The failure of Aileen McLeod to be re-elected to the Scottish Parliament means there will be a new Minister for the Environment in the new Scottish Government. This post – which is responsible for our National Parks – has existed, under one title or another, since the creation of the Scottish Parliament. Dr McLeod was…
Category: Cairngorms
In London, what appears to be a very successful campaign is developing to turn it into the world’s first National Park city. The proposal won the support of the Labour, Tory, Liberal Democrat and Green candidates for the London Mayor election. Its proponents, from health experts to nature conservationists, architects to geographers, are now trying…
Like many people, I have not had a good thing to say about the banks for several years. Following the financial crisis, I came to the conclusion that the banks should not be allowed to issue paper currency or create electronic money, as debt, out of thin air. Such money is often used in socially…
I have been away for a week but last Sunday Rob Edwards reported on the purchase of part of the Rothiemurchus estate by the FCS in the Sunday Herald – the full story can be found at https://theferret.scot/1m-tax-sweetener-cairngorms-land-deal/ It raises some critical questions about the role of FCS in our National Parks. How is…
There is an interesting thread on mountain hare persecution and National Parks on Raptor Persecution Scotland https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/03/30/sustainable-mountain-hare-culls-wheres-the-evidence/ Its very good that people are beginning to question not just why mountain hare persecution is happening but also why, of all places, its being allowed in our National Parks. Mike, my climbing partner on Thursday,…
Driving up to the northern Cairngorms yesterday to climb, protests by people in Aviemore about the disgusting taste of their drinking water was headline news on Radio Scotland. Scottish Water’s response was technocratic, that they would introduce a different process in 2017 which should make the water taste better http://www.scottishwater.co.uk/investment-and-communities/your-community/aviemore-2016 There was…
Douglas McAdam, Chief Executive of Scottish Land and Estates had an article in the Sunday Herald today http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14386203.A_landowner_s_defence_of_culling_mountain_hares/ defending the killing of hares in which he referred to the Cairngorms at the end. He was obviously trying to persuade our politicians, who I have heard read the Sunday Herald, and the CNPA that everything is…
On Tuesday the RSPB reported the death of a Hen Harrier on a moor near Newtonmore last September http://www.rspb.org.uk/community/ourwork/skydancer/b/skydancer/archive/2016/03/22/hen-harrier-lad-found-dead-on-speyside.aspxhe It was good to hear Grant Moir, the Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park, condemn the probable killing outright – a more upfront response than the Park’s reaction to the Mountain Hare massacres last week. …
Following the parkswatch post last week on what the Cairngorms National Park could do to stop mountain hair massacres, claims have been made about another massacre on Balmoral http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14371147.Queen_urged_to_stop_mass_killing_of_hares_at_Balmoral/ Ever since Queen Victoria bought Balmoral, the royal family have set the standard about what is acceptable in terms of hunting. Deer hunting used to be…
The CNPA have responded to the media coverage of the mountain hare cull http://cairngorms.co.uk/mountain-hare-cull-statement/ The response is quite predictable – as a member of staff the Director of Conservation was not in a position to launch the CNPA in new directions – but very sad. It demonstrates some of what is wrong with so-called conservation…
There has been some excellent coverage today of the mass killing of hares in the Cairngorms National Park by Rob Edwards http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14340402.Outrage_of_landowners_mass_killing_of_mountain_hares/ Raptor Persecution Scotland https://raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com/2016/03/13/more-mountain-hares-massacred-in-cairngorms-national-park/ and Mark Avery http://markavery.info/2016/03/13/mountain-mountain-hares/ I am delighted that some of the commentators are now asking why this practice is taking place in a National Park which was set up…
I welcome the creation of parkswatchscotland because our National Parks are so important for outdoor recreation and they are not always getting matters right. Every item in this briefing on outdoor recreation issues for the Scottish Parliament elections is relevant to National Parks and some concern them directly. Briefing by Dave Morris This…
I was out ski touring on Saturday on Glas Tulaichean near the Spittal of Glen Shee which was brought into the Cairngorms National Park when its boundaries were extended in 2010. The south side of the river here is part of the Dalmunzie Estate which has an interesting history https://www.dalmunzieestate.com/history/ – its striking just how many…
I went climbing in Coire an t-Sneachda yesterday, a good choice as winter conditions had survived the thaw and the real storm was some way south. The Coire Cas carpark was still windy though, with climbers putting goggles on before leaving the car and people huddling inside buildings. The slopes were stripped, not a chance…
Having spent much of the last year trying to persuade decision makers and through reasoned argument and evidence, I was appalled by the decision of Aileen McLeod, the Environment Minister to approve new camping byelaws for Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. I very much admire Cameron McNeish, who had been trying to lobby quietly…