Talk at the Scottish Wild Land Group AGM, Dec 3

Ryvoan Pass, Cairngorms

I'm giving an illustrated talk on 'Wild Land in the Cairngorms and the NW Highlands: a comparison from a walker's perspective' at the Scottish Wild Land Group AGM in Perth on December 3 at 14.45. My talk and the rest of the day's events are open to everybody so if you're interested do come along.

Quinag

Thoughts After Six Years As A Trustee Of The John Muir Trust

 

At the John Muir Trust AGM last weekend I ended my six year stint as a Trustee (two three-year terms are the maximum at any one time) and I've been thinking back over this time. 

Being a Trustee involves half a dozen or more meetings to attend each year and many, many papers and emails to read and respond to. The Board of Trustees is the governing body of the Trust and has many responsibilities. It's not the details of the meetings or the paperwork that I remember though, it's the dedication and hard work of the Trustees and the staff. As a member for many years I was a firm believer in the aims of the Trust but I have to admit that until I became a Trustee I had no idea of how much work it did or how many people were committed to seeing those aims become reality. 

Whilst much Trustee work is in indoor meetings and sitting at a computer once a year Trustees do visit one of the Trust's propeties each year along with members of staff to see the work of the Trust on the ground. I have great memories of visits to Skye, Quinag, Ben Nevis, and, especially, Helvellyn. I say especially as the decision to take over the management of the Glenridding Estate, which includes the whole eastern side of Helvellyn, was, I think the major one made while I was a Trustee. It was the Trust's first venture into land south of Scotland and thus very significant. I was very much in favour and I'm glad to see that it is working out well - mainly due to the excellent staff the Trust has there. The visit there was to let Trustees see the place for themselves before we took the decision to take it over.

I end my time as a Trustee very impressed with everyone involved in its running and their commitment. I hope I have contributed a little. I am very aware that many have contributed far more. This leaves me hopeful about the future of wild land. I think the Trust is a very important organisation and one I would encourage everyone who loves wild land to join. It's very much needed.

You can see join and support the John Muir Trust here.

The photos show Trustee and staff on visits to Skye, Quinag, Helvellyn and Ben Nevis.

The camping problem, nature and wild land: a perspective

The problems of so-called wild camping that I wrote about a month ago have not eased. The media is still full of stories and pictures of trashed campsites, abandoned gear, and damage to the environment. Whatever you call it (I’ll write another post about that) this type of camping is anti-social, unpleasant and upsetting. Maybe some of the perpetrators are doing it out of ignorance and could be educated. Some undoubtedly don’t care.

What I want to do here though is put all this in the context of conserving and restoring nature and wild land. Yes, this vandalism does do damage, especially when tree branches are hacked off and campfires are burnt into the ground. Clearing up the mess creates chores for rangers who could be doing other work. Trees take time to recover. But fire rings can be erased, and litter collected. The areas with these problems are not large, but they are very visible as they’re usually next to roads and often in popular beauty spots. Overall, the damage caused is limited. Of course, it’s to be condemned and everything possible should be done to reduce it (I don’t think complete prevention is possible) but in the overall picture of what is happening to wild land it’s not one of the big problems.

Let’s take campfires for a start. Mostly these create a small patch of burnt ground and perhaps some damage to nearby trees. Very occasionally one gets out of control and devastates a larger area, which is terrible. Certainly, such campfires should be banned and people heavily discouraged from lighting them. But far greater damage is caused by heather burning on grouse moors, which takes place on vast areas of high ground every year, killing wildlife and creating an ugly monoculture. Animals and birds can be killed by litter that isn’t cleared up, which again is terrible. But thousands are killed deliberately on those same grouse moors, all so a few people can blast small birds out of the sky. The devastated landscape of a driven grouse moor is vastly more damaging than some roadside campers leaving rubbish behind. (See Raptor Persecution UK and Mark Avery’s Inglorious: Conflict in the Uplands).  

