DOCSLIB.ORG

Exodus Threatens Way of Life in the Hills

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Exodus Threatens Way of Life in the Hills NEWS SCOTTISH HILL FARMING NEWS SYBIL MACPHERSON Brackley Farm, Exodus threatens Dalmally and National Sheep Association vice- way of life in the hills president Sheep farmers are continuing to leave Scotland’s hills in their droves, ROBBIE CAMPBELL Loch Treig Farm, according to latest statistics. Nancy Nicolson spends a day at a lamb Corrour sale on the west coast in a bid to gauge the mood and finds that it’s not just the stock that’s disappearing, it’s potentially a whole way of life JOHN MACPHERSON Balliemeanoch he tourists may gawp in the continuing decline in hill and to help. I need six people to gather Farm, Loch Awe wonder at the beauty of island agriculture had implications the high hirsels like Ben Bhailigan and Blackface Lochaber’s high, misty for biodiversity, landscape man- where it takes five to six hours to Sheep Breeders mountains, but for the agement and food security. assemble the flock and four hours Association Blackface sheep which The Argyllshire flockmasters to walk the sheep home.” president Tspend their lives grazing these steep who have held on to their sheep The dwindling pool of neigh- slopes and the mountain men who through the toughest times reflect bours to help with sheep work manage the flocks and know the in fearful tones about their future was the final straw for Robbie ANGUS MACFADYEN hills in all their moods, it is a harsh, when they gather for seasonal Campbell who recently sold 1400 Argyll and Bute wet and unforgiving place. lamb sales at Dalmally mart, a ewes from remote Loch Treig farm Agricultural Forum The gradient is steep, the ter- small cluster of pens and a ring near Corrour. He started life as a chairman and NFU rain rough and the 120in of rain- on the outskirts of the Highland shepherd and worked his way into Scotland Regional fall the highest in the country. Yet village just north of Oban. Prices a tenancy but couldn’t cope with Board member for generations these hills have have improved this season, but the years of depressed prices on symbolised a way of life for a re- only to levels many were enjoying top of the rigours of a hard, inac- silient breed of people and their 20 years ago when producers also cessible unit. Sheep producers are quitting wolves. But what about the moun- many would rather get out now and Bute Agricultural Forum and JAMIE MACGREGOR equally hardy livestock who can had the advantages of better subsi- “There was no road in so we Lochaber’s misty mountains. tain men? We’re the endangered spe- than face the consequences of be- a member of NFU Scotland’s Local sheep farmer endure conditions which – by any dies and a decent wool cheque. had to walk the lambs the 17 cies now and once we and our sheep ing unable to match the numbers Regional Board, says that the im- and Conservative measure – are physically and eco- These men and women are not miles out, but I could handle that ageing farming population, and have all gone from these hard places they get back from the hills to the provement in prices is enough to Member of the nomically challenging. You don’t just sad to see the sheep come off lifestyle. Eventually, though, there while there are sons looking on we can never be reintroduced. ones they put out with electronic encourage him to continue, but Scottish farm here to make a fortune but the hills. The dispersals have had were no neighbours, no critical as their fathers sell, it tends to be “A whole network of stock tags,” says Sybil MacPherson. admits he has several other sourc- Parliament to subsist in a lifestyle that is based serious implications for the man- mass to share the gathering, so I as interested parties rather than production will vanish and when “EID is going to be a tragedy for es of income to subsidise his unit. on family tradition and a unique agement of their own flocks. had to end up paying eight men full-time partners in the business. food shortages really kick in, how this part of the world.” “When prices are high it is a good sense of belonging. Sybil MacPherson, vice-pres- £100 a day to help me. It’s not The president of the Blackface does the government imagine they Ironically, the recent rise in time to get out but it’s also a good But after generations of mini- ident of the National Sheep As- something you can sustain when Sheep Breeders Association, John will be able to bring back the expe- lamb prices appears only to be time to go in. But we need more wild flowers and butterflies will be mum change, there has been sociation Scotland, runs Brackley the prices don’t add up. These are MacPherson, a third generation rience and the livestock to these hastening the trend of ewe dis- help from our politicians. We replaced by tick-infested tundra. something akin to a revolution Farm on the outskirts of Dalmally. tough places and we’re resilient farmer in partnership with his hills? No university can teach you persals, with hill producers see- need a long-term view and guaran- And instead of there being a living taking place here since the turn It is stocked with 1200 Blackface people but its only the diehards brother on Balliemeanoch farm the skills to work in this landscape ing a window of opportunity to tees on support payments if we are culture of songs and stories, it will of the millennium. A decade of ewes on hills which extend to who are left now.” above Loch Awe, is a case in or provide the hefted sheep that get out. Mrs MacPherson, whose going to reinvest in this industry,” become history instead. And that poor sheep sector returns, an 4000 acres and rise to 2800ft, and The faces round Dalmally point. He has reduced his flock will survive on the land.” family has farmed at Brackley for he said. “We need to know what is will be a tragic loss.” ageing population and a lack of in the past 10 years 8000 breed- Mart’s ringside tell the story of an from 2200 to 1600 ewes in the Despair over EID is not unique 170 years, describes herself as one ahead of us post 2013.” The clock is ticking. On the day hope and confidence for the next ing sheep have been taken off the past five years despite having a to Lochaber but, for those whose of the lucky ones as she doesn’t It is undeniably the case that of the last Dalmally sale news was generation has taken its toll with neighbouring 50,000 acres. family which desperately wants to animals can roam over dozens have an overdraft or the financial Scotland’s stratified sheep indus- spreading that another two hill a wave of Highland Clearances “Land abandonment has be- continue the tradition. of square miles, the prospect of burdens of a tenanted farm. “But try needs the bedrock of produc- farmers had decided to sell their which has seen tens of thousands come a major problem