Work on a Scottish hilltrack
Scotland’s mountaineering body has condemned the Holyrood Government’s ‘feeble’ decision to continue to allow tracks to be bulldozed across the nation’s hills.
The Mountaineering Council of Scotland said many of the hilltracks are not for the claimed agricultural purpose but are built simply to allow shooting parties access to the uplands.
The council campaigned hard to force a change in law that would mean such tracks would have needed planning permission.
The MCofS said the decision following public consultation by Scottish Government planning minister Derek Mackay to continue the free-for-all on hilltracks will do nothing to prevent the construction of what it calls huge, unsightly and damaging hill tracks through previously unspoiled mountain landscapes.
MCofS chief officer David Gibson said: “We’re just days away from the 2013 Year of Natural Scotland and the Scottish Government has once again proved feeble in the protection of our countryside.
David Gibson: 'Derek Mackay has let Scotland down'
“We have a crazy situation where some tracks need permission and others don’t.
“This is easily abused by landowners who claim a track is agricultural when its only purpose is to get 4×4s to places which most people could walk to. Even worse, the tracks are often badly built, ugly and do real damage to plant and wildlife.
“Derek Mackay could have solved the problem easily and fairly by saying that all tracks need planning permission.
“But he has let Scotland down in exactly the same way that his government has over its failure to stop windfarms being built in unsuitable places.”
The MCofS said forestry and agricultural tracks are permitted developments meaning that unlike most other tracks they do not need planning permission.
Hector L
15 December 2012Contentious issue. I understand the view held by MCofS. However, the words 'landowners' and 'shooting parties' are often misinterpreted. What many estates are now trying to do is bring deer numbers down dramatically so that other flora and fauna, such as woods, can re-grow. In order to do this tracks are needed. The MCofS is right, though, to make sure planning permission is needed so that the location of tracks is as inconspicuous as possible. Also, despite the polite requests of landowners, many walkers stray from established routes ensuring that many human 'tracks' are created across some very fragile environments. Personally, I'd like to see the MCofS to make sure no more wind farms are built before focusing on the relatively minor issue of tracks.
Hector L
15 December 2012Also, MCofS need to start working closely with Scottish Natural Heritage and the John Muir Trust to link up the various National Scenic Areas NSAs north and south of Wester Ross. If this was to happen the top 10% of wild land in Scotland would be instantly preserved. Also, I then think it would be highly likely that the area from Cape Wrath to Moidart ( and the views from this land ) would become Britain's largest National Park - free from turbines etc. This must happen before it is too late. It is truly essential.
Margaret
16 December 2012Hector, sounds interesting - I bet Bill Murray would have been right behind you on that.
Ken A
16 December 2012Yet another decision ducked by the SNP Government. I'm surprised the SG spokesman didn't also suggest that any 'eyesores' were the fault of Westminster and that in an independent Scotland they would become scenic attractions covered by gold and honey!
Mark
16 December 2012Hector L; you're spot on. Make that whole area a National Park ASAP. The question is who will actually do it. I fear that pencil pushers would be hell bent on it being a 10 year process which would obviously mean that much of the area in question may already be destroyed by that time. SNH need to pull a finger out and actually do this to save the land for posterity.