Five communities in the Highlands and Islands – Lochaber, Eilean a’ Cheo (Skye and Raasay), Affric to Alladale, Glen Affric and Loch Awe have expressed an interest in becoming national parks.
Nominations to become Scotland’s next national park, joining the two in the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and Trossachs, are being taken by the Scottish Government. The deadline for submissions is February 29 2024.
Nominations which meet the requirements would then undergo a detailed investigation by NatureScot in the summer. That inspection would lead to legislation to designate the new park or parks by 2026.
Campaigners are gauging views and fundraising for a bid to establish 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 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,” the group said on its crowdfunder website.
Last summer, a bid to create a new national park around Loch Awe was launched by Avich and Kilchrenan Community Council.
Welcoming the bids, Ariane Burgess, Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands, said: “A new national park could help protect and enhance the natural environment, creating a safe haven for a rich diversity of wildlife and plants. They also offer other opportunities including supporting sustainable land management practices like conservation grazing, peatland restoration and woodland expansion, which would help mitigate climate change, improve biodiversity and create jobs in rural communities.
“I urge everyone to get involved in the process this year, support the projects in your area and help choose your next national park. Your interest and enthusiasm really cannot be overstated as it will have a significant bearing on the selection process.
“As we’ve seen in the Cairngorms, national parks are a living legacy for generations to enjoy as we continue to deliver a greener, happier Scotland. For the rural economy, this is a massive chance to build a sustainable path to the future.”
Meanwhile in December, Argyll and Bute councillors agreed a series of projects that will help to address biodiversity loss and climate change in the region. The projects, which total £575,000, will be funded by the Scottish Government’s Nature Restoration Fund.
They include £100,000 for the control of invasive non-native species on council land, such as spraying or removal of Japanese Knotweed and Rhododendron ponticum, and £75,000 for local groups, schools or community organisations to plant native trees across Argyll and Bute.
Woodland clearance and native replanting at the Kilmory Estate, the council headquarters in Lochgilphead, will receive £50,000. Play park enhancements, to complement the ongoing Play Park Renewal Fund, will get an extra £80,000 over two to three years.
Also that month, NatureScot approved a licence application from the Cairngorms National Park Authority to release up to six beaver families at agreed sites in the upper River Spey catchment.
The approval marks the fifth catchment to which beavers have either been officially granted permission to remain or have been released. Populations are already established in Tayside, on the Forth, in Knapdale and Loch Lomond.