Spelling it out: John Muir Trust members send their message to the Parliament, supported by, from left, Murdo Fraser MSP, Liz Smith MSP, Cameron McNeish, and Stuart Brooks
Politicians must act to preserve Scotland’s wild lands which are shrinking every year, according to campaigners pushing for a new designation for the nation’s wilderness.
The John Muir Trust handed a 3,500-name petition to the Scottish Parliament today calling on the Holyrood administration to show world leadership in looking after its wild lands, which it says are precious in an increasingly industrialised world.
Broadcaster and journalist Cameron McNeish, an ambassador for the trust’s Wild Land Campaign, said: “Today in these economically straitened times, one of the few free pleasures left – a pleasure that is open to anyone despite their background – is to walk in and be inspired by wild land and wild nature.
“This is a common right that can be enjoyed by anyone who is in reasonable health at a time when life, for many, is almost beyond hope.”
He pointed out that, in 2008, Scottish Natural Heritage published research showing that the proportion of Scotland untouched by artificial visual intrusions had fallen from 41 per cent to 31 per cent since 2002.
“We can boast some of the finest examples of wild land in Europe, and we know that these wild areas have shaped the character and heritage of what the rest of the world knows as Scotland,” he added.
“I would urge the Scottish Parliament to show the word that Scotland can be a world leader in environmental terms by protecting those wild places we have left, a vanishing but precious resource in an increasingly industrialised world.”
The John Muir Trust wants the Scottish Government to create a new national designation to offer increased protection for wild land, and pointed out that most visitors to Scotland mention its scenery as a major reason for coming to the country.
Mr McNeish said: “It only takes a political will. Once it is gone, it will be gone forever.”
JMT chief executive Stuart Brooks said: “This petition is the first step in making the case for a new designation to protect Scotland’s wild areas.
“Our vision is that wild land is protected and wild places are valued by all sectors of society.
“Wild land has a wide variety of benefits. It is home to some of our most iconic wildlife and provides us with things vital to our everyday lives like fresh water and clean air. 92 per cent of visitors to Scotland cite the fantastic scenery we have as the main reason for coming here.”
Mapping by the Wildland Research Institute at the University of Leeds, shows the amount of Scotland’s best wild land covered by any environmental designation is almost 50 per cent. The amount covered by National Scenic Areas, a designation which is designed to conserve and enhance the natural beauty of the landscape, is 33.6 per cent.