Those grouse moors mean roads too, bulldozed across the hills. In recent years there has been an increase in these and an increase in their size. I’m reminded of the late Edward Abbey who said about chucking his beer cans out of the car window “after all, it’s not the beer cans that are ugly; it’s the highway that is ugly.”. Now  I wouldn’t do that myself or condone anyone else doing so but I think the point he’s making is right. Roads into wild areas are ugly, damaging, and bring problems with them. (This is a good essay on Abbey and roads and beer cans). 

Then there’s over-grazing, monoculture spruce plantations, wind farms and hydro plants. The first two lead to biological deserts with little wildlife and poor vegetation. (For overgrazing see this report from Scottish Environment LINK, for plantations see this piece from the Scottish Wildlife Trust). 

When I walked through the Southern Uplands on my Scottish Watershed walk I was dismayed at how little wildlife there was, most of the hills consisting of sheep pasture interspersed with plantations and the occasional wind farm. Wind farms and hydro plants bring roads and further damage, both visually and to the land. Glen Etive is one of the areas that has suffered from inconsiderate roadside campers. However they’ve had minimal effect compared to the damage that will be done by planned hydro developments (see Save Glen Etive).

 

Industrialising wild places is the big threat, not roadside camping.

Save Glen Etive! More Action Needed

Earlier in the month I posted about the threat to Glen Etive from hydro schemes and the need for those concerned to object to the schemes. Since then a meeting of Highland Council has approved the deals. This doesn't mean the end of the campaign. Mountaineering Scotland are asking the Scottish Government to 'call in' the schemes for review. If you live in Scotland you can support Mountaineering Scotland by emailing your MSPs. Everyone can also write to the press about this. There are more details on the Save Glen Etive Facebook page.

Here's the email I've sent to my MSPs.

I am writing to support Mountaineering Scotland in asking for the Scottish government to  formally ‘call-in’ the hydro schemes proposed for three rivers – the Allt Ceitlein, the Allt a’Chaorainn, and the Allt Mheuran – on the undeveloped south-east side of Glen Etive. This area is meant to be protected from damaging developments as it’s in a Wild Land Area, a National Scenic Area and a Special Protection Area. Surely three designations are enough to protect a place? If not, what is the point of such designations?

The small amount of energy produced by these schemes cannot in any way justify the loss of biodiversity, wildness and beauty. This is a special landscape of national importance and is visited and loved by walkers, climbers, canoeists, photographers, wildlife watchers, sightseers and more. Nature and outdoor activities contribute some £1.4 billion per annum to the Scottish economy. 
Damaging places like Glen Etive does not encourage growth in this sector or the return of visitors.

It is disappointing that Scottish Natural Heritage did not assess the impact of the schemes properly. It viewed them as individual applications and not as a major single development that would ruin the character of the glen. The water abstractions from the rivers, the pipes, intakes, and roads will all detract massively from this unspoilt landscape.

The developer says there will be full mitigation for the works but has failed to provide convincing evidence for this. Other hydro schemes show that restoration even when done well – and it often isn’t – still leaves scars and a damaged landscape.

Highland Council approved these developments but there were strong local objections – the motion to refer the decision to the whole council was made by a councillor from Kinlochleven - and a significant number of councillors voted against the schemes, showing they were concerned about the impacts.

Glen Etive is a jewel in the Highlands and Scotland and should be protected as an irreplaceable asset for the nation. With its nature and landscape, it could be revitalised for the benefit of the local community.

I urge you to support reviewing these schemes. For more information see http://saveglenetive.co.uk/

Saving Glen Etive: Action Needed Now

Last summer I wrote a post about the threat to beautiful Glen Etive from seven hydro schemes. In that piece I described the glen as "surrounded by fine rugged mountains laced with deep narrow ravines and corries down which tumble fast flowing streams ........ . an area that should be left to become wilder with the pressures of overgrazing and commercial forestry removed not one sacrificed for a tiny smidgeon of energy."

