Last week, without anyone noticing, the Scottish Government followed the UK Government and used the Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (Scotland) Regulations to remove our right to protest. What the regulation means is that if health and social care staff or other workers walk out of their workplace to protest against the lack of personal protective…
Category: Loch Lomond and Trossachs
Ten days ago I, like many others, was prepared to accept that tough measures were needed for a temporary period in order to suppress the COVID 19 to manageable levels. I was concerned, however, that public health was not being given the resources necessary until a vaccine is developed (likely to be another 12 months)…
I was pleased to have this letter published in the Herald today. Its got nothing to do with National Parks but everything to do with what’s happening in them, as this post will explain. Until our governments set up contact tracing and testing like South Korea and China have done, there will be no end…
The corona crisis has swept all before it. What seemed rational just a few days ago is now deemed unacceptable, whether that was the advice issued our by our recreational organisations (see here), the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority holding a truncated Board Meeting last Monday (see here) or the measures put in…
I was pleased to have this letter published in the Herald last week following a post last year asking why grazing had been allowed to continue on the slopes (see here). The proposed Woodland creation scheme for the Rest and Be Thankful 2019-29 on the slopes of Beinn Luibhean is still open for consultation (see…
With half the country in panic mode, I was pleased I took a break from my book and attended the scheduled Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Board meeting on Monday (see here). What the tattered remnants of the meeting showed is that this is a Public Authority only interested in itself and its…
I am pleased to publish below, with their permission, the Friends of Loch Lomond and Trossachs’ response to the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park’s Authority draft outdoor recreation plan (see here). It should be required reading for every LLTNPA Board Member before they consider the update report on the draft Outdoor Recreation Plan on Monday (see…
The Scottish Government claims to be doing lots to empower local communities in Scotland (see here) but the reality is rather different. For every community that has managed to acquire land to great public fanfare, there are a hundred that have been trampled over by the planning system. Power in Scotland is arguably as centralised…
Forest Drive has miraculously re-opened after my post last week (see here) which revealed that the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority had only opened 192 out of the 300 plus camping places it had promised to Scottish Ministers for the start of the camping byelaw season. In permit area Q, for example (see…
On Monday afternoon news emerged that Blairvadach had been saved – for another year – as a result of the deal the Scottish Government did with the Greens last week to get support for their budget. This deal involved more money being allocated to local authorities and, with that cash in hand, the SNP administration…
Recently, Forest and Land Scotland have been flailing trees on Forest Drive in the Trossachs. Flailing is much cheaper than cutting trees manually but is a very destructive practice. It might be acceptable for clearing scrub from roadside verges, but little else. Its impact on hedges, for example, is disastrous, destroying their structure and ecological…
Yesterday saw the start of the new camping byelaw “season” in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. The LLTNPA has kept very quiet about this, there is no news release, but they were taking bookings for 1st March (see here) so they are operating the byelaws again. As I pointed out in December (see…
I do not think there is anyone who will contest the value of Outdoor activity / residential experiences for helping young people to develop in life, education, health and social relationships. High quality Outdoor Education / residential experiences develop young people for life’s challenges, greater understanding of the natural environment, greater social interaction and make…
There has been extensive press coverage of the proposed closure of Blairvadach (see here for Evening Times) and I was pleased to be quoted in the Sunday National at the weekend. Congratulations to the journalist concerned, Karin Goodwin, for finding professionals within the Outdoor Education sector who have been prepared to speak out publicly against…
Blairvadach (see here), Glasgow City Council’s last outdoor centre, is threatened with closure (see here) as a result of cuts agreed by the SNP run Council, which ultimately result from budget allocations made by the Scottish Government . Located 1km north of Rhu on the Gare Loch, just outwith the National Park boundary, for many…
The latest plans to develop the shores of Loch Lomond were made known to the wider public at the weekend (see here – includes photomontage). Tom Hunter wants to develop a £10m “global leadership centre”, named after him, at Ross Priory on the South West corner of Loch Lomond. Ross Priory is run…
My apologies for accidentally omitting the final three paras from Dave Morris’ post on Balmoral and the recommendations of the Deer Working Group.They have been added to the post and posted for convenience below. In the section of the Deer Working Report that addresses the impact of deer on the Natural Heritage there is an…
Anyone who wonders why new legislation is needed to regulate deer numbers in Scotland need only study this photograph, taken in Oct 2018, and then read David Lintern’s fine article from 2017 on Walkhighlands “Bare hill of the Hind” (see here). The Walk Highlands article includes a video of a massive herd of red deer…
The Adventure Syndicate recently produced an excellent video on girls’ and young women’s participation in outdoor activities called “Should” (see here). It should be required viewing for every member of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority Board and their ranger service. Action 10 of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority’s draft…
Every year I check out the litter and marine debris washed up on the shore at the head of Loch Long at Arrochar, and occasionally the state of a similar beach at Lochgoilhead. Debris accumulates in vast quantities during the southerly gales and high tides that annually occur between October and late Spring. Because of…
On 16th December, just before the “dead” holiday period the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park launched a six week consultation on a new Outdoor Recreation Plan (ORP). The consultation closes at 5pm today (see here to respond). Mary Jack, earlier this month, considered the discussion at the Board Meeting prior to the consultation launch,…
The two fine letters speak for themselves. Sadly, there is now widespread misunderstanding about the law on access across Scotland: Camping is one of the activities covered by access rights but but those rights specifically exclude motor vehicles. This slide, appended to the consultation document issued by the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust on Freedom…
A winter’s day In a deep and dark December Is what it was for most of December. Dreich was the word to describe it. What better kind of day for a trip down memory lane? I first climbed on Creagh Meagaidh in the early 1970’s. The place gripped me from the start. The location was,…
Not a week goes seems to go by without some group of business interests claiming they are paying too much tax. Ten days ago the operators of small scale hydro schemes, many of which are quite large, were back at it (see here for example). Not content with the enormous subsidies that they have received…
I was pleased to get this letter into the Badenoch and Strathspey Herald on Thursday in response to their excellent coverage the week before about the potential for camping byelaws to be introduced into the Cairngorms National Park Authority. While it was good to see Grant Moir, the CNPA Chief Executive (above) deny there…