Tag: conservation

April 28, 2025 Nick Kempe 2 comments

The Tinto Hills Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)  (see here) was not the only protected area to be destroyed by muirburn during the periods of high fire risk this Spring.  The muirburn triggered wild fire considered in this post took place in the glen running north from  Glenballoch in Glen Banchor which has previously…

March 24, 2025 Nick Kempe 9 comments

On 19th March the Herald revealed (see here) that Scottish Forestry, having suspended grant payments to BrewDog after it was revealed many of the trees in the Lost Forest had died, has now paid them £1.2m and agreed to pay a further £1.5m for the project.  This post takes another look at the scandal in the…

February 21, 2025 Nick Kempe 7 comments

With little sign of the Scottish Government implementing the provisions of the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 and while the Cairngorms were aflame from muirburn (see here), the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA) Board on 14th February approved new fire management byelaws and a draft “Integrated Wildfire Management Plan” for consultation with land…

February 17, 2025 Nick Kempe 19 comments

Driving north up the A9 on Saturday Andy Cloquet observed muirburn on five sites between Dalwhinnie and Newtonmore with “an acrid smell over five miles of road” and sent parkswatch these two photos. The ostensible purpose of the Wildlife Management & Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024 (“the Act”), which was passed by the Scottish Government last…

January 19, 2025 Nick Kempe 6 comments

On Wednesday the Helensburgh Advertiser ran a story stating that Kirsty Young’s proposal to build a luxury lodge on Inchconnachan, the island on Loch Lomond best known for its wallabies, had been approved (see here).   While technically correct this was misleading as the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA)’s planning committee approved…

December 30, 2024 Nick Kempe 4 comments

A parkswatch reader recently sent me this photo of an unattractive development on the bonnie banks The two new lodges were originally granted planning permission by Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority (LLTNPA) planning staff in April 2018 with work required to commence within three years (see here for planning papers).  The planning deadline…

November 15, 2024 Nick Kempe 3 comments

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…

November 9, 2024 Nick Kempe 5 comments

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…

October 25, 2024 Dave Morris 2 comments

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…