[Closed] Where should the next National Park in Scotland be?

Nowhere. CNP and LLTNP have both been shit. No need to impose that on anyone else.

Agreed, not sure we need (or want) another...they sound great but they also appear to have a host of restrictions dropped on them which seem to stop loads of things. They don't really strike me as a good thing other than tourism (but even that seems to work for the tourists but not the inhabitants of the area unless they are able to cash-in on the tourism boom).

I've yet to see what is the actual benefit of NP status, the folks campaigning for Galloway seem to be oldies that have nothing better to do, and fancy their house prices getting inflated.

I'd much rather see coastal protection parks*, like they have around Lamlash bay, and something similar for our rivers and hedgerows.

*The amount of electric plating boats around here is depressing, beaches covered in tonnes of live clams that are washed up after they've ****ed off.

Nowhere. CNP and LLTNP have both been shit. No need to impose that on anyone else.

I have to say that was my initial reaction too! However, there are a couple of places that have expressed local desire (not sure how representative / democratic - but at least some people believe it would help the area).

The idea of a marine park is both interesting and confusing for me; all the more so if it is on the West of Mull, Tiree and Coll as suggested in something I read this morning. Perhaps I don't understand what a Marine NP is supposed to achieve.

The amount of electric plating boats around here is depressing, beaches covered in tonnes of live clams that are washed up after they’ve **** off.

What's an electric plating boat?

I was wondering the same and then assumed it was planing...

Presumably having more fun and getting much fitter than the people in the rowing/sailing boats ☺

I think its electrofishing (I though we had banned it) - basically drag electric cables behind a boat and then divers(?) catch particularly razor clams that come out to see what the hell is going on.

Wester Ross or Glencoe & around would seem the obvious choices, however I agree it's not really clear there's much benefit (and that NP status may be a drawback in several ways).

I think its electrofishing (I though we had banned it) – basically drag electric cables behind a boat and then divers(?) catch particularly razor clams that come out to see what the hell is going on.

Yup, that's the one. Used to be illegal, Scotgov granted a 5 year trial IIRC as the fishing lobby managed to sell them on the fact 'it's not dredging'.

Even when it was illegal, when they see the marine protection vessel approach, everything gets dumped over the side.

Tweed Valley National Bike Park

Tweed Valley National Bike Park

+1 on I am really not sure of the benefits, and the two we have so far are not exactly shining examples....

I *would* totally get behind

- a move to diversify where we market as holiday destinations - so many places that are not on Visit Scotland radar because there isn't a company behind it paying for a brown sign or marketing the sh*t out of it (see NC500 company)

- a move to market 'free' outdoors in Scotland as much as the paid business - walks, rides, waterfalls, lesser known beaches, smaller villages etc

- a move to really push train and buses as a way to access all this - so more bike storage, more luggage storage, co-ordination of car hire locations etc

- a move to support and subsidy our landowners to build a wilder place, attracting tourists for first class nature in the long term. See the thread on persucuted raptors for my view on this - we have a huge culture change among the hunting, shooting, fishing brigade.

- protect housing for locals through 'Derbyshire Clauses'

None of this of course seems to be what a National Park is about....

Cape Wrath.

Cape Wrath the area defined by coast and A383 or Knoydart.

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I wouldn't wish that on them, NC500 has been bad enough!

Would marine conservation zones make more sense? Doesn’t come with all the shithousery that comes with NP’s but has the environmental benefits. Remember that there’s one around Lundy but not sure if Scotland has any.

Another no to more National Parks. Spend the money on putting land under the control of local communities and rebuilding meaningful local government.

Coatbridge... for its interesting wildlife and alternative eco system.

Would marine conservation zones make more sense? Doesn’t come with all the shithousery that comes with NP’s but has the environmental benefits. Remember that there’s one around Lundy but not sure if Scotland has any.

Yeah, there's been one in lamlash bay off Arran for many years now, the regeneration is incredible, but having little areas in isolation is pretty futile, really needs done on a grand scale.

Rivers need the same too IMO, a local watercourse that spends it's full journey going through farmland here is dead. SEPA tried to tell me it's down to natural eutrifucation. My arse. It's down to farmers not giving a flying **** about it.

but having little areas in isolation is pretty futile, really needs done on a grand scale.

That was kind of what I was thinking, do it on a scale which covers a significant area (e.g. everything from Mallaig to Barra and down to Coll and Tiree, or even taking in the sound of Mull). I’ve heard that the Lundy is seeing great results but is tiny.

Completely agree on rivers too. Some farmers really don’t give a shit if it doesn’t directly benefit them.

So a quick bit of research says under the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, national parks in Scotland have four aims:

- To conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area
- To promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area
- To promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public
- To promote sustainable economic and social development of the area's communities

Presumably both the Greens and SNP were expecting the new park to do the same or would have been more explicit in their pact. I’m not convinced that labelling a huge area of the sea as a NP can achieve those objectives.

Yeah, there’s been one in lamlash bay off Arran for many years now, the regeneration is incredible, but having little areas in isolation is pretty futile, really needs done on a grand scale.

Given that Ayrshire is in need of some economic rejuvenation, the clyde is the busiest sea area in Scotland for leisure use, there’s already signs on success from small scale marine stuff and it feels to me like it has the geographic links that make a NP viable do you think an Ayrshire and Clyde NP would make sense? (Or even include Kintyre and Cowal etc). Whilst some of the really remote areas may make sense from a natural perspective they don’t from a sustainable visitor numbers perspective and putting a label on it will only attract the people who lack the imagination to find their own way. From an SNP/Green perspective could even fit in with a long term plan to rid the clyde of trident… by providing the economic boost to rejuvenate the areas.

I think a marine park can do all of those things albeit to varying degrees compared to a NP on the land. Perhaps the cultural heritage might be more difficult too but not impossible.

Personally if people saw what gets dumped in the sea and general apathy to marine conservation I think they’d be up in arms, largely because it’s out of sight. Scotland could be a world leader on this and already has some of the most incredible coastline of anywhere. Worth protecting in my view.

Interesting thread. What’s wrong with the national parks that we have though?

@roverpig I think they do little to support local communities within the park area. This would imply that they are not promoting or preserving the local culture. I would say that the NPs and other agencies such as NTS are actually damaging the small communities within their areas in some cases.
Ps I'm aware that National Parks and estates etc owned by other organisations such as NTS, RSPB are quite different creatures

Nowhere, I wouldn’t wish it on Coatbridge. CNP is run by a cabal of single interest individuals with rose tinted specs with very little connection to the real world.