Contenders invited in search for Scotland's next national park

It has been 20 years since a national park was created in Scotland.

There will, however, be at least one more before the end of this parliamentary session in 2026.

At present there are two - the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - but the nominations process has now opened to increase that number.

What parts of the country might throw their hat into the ring to seek the status which has not been given out for two decades?

Seven potential areas were suggested in a report by the Scottish Campaign for National Parks (SCNP) and the Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland (APRS) in 2013.

They were Ben Nevis/Glen Coe/Black Mount, the Cheviots and Border Hills, Galloway, a Coastal and Marine Park, Glen Affric, Wester Ross and the Isle of Harris.

They are not the only potential contenders, however, as Perth and Kinross councillors recently unanimously agreed to take forward a bid to create a new national park in north Perthshire.

It would be called Tay Forest National Park and sit between the two existing parks.

There are, as yet, no fixed boundaries to the plans but it would include the likes of Aberfeldy, Pitlochry, Dunkeld, Birnam and Comrie.

Councillors also agreed to consider including Crieff as part of the park, describing it as the "gateway to the Highlands".

It will face competition from a number of other areas should it proceed to full nomination.

The Galloway National Park Association (GNPA) has made no secret of its case for south-west Scotland for some time.

Rob Lucas, who chairs the group, said: "We strongly believe that the region, with its magnificent rolling hills, mountains, moors, rivers, lochs and long coastlines is the ideal location and will offer visitors a very different experience to the existing national parks.

"It will also open up a wonderful, and economically fragile area in the south of Scotland to sustainable regeneration through tourism and other business development while protecting some of the country's most beautiful countryside for the future.

"Our campaign is also distinctive because it has tremendous support from the public, business, MPs, MSPs and all three local councils covering the proposed national park area."

They are not alone in seeking the status for the south of the country.

In the neighbouring Scottish Borders there is a similar conviction that their case is strong.

Malcolm Dickson is a team member of the Campaign for a Scottish Borders National Park (CSBNP) which was launched seven years ago.

"Our history and culture is carved into the landscape and built heritage, from the largest number of hill-top forts in the British Isles to the four medieval abbeys and the hidden glens which aided the escapades of Border Reivers," he said.

"Yet people drive through or fly over the Borders on their way to other destinations.

"What we need is an instantly and internationally-recognised designation and brand."

He described it as a "once in a lifetime opportunity" that could transform the region.

The Scottish government has confirmed that a number of other areas have followed Galloway, the Borders and Tay Forest in expressing an interest.

They include Lochaber, Eilean a' Cheo (Skye and Raasay), Affric to Alladale, Glen Affric, The Lammermuirs, Largo Bay and Loch Awe.

The deadline for nominations is 29 February next year. They will then be appraised before a detailed investigation is carried out by NatureScot.

Based on the outcome of that process, legislation will be brought forward to make at least one of them a national park by 2026.

Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland they were inviting communities and organisations to start developing and submitting their applications.

"This needs to have strong evidence that there is local support in the area to become a national park," she said.

"I think this is a really exciting process - the time has come to create a new national park.

"Our national parks are not only places of outstanding beauty but they are really leading the way in tackling the climate emergency and the nature emergency."

The two groups which have been campaigning for more than a decade for more parks have welcomed the start of the search for nominations.

Dr Kat Jones, director of the APRS, said: "All over Scotland there are places and communities crying out for the economic, social and environmental benefits that national park status brings."

That view was echoed by John Thomson who chairs the SCNP.

He said he was delighted to hear there had been many expressions of interest already.

"We very much hope that most, if not all of these, will get taken forward to the next stage," he added.

However, not everyone is convinced there is a need to give the status to more areas.

Sarah Cowie, of the farming union NFU Scotland, said: "Our members feel that the existing two national parks haven't really made a positive contribution to farming.

"There is a sense that industries such as tourism and hospitality are prioritised over agriculture and food production and this is having a detrimental impact on the rural economy.

"A recurring concern is that national parks have failed to retain local people or protect local businesses."

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