MacTussle Over Cairngorm Park

The third stage of the National Parks (Scotland) Bill comes up before the Scottish Parliament for approval on Wednesday. If passed it will allow the creation of the first national parks in Scotland, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and the Cairngorms. The irony of the latter won't be lost on anyone who's been following the progress of the Cairngorm Funicular Project.

The Cairngorm Park is expected to be created in 2002, but while there's a general acceptance that this is a desirable progression, there's apparently already concern over the composition of the Park Authority, which will run the park. Local communities fear that they will be under-represented and while the practicalities such as boundaries and make-up are due to be decided this autumn, there are rumblings of discontent emanating from the Highland Council.

The Council is proposing an internet referendum in the absence of any formal arrangement and wants local community authorities to be responsible for 50 per-cent of the Park Authority rather than the 40 per-cent mooted at present. There's also conflict over the relative importance given to conservation and sustainable local development (favoured by local authorities) which echoes the Cairngorm Funicular situation.

Ultimately the big question is over the balance between the area's attraction as an extraordinarily rare and beautiful outdoor resource and the interests of the people who live and work in the area, which is a major issue across all UK wilderness areas. Hopefully the fact that the debate has already begun will allow for a satisfactory compromise to be reached by 2002.

For a more detailed look at the situation, read this article in The Scotsman newspaper.