Campaigners are gauging views, and fundraising, for a bid to make a national park in Lochaber.
The Lochaber National Park Working Group in Fort William says it could protect the area’s natural and cultural heritage.
“We are working hard to share information about the Scottish Government’s pledge to create a new National Park in Scotland by spring 2026,” the group said on its crowdfunder website.
“We believe Lochaber could be on the short list and we are developing our process to determine public opinion.
“If support can be suitably demonstrated, a nomination for Lochaber as a candidate would be taken forward with Scottish Ministers.
“We want to generate a discussion about the potential for a National Park so that residents can make an informed decision when the time comes.
“We require professional support for this and we are seeking advice from various people with direct experience of designing National Park nominations and delivering public events and consultations.
“This will incur costs and require time to deliver surveys, expand our reach beyond online platforms, produce professional marketing materials and hire venues. We estimate these costs at £3,000.
“We believe Lochaber is essentially a National Park in all-but-name and does not receive the meaningful support and benefits the area requires to manage significant and growing pressures.”
Among their list of benefits, they said being a national park would “address many of the issues faced in Lochaber, facilitate greater local control and expand local employment opportunities”.
It would also “establish a joined-up approach to managing Lochaber’s unique natural environment that so many of us value, while more effectively addressing the significant challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss”, as well as “establish a fully-funded and well-resourced ranger service to manage visitor pressures and provide information and education for locals and visitors across Lochaber”.
It could also “develop fully serviced parking areas for motorhomes and campervans”, and “improve and extend footpath and cycle networks, for all abilities, to get more people using active travel, improving health, and reducing the number of cars on our roads”.
“Understandably, there are concerns that a National Park could have a negative impact on the area,” the campaigners said.
“Would a National Park cause an increase in house prices, making it harder for locals to get on the property ladder? Do National Parks put additional restrictions on farming and crofting? Will a National Park in Lochaber attract more second homeowners? Will a National Park increase the number of tourists visiting the area?
“Would a National Park prevent industrial growth and reduce employment prospects in the area. Would a National Park “re-wild” everything, leaving us with a rank, inaccessible landscape?
“A well-designed National Park plan would identify and tackle these issues for the people of Lochaber,” they argued. “We need additional resources to respond to valid concerns and to promote information on the current opportunities to as wide an audience as possible and gauge public opinion.”