Human Influences
Recreation
In spite of the notoriously unpredictable Scottish weather, the coast is still a hugely popular place to go for holidays or a day out. Residents and visitors alike are attracted by the sandy beaches, striking scenery and the chance to ‘get away from it all’. It provides limitless scope to watch wildlife, pursue outdoor sports such as diving and sailing, or simply walk, contemplate and seek inspiration.
For everyone’s benefit it is essential to maintain those qualities that make the coast so special – its beauty, diversity and wildness. Visitor pressure alone can severely damage the natural environment of the coast. Too much trampling encourages dune erosion. Beaches may be spoilt by litter and sewage. Poorly sited caravan parks can become an eyesore on otherwise wild beaches. The coastline is a fragile environment and we need to be aware of how much impact our own activities may cause. This is vital if we are to conserve the quality of our coastline and ensure that it can be enjoyed by many generations to come.
Agriculture
Ever since Scotland’s people first settled along the coast, the land has been used for grazing livestock and gathering or cultivating food. More recently, however, intensive farming practices have resulted in significant changes to the environment. Natural habitats such as saltmarsh have been ‘claimed’ and converted to arable land so it can be farmed. Coastal vegetation has suffered from over-grazing resulting in a reduction in the range of habitats and species. An increase in the use of artificial pesticides and herbicides has altered the natural balance of plants and animals. In order to reduce these impacts farmers, crofters and landowners are now being encouraged to use environmentally sensitive farming practices.
Forestry
Within this century large areas of the coast have been planted with non-native trees. This was partly in response to the demand for timber but also in an attempt to stabilise shifting coastlines such as sand dunes. It is now better understood that the interest and value of such coastal systems depends on having present the full range of natural features and processes; this includes both erosion and build-up of sediment. Opportunities are now being identified to remove these trees from certain dune systems and to restore the dunes to their natural state.
Sand extraction
In the more remote parts of Scotland especially, it is not uncommon for sand or shingle to be taken from beaches or dunes. This may be used for anything from building to the filling of bunkers on golf courses or, where beach sands are particularly shelly and lime rich, for use on farmland.
Where this is done by local landowners or crofters for their own use, there is usually little impact; however, where sand and shingle is removed commercially, this can have a dramatic impact upon the appearance and natural heritage of the coastline.
The removal of sand or gravel can also have a major impact on the stability of the coastline. Little fresh sediment is being fed to the coastline today from natural sources. So, when sand or shingle is taken from a beach, it is not replaced from off-shore. Instead, the pit created is simply filled in from the surrounding beach. As a result beach levels fall, increasing erosion of the dunes or land behind. If sand or gravel must be taken then it is best taken from an area inland, where the effects can be controlled and monitored.
Development
Less than 15% of the Scottish coastline has been developed. The rest, mainly in the Highlands and Islands, remains relatively wild and unspoilt. The most heavily developed coasts are those around the Firths of Clyde, Forth and Tay. Apart from housing and industry, these coastlines support ports and harbours, power stations, roads and railways, defence establishments and, of course, scores of golf courses and other recreational and tourist facilities.
In these areas, particularly, there is constant pressure for further development, whether linked with industry, housing or leisure. If uncontrolled, such development can gradually eat away at the character and natural heritage of the coast. Planning policies need to be sensitive to the potential damage which can be caused to natural habitats and landscapes by inappropriate or piecemeal development along the coast. If a coastal location is not essential then a new development should be directed away from the shoreline; however, if a coastal location is essential, it should be accommodated within already developed coastal areas.
Coastal defence
Much of the Scottish coastline is rocky and resists erosion. In certain areas these rocks are covered by soft material such as sand, mud or shingle. Such land is considerably less resistant to the power of the waves. Dune systems particularly can be cut back by up to 10m in one year!
Where shifting coastlines are built upon, there is usually pressure to protect the land from erosion. Yet coastal defences can create problems of their own, such as obscuring natural habitats on the shoreline. By interfering with the supply or movement of beach sediment, some defences can even increase erosion on unprotected shores nearby.
Defences are also expensive and need regular maintenance to remain effective. For these reasons, new development on such coastlines is generally inappropriate unless the location is essential to the scheme’s viability. Where new defences are considered vital to protect existing development, there is a clear need to consider the wider environmental effects, particularly upon coastal evolution. Greater knowledge about how sediment moves around our coastline will help us predict where such impacts might occur and create coastal defence proposals to suit each location.
In the long run, it may prove even cheaper and less environmentally damaging to move further inland those existing buildings or facilities threatened by coastal erosion. With current forecasts of rising sea levels and possible increased storminess due to global warming this is an option that may become increasingly likely in the future.