events without any consideration of the wider implications.  The Park needs to shift its focus from supporting business to protecting the natural environment and working alongside the outdoor recreation community instead of against them.  While I did not witness the debate on the Great Scottish Swim, if any, there were signs last Monday that there are now some members of the Board who genuinely believe the Park’s job is to put the natural environment first.  I will cover that in a further post.