Outcomes

National Parks for Scotland: Scottish Natural Heritage's Advice to Government

Foreword

In September 1997, Government gave SNH the challenging task of advising on how National Parks for Scotland could best operate. Our work was to be part of a longer term process which could lead to the eventual establishment of National Parks by the Scottish Parliament. As the idea of National Parks has not taken root in Scotland in the past, we put a great deal of emphasis on listening to what others had to say to us. Throughout the last year, we have therefore been engaged in an extensive programme of fact-finding and consultation, including many meetings with interested parties and a series of seminars and a conference for those who were most directly involved. In September we brought the results of this work together in a wide consultation on our draft proposals; this drew some 450 well-argued responses from individuals, communities and organisations from across the country.

The outcome of this debate is broadly positive: we have heard little outright opposition to National Parks, and many respondents have found our proposals measured, necessary and an important opportunity to develop a new approach to the care and enjoyment of some of Scotland's outstanding areas of natural and cultural heritage. Inevitably, this was often qualified by many uncertainties, especially reasonable local concerns about how Parks might be run: whether local people would have an active say in their operation; how the costs would be met; and whether there would be more controls or limitations on the activities of local people.

While there are answers to some of these concerns, others cannot be easily resolved until the debate moves into the political arena or until National Parks are in place. Perhaps the real answers lie in our seizing National Parks as an opportunity for rural communities and businesses, for land managers and for developing a more effective national - local contract for these areas through which all can share in the benefits. For these reasons, SNH believes that a National Park is now needed for Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, where our consultation revealed good overall support. For the Cairngorms, we think that it is now time to move on from the present voluntary arrangements, but to do so in ways which build on the achievements of the existing Cairngorms Partnership.

Elsewhere the local debate has hardly begun and, therefore, we do not make any formal proposals on National Parks in other areas beyond the need to foster continued discussion about the best way forward. We also propose that marine areas should be included. In SNH’s view the best stimulus to debate about the demand for National Parks in other areas will come from the successful establishment of our first National Park. I commend these proposals to Government and express the hope that they will soon be brought forward for discussion by the Scottish Parliament.

Magnus Magnusson KBE
Chairman
Scottish Natural Heritage