Two days ago there was an article in the Scotsman (see here) about the “mass tree planting” at Far Ralia in which Fraser Green, head of Natural Capital Investment at Abrdn, admitted mistakes had been made: “We have learned a lot and there are things that we have done with Far Ralia that we wouldn’t do…
Well it’s that time of year again. Now you see it: Now you don’t: Last year’s pantomime dame, Susan Smith, has now retired and been replaced by another, although this time it follows tradition in being a man. The script, however, has not changed. After the funicular closed “ in the interests of public safety”…
In January 2020 the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) announced (see here) it had secured £135k in funding from Visit Scotland’s Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund to modernise the toilet facilities and install smart bins at its Visitor Centre in Balmaha: “We know that the provision of things like high quality toilets and…
[This post was updated 21.00hrs 2nd December after a reader clarified FLS owns the bridge] Following my post on the replacement bridges at Bracklinn Falls and the West Highland Way (see here) Alannah Maurer sent me some photos of a path and bridge over the Croe Water at Ardgartan which has been blocked off since…
The Total Not Spot (TNS) element of the UK Government’s £500M Shared Rural Network programme is building 260 new masts to provide 4G mobile coverage in remote and uninhabited parts of Scotland. Due to complete in 2027, one of its objectives is to replace the 999 coverage currently provided by 2G when this network is…
This Saturday Page/Park architects, who are acting on behalf of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) and West Dunbartonshire Council (WDC), are holding a public “engagement event” at the pierhead in Balloch. What is now described as an “Improvement Action Plan” was, back in June, called a masterplan – as I explained…
I had always intended to include the Royal Sporting Estate at Balmoral in my series on Deer Density in the Cairngorms (see here) after a walk round the upper part of Glen Muick in May. However, I followed that up with a further Freedom of Information request on current deer numbers at Caenlochan (see here). …
What is sustainable development in Scotland’s National Parks? The case of the Bracklinn Falls bridge
This week the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) announced (see here) it had won international award for the replacement bridge over the Bracklinn Falls above Callander, a story which was widely covered in the media. The news release claimed that “a bridge has existed here since at least the early 18th century”…
It is now five months since my post questioning how abrdn, Akre and the Natural History Museum (NHM) had applied the Biodiversity Intactness Index to the land at Far Ralia in an attempt to demonstrate that the careless and destructive tree planting there would result in an almost miraculous improvement in nature (see here and…
On 26th January the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) announced its “Tarbet Visitor site” would be completely closed for 8 weeks from the 29th January as part of a £2.1m upgrade and after that the car parking area would be limited until late summer (see here). Eight months later the works were…
Following on from my post about the metal brackets being use to hold the funicular together (see here) this post takes a further look at WHY the concrete “I” beams have been disintegrating. It is now five weeks since my walk up the funicular and discussions with staff who told me the funicular would be…
The Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA), while recently oft proclaiming its concern about the collapse of nature, has appeared completely uninterested in the excellent ecological research that is taking place in its area, let alone promoting it to the general public. A recent example of this a comment made on my first…
After putting Far Ralia on the market for £12m in July (see here)at the end of September Abrdn’s Property Income Trust (APIT) announced it had reached a deal to sell all the remaining propterties it owned to GoldenTree Asset Management (see here). This post consider the implications. Far Ralia and the sale of Abrdn Property…
On 21st October the Scottish Goverment upheld WHP Telecom’s appeal against Highland Council’s refusal of planning permission for the proposed O2 phone mast on Creag Dhubh (see here). The Reporter’s decision (see here) has potentially serious implications for the number of “competing” telecommunications mast in rural areas and for the landscape. Background Under the…
While Dave Morris has discussed Brewdog in a couple of posts (see here) parkswatch has not covered how they have been managing their “Lost Forest” since the end of April (see here). I had hoped to visit Kinrara first to check on how the replacement planting for all the dead trees was going (see here)….
After the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was passed the days of sporting estate landowners trying to impose blanket restrictions on access across swathes of the countryside in the name of deer stalking should have ended. Unfortunately this sign shows that that practice, now unlawful, continues 20 years on. The red and green colours say…
This is the view that the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) planners didn’t want people to enjoy. In August 2021 LLTNPA planning officers recommended a planning application from the Sir Walter Scott Steamship Trust to erect a viewing tower accessed by 188m of path throught the oakwoods above Trossachs Pier be refused….
On Friday 04/10/2024, prompted by HIE’s announcements about the timecale for the “snagging works” being carried out and paid for by Balfour Beatty (see here), I took a walk up to the passing loop of the funicular accompanied by two friends. Following what I had written last December (see here) I expected to see changes/ repairs…
David’s Jarman’s post (see here) on the destructive impacts of the proposed Lochan na h-Earba pumped storage hydro (PSH) scheme and the fate awaiting Scotland’s landscape, natural environment and cultural heritage appears to have struck a cord. Many people who strongly support the need to reduce carbon emissions and recognise that we need to store…
Importance of the pinewoods. Forestry policy, private and public landowners and deer management will be under scrutiny next week at the native pinewoods conference in Fort William (28/29 Oct see here). This post examines what needs to happen to save our ancient Caledonian pinewoods and who might lead the way. The future of our Caledonian…
Alan Brattey in his post of 18/12/2023 (see here) described the various claims Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd (CM(S)L) had made about the funicular’s return to service for last year’s snowsport season. It never did and it is still not operating. On 04/10/2024 accompanied by two friends I had a…
The planning application for the Loch Lomond rescue boat at Balloch – a positive decision badly made
On 10th October Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) planning officers approved a planning application to build a new station and slipway, access road and associated parking for the Loch Lomond Rescue Boat near the pierhead in Balloch. The Rescue Boat is a charity operated by volunteers and so far this year…
On 30th September the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) and NatureScot launched a five year Emergency Plan for Capercaillie (see here) claiming it as “the most comprehensive plan of its kind ever produced for this iconic bird”. We have now moved from the Capercaillie Life Project 2002-07 to the Capercaillie Framework, launched in 2013, to…
Between the 11th July and 12th August – the statutory minimum period the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) allows the public to comment on planning applications – c530 individual objections were published on the CNPA planning portal objecting to the proposed telecommunications mast at Ryvoan. Since 12th August the CNPA has published NO further objections,…
Yesterday Raptor Persecution UK reported that a peregrine had been found shot in Glen Esk, around Tarfside (see here). This follows the osprey that a gamekeeper found shot on the inglorious 12th of August in nearby Glen Doll (see here). Both locations are in the northern part of the Angus Glens and lie within the…