 
Despite being in a Wild Land Area, National Scenic Area and Special Protection Area, last month Highland Council approved the hydro schemes. However due to one concerned councillor,  Andrew Baxter, Highland Council is going to review the decision on the three most damaging schemes at a Special Meeting on March 20th.

A campaign group, Save Glen Etive, has been set up and can be followed on Twitter and Facebook. There's also a petition. Residents of the Highland Council region can write to their ward councillors asking them to attend the Special Meeting and oppose the hydro schemes, as I have done. https://www.highland.gov.uk/councillors. Those from outside the Highlands can write letters to the press, post online, and share posts from Save Glen Etive. Public pressure is needed to save this special place.

As well as the Save Glen Etive pages there is much detailed information in a series of posts on Parkswatch Scotland.

John Muir Trust Annual Members Gathering 2018 in Glenridding

Helvellyn

Later this morning I'm heading south for the John Muir Trust's Annual Members Gathering and AGM. This year it's being held in Glenridding village on the edge of Glenridding Common in the Lake District, an estate that includes Helvellyn and which the JMT now manages - the first property the Trust has taken on outside Scotland.

I've just been re-elected for a second term as a Trustee of the JMT and I'm looking forward to meeting the other Trustees, JMT staff, JMT members and, especially, local people to discuss the future for wild places in Britain and this area in particular. We'll be hearing from Julia Aglionby, the Chair of the Foundation for Common Land; Rob Shepherd, Chair of Patterdale Parish Council; Joanne Backshall, Manager of Fix the Fells; and Pete Barron, John Muir Trust Land Manager for Glenridding Common. I'm sure they'll all have something stimulating to say!

There'll be time for the outdoors as well and Saturday afternoon we'll be heading outside. I hope the weather's good!

Meetings & Mountains

Stob Coire Easain, Sgurr Innse, Stob Ban & Stob Coire Claurigh from Cnap Cruinn

Last weekend I was in Fort William for the John Muir Trust AGM and Members’ Gathering. As last year this was inspiring and thought-provoking. The amount of work the Trust staff do is impressive and humbling. We heard about wind farms, peatlands, talking to politicians, forestry, footpaths, deer management, the John Muir Award, membership numbers (they’re up!),  Glenridding and Helvellyn, fund raising and much more. There was an open forum with many interesting questions and responses. The event closed with an interesting presentation by the Nevis Landscape Partnership. There was of course plenty of time to talk to delegates, other Trustees and staff as well. It’s an intense time.

JMT Head of Policy Helen McDade talking at the AGM

In between the AGM bit and the evening events a group of us went to the Lochaber Geopark Visitor Centre for an interesting talk  - and one that left me wondering why this and the North West Highlands Geopark are struggling for funds while Highlands and Islands Enterprise pours millions into the continuing shambles at Cairngorm Mountain.

Stob Coire na Gaibhre & Aonach Mor from Beinn Chlianlaig

With much to think about and absorb a walk in the wilds seemed a good way to start digesting it all so on the way home, after lunch at the excellent Darwin’s Rest in Roybridge, I went up little Cnap Cruinn, a hill I hadn’t climbed before. Surrounded by much bigger, much more impressive mountains it’s easily overlooked. However like many small hills separated from bigger ones by deep glens it’s a superb viewpoint with splendid vistas all around that I savoured on the walk along the broad ridge to the subsidiary summit of Beinn Chlianlaig. 

View to the Easains and the Grey Corries from Cnap Cruinn

 

There were many birds too – piping golden plover, white-rump flashing wheatears, and rasping ptarmigan. The hill flowers were appearing – pink moss campion amongst the stones on the tops, white cloudberry amongst the heather, yellow tormentil on the sheep-cropped grasslands. In Inverlair Forest at the foot of the hill I could see the work being done by the Corrour Estate to turn the plantations into more diverse forestry with improved biodiversity. Conservation and restoration in action. 

View over Inverlair Forest from Cnap Cruinn