I first came across the newly constructed Gynack flood diversion channel above Kingussie by accident in October 2017, when visiting the three hydro schemes on the river. I have visited three times since, all in poor weather (as is evident from the photos!). On my most recent visit I found that the overflow…
Author: Nick Kempe
This short video was sent to me with the message “take you mind off politics for a moment”! It shows all the wildlife which used a log to cross a stream in Pennsylvania during the course of a year. Most enjoyable – do watch – but I couldn’t escape the political implications. There could hardly…
In September, the local SNP Councillor for North, West and Central Sutherland, Kirsteen Currie (see here), lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament petitions Committee to create no wild camp zones in Scotland (see here). The petition was prompted by perceived concerns with the impact of camping and campervanning along the North Coast 500 (see…
I am in Australia, having travelled from a country where soils and vegetation are being washed away by water (see here) to one where they are being ravaged by fire. Both fire and flood have been triggered by extreme weather events which are a consequence of the global climate and environmental crisis. In Australia there have…
In September the Balavil Estate submitted a Prior Notification to Highland Council to upgrade/create 8 roads AFTER it had started construction work on one of them (see here). By the time of that post Balavil had agreed with the Cairngorms National Park Authority to suspend work on the new road and they had also withdrawn…
The Scottish Government approved the camping byelaws in January 2016 on condition that the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority would create new camping infrastructure. 300 new camping places were promised for the first year and the Scottish Government delayed implementation of the byelaws by a year to give the LLTNPA time to put…
After Highlands and Islands Enterprise announced that the cost of repairing the funicular would be cheaper than the cost they claimed would be needed to remove it, I asked them for the basis of this claim. Then, when the response revealed very little, I requested a formal review of their decision to refuse the information…
Prior to the serious flood damage to some of the hydro schemes in Glen Falloch (see here), I had been trying to persuade the Convener of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority, James Stuart, that there have been some serious planning failures in respect to hydro schemes in the National Park which his Board…
The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority held its quarterly Board meeting last Thursday (see here) in Kinlochard Village Hall, in Strathard. Almost everything about the meeting, from the location to the agenda items to the discussion, illustrated complacency about the declaration of a climate emergency by the Scottish Government six months ago. …
My initial focus on the damage caused by the torrential rainfall at the start of August was on Glen Falloch, where I was surprised by the extent of the landslips (see here)and the damage to the hydro schemes (see here). A reader who lives in the Trossachs gently reminded me a few weeks ago that…
With the ongoing crisis at Cairn Gorm, the bungled planning applications and the question of the funicular, its important that people don’t forget how Highlands and Island’s enterprise created this pickle. After the decision to build the funicular in the first place, arguably HIE’s greatest mistake was the sale of Cairngorm Mountain Ltd to Natural…
I was pleased to be quoted in Sunday Herald article “Call for crackdown on unregulated Scottish hill tracks” (see here) which was published at the weekend. The article contains some very interesting quotes from the the landowner and owner of the Glen Clova hotel, Hugh Niven, about the apparently unlawful road which is now…
Last Thursday a friend of mine who lives in the Lake District attended a packed extraordinary meeting of Keswick Town Council called to consider a motion of no confidence in the Lake District National Park Authority (LDNPA). The motion was prompted by the decision of the LDNPA to grant planning permission to itself to tarmac…
On my way north on Saturday I noticed that Ewich Forest, which is currently owned by Forest and Land Scotland, has been put up for sale. Ewich Forest is the block of conifer forest which extends from Crianlarich north along the west side of the A82. The West Highland Way traverses the forest from Crianlarich…
Following the great rainstorm of 5th August, which swept away part of the West Highland Line, I was expecting to find significant damage to the seven hydro roads in Glen Falloch when I visited at the end of September. In the event found that the damage which the storm caused to the hillsides, in…
Back in February 2018 Parkswatch called for the Cairngorms National Park Authority to start taking enforcement action against the unlawful hill roads in Glen Clova (see here). The CNPA responded to say that in most of the cases it was unable, whatever it thought of the roads, to do so. This was either because…
Last Thursday Moulsdale Properties Ltd held a pre-planning application consultation event on its proposals to create a large new development in the village of Tarbet (see here). I went along to the Three Villages community hall in Arrochar to have a look at their proposals and hear more. This post takes a critical look at…
In my last post on Glen Falloch (see here) I considered the impact that the very heavy rainfall of 5th August had had on the hydro intake pools. I argued that the serious infilling and damage in some cases appears to be a fundamental design flaw which results from schemes being constructed in unsuitable places. …
The camping byelaws in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park cease to have effect from midnight tonight. Before then you commit a criminal offence if you “set up, use or occupy a tent, wigwam or bivouac at any time” within one the four “camping management zones” the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority…
Ever since the storm which swept away part of the West Highland Line on 5th August I had been wondering what impact this had had on the hydro schemes there. I had been expecting it would have caused significant erosion of the hydro tracks, but never anticipated its impact on the hydro intakes. The extent…
Climate complacency? Today, as I write this, the Scottish Parliament has been debating what the media tend to refer to as the Climate Change Bill. Its not. The Bill contains not a single measure which will tackle carbon emissions or mitigate the impacts of global warming. Instead, its all about setting targets, as its full…
On Friday I, along with many other adults, joined the student inspired climate “strike” in Glasgow. Protest is essential and being out on the streets with so many other people was indeed inspirational. There is no doubt many people want change and urgently. As, however, the police helicopter hovered over George Square gobbling up carbon,…
Parkswatch was sent photos a couple of weeks ago of new road construction on the Balavil Estate. Earlier this year Balavil was granted planted permission by the Cairngorms National Park Authority to construct a controversial new road over into the heart of the Monadliath Wild Land Area (see here) and (here). (Work on that…
Today Scottish Enterprise and Flamingo Land issued a joint news release (see here for full text) announcing they had withdrawn their planning application for “Lomond Banks” at Balloch, which was due to be considered by the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Board next week. The news release makes it clear this is only…
The Cairngorms National Park Authority’s consultation on its new Economic Action Plan, 2019-22, will close on Friday (see here). While there are some good things in the plan, this post argues its exhortation for people to work together won’t work under our current system and it fails to address the one economic matter over which the…