I am away for a two week walking holiday through the Pyrenees and, while I have scheduled a few pieces for the first week, am then going to take a complete break.  I’d like to thank regular readers for your support and comments and apologise that I have been unable to cover half the issues reported to parkswatch.  My list of intended but unwritten posts gets ever longer!    The public interest in what is going on in our National Parks is fantastic and I have been delighted that more people have been contributing posts recently.  If you are concerned about an issue, do please consider writing something.

I guess many readers may have seen the photos which appeared on Raptor Persecution Scotland at the end of last week showing wildlife caught in traps (see here) and (here).  While the photos were not specifically about our National Parks and concern what is happening across Scotland, the shocking thing is the situation in our National Parks, which have a statutory duty to put conservation before all their other objectives when these conflict, is no different.    So here’s my thought: until our National Parks use their byelaw making powers to outlaw the use of traps they cannot meet their statutory conservation objectives and cannot function as National Parks worthy of the name.