Construction of a hilltrack near Achnashellach. Photo: Tim Hall
A group of conservation charities is urging Scottish politicians to tackle the problem of the growing number of vehicle tracks on the nation’s hillsides.
Scottish Environment Link Hilltracks group said the Holyrood parliament has a golden opportunity to control the spread of the eyesore tracks in the most sensitive areas of countryside.
Green Party MSP Andy Wightman has tabled amendments to the Planning Bill going through the Scottish Parliament designed to close loopholes that allow landowners to build many of the controversial tracks without planning permission.
The Link Hilltracks group, a coalition of 10 charities, said its research found the tracks continue to creep further into wilder landscapes, and that planning loopholes can lead to them being badly sited and designed.
Some tracks have even been built over the top of narrow, low-impact trails and historical routes, with little chance for the public to comment in advance, it said.
Helen Todd, co-convenor of Link Hilltracks group and Ramblers Scotland’s campaigns and policy manager, said: “There is a compelling case for stronger controls over vehicle roads in our hills, to boost local democracy, improve construction standards and protect precious environments.
“For too long, landowners have been able to expand tracks further and further into wild landscapes with little oversight from authorities or the public.”
Scotland’s outdoors enthusiasts are being encouraged to make their voices heard, by writing to MSPs using an online form on the Ramblers’ website.
A track scars the flanks of a hill at Ledgowan
Beryl Leatherland, co-convenor of the group and also convenor of Scottish Wild Land Group said: “This week’s vote offers MSPs the chance to get a grip on this damaging activity, by changing the law to protect our countryside.
“We urge all hillgoers to email their MSPs to raise their concerns using our quick online form.”
Scottish Environmental Link’s Hilltracks group includes Ramblers Scotland, RSPB Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, Scottish Wild Land Group, John Muir Trust, Association for the Protection of Rural Scotland, Badenoch and Strathspey Conservation Group, Cairngorms Campaign, North East Mountain Trust, Scottish Campaign for National Parks and Scottish Wild Land Group.
Mr Wightman’s previous amendments to tackle the spread of hill tracks were voted down by a seven-person committee last November, but this time all 129 MSPs can vote.
The latest amendments would require full planning consent for tracks in Scotland’s two national parks; on all land used mainly for shooting or other field sports; in sites of special scientific interest; in designated battlefield sites and in national scenic areas.
The Link group said, after decades of campaigning from environment and recreation bodies, the Scottish Government launched a new system in 2014 requiring landowners to tell authorities before building agricultural and forestry tracks – but generally full planning permission is not required.
Helen Ferguson
18 June 2019This is a thinly veiled attempt to further legislate against shooting estates. Estates that create valuable employment in remote areas and contribute significantly to the rural economy.
These hill-tracks are already addressed by existing legislation. Why should there be a separate agenda for tracks used by sporting estates? It is well known that Andy Wightman MSP has an anti-shooting agenda. However, what he and others fail to acknowledge is the vital role these tracks provide for emergency services accessing remote areas. Search and Rescue and the Fire Service for example. It is a different matter when hill walkers and ramblers etc need emergency attention in remote areas. How else do they think casualties/wildfires can be reached?
Peter Owens
18 June 2019How kind of the shooting industry to provide emergency access to the hill. It's not needed. There is already perfectly adequate access to existing habitations in the glens, and MRTs and helicopters have managed fine without hill tracks for a good few years.
In fact, as Helen well knows, the tracks are there solely so that shooting businesses can get their clients on and off the hill quickly and easily. The proprietors care not one jot for the general public or the Scottish environment and are a dead hand on the development of the local communities that they control.
Why should the owners of shooting businesses think that they are free to do what they please to the wild land of Scotland that belong to all of us. Those days have gone. They need to be brought firmly under public scrutiny and accountability.
Jeremy Corbinliner
18 June 2019Well Peter as soon as Socialists like you are in control of the land the better for us all.
Ian mclaren
19 June 2019Personally I like the roads, I look for them on Google maps and walk them, great access to the hills and Glen's.
George Devlin
19 June 2019Here we go again, seems to be the way these days. 2 people go out for one or two weekends a year and somethings changed and damn blast they don't like it. So what do they do, they go online and meet someone who was out last weekend, this is repeated many times and by the power of the internet we now have another "Charity" with a stupid name.
These Charities then actively try to wreck communities and jobs from afar because they feel left out. Their reason, they read on another narrow minded website that land owners are milking the countryside for millions and get to play outside more than them.
The reality is the land owners pour Millions of one way cash into rural communities, Maintain environments for many species, Create jobs up and down the country and sell our country to the rest of the world.
The people who carry out the traditional jobs in these estates are the same people who want the best for their estates, so things like road placement is not just a badly thought out idea but a plan worked out over many years. I think the Brown and Green belts around cities could be doing with this charity work.
I wonder how these people would feel if their livelihood was put at risk because some stranger started a "Charity" to ban Call Centers for some obscure reason.
Be careful what you wish for people!
Jules
29 June 2019For the corporate tosspots, who pay thousands to blast the wildlife of our upland areas, no environmental price is too high. Across Britain, our upland areas are blighted by 4wd roads bulldozed across pristine fells, competing wildlife is ruthlessly (and illegally) persecuted whilst heather burning and mowing prevent reforestation. Shooting is a disaster for our uplands.
Those who complain when our precious landscapes are despoiled care deeply about wild places. No one who cares about mountains and moorlands would ever take a bulldozer to them. Legislation is badly needed to limit further damage.
OutdoorsAndy
23 July 2019well said Jules!
I am sick of the so called estates and their continuing claim they are good for a local area. They are good at promoting illegal activity, they are good at providing low paid jobs with little prospects, they are good at destroying tourism for the many so a few very rich sociopaths can kill for pleasure.
Their time is over and their last lame attempts to destroy what is left, so their lazy feckless "clients" can role out to shoot for the sake of entertainment and pleasure, needs to be stopped.
Please stop trying to pretend you care about an environment- you have destroyed large parts of it and continue to do so and then claim its a positive thing.
At least own what you are, the lies are paper thin and quite boring now.