Yesterday with almost no notice the funicular at last re-opened. Highlands and Islands Enterprise, in a news release issued on Wednesday (see here) claimed that “all safety-critical matters have now been concluded” – not exactly the same thing as stating all the safety concerns that caused them to close the funicular in August 2023 have been…
Month: February 2025
A couple of week after the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA)’s approved byelaws, which seek to criminalise the generalise public for lighting a fire ANYWHERE in the National Park between 1st April and 30th September (see here), the Herald published this story about two 80 year old lottery millionaires from Kent. The contrast in approach…
Last week the Scottish Government published the fourth piece of legislation this Parliament ostensibly intended to improve how we use and manage land in the countryside, including National Parks – the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill (see here for papers) This follows the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024, passed a year ago and…
With little sign of the Scottish Government implementing the provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 and while the Cairngorms were aflame from muirburn (see here), the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) Board on 14th February approved new fire management byelaws and a draft “Integrated Wildfire Management Plan” for consultation with land…
Driving north up the A9 on Saturday Andy Cloquet observed muirburn on five sites between Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore with “an acrid smell over five miles of road” and sent parkswatch these two photos. The ostensible purpose of the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 (“the Act”), which was passed by the Scottish Government last…
Last week I visited the Allt Broighleachan Caledonian Pinewood Reserve on the north side of Glen Orchy (and outside the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park) on my way to Glen Coe. It was my second visit, inspired in part by the Caledonian Pinewood Conference which took place last Autumn and which I viewed online…
When first writing about the renewal of Scottish Enterprise (SE)’s Conditional Missives (Exclusivity Agreement) with Flamingo Land (see here) I had argued it was not clear if SE had voluntarily extended the agreement or was contractually obliged to do so. I had previously submitted a Freedom of Information request on 14th January asking SE to…
Comments made to the Strathy on 23rd January by the local MSP Fergus Ewing suggest he was unaware of the “toxic culture” at Cairn Gorm (see here) and is still in denial about the funicular: “Much of the criticism directed towards the hill and in particular the funicular is in my view unwarranted and also…
Following my first post setting out the background to Lomond Banks appeal and why the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA)’s reasons for refusing the development were so weak (see here & above), this post considers Flamingo’s Land grounds for appeal as set out in their Appeal Statement (see here) and will form…
At the end of August I wrote about the proposal to install a telecommunications in Glen Undalain, the glen which runs south from the campsite at Shiel Bridge towards the Saddle and is part of the Kintail National Scenic Area (NSA). While few people know about NSAs, the designation intended to protect Scotland’s most beautiful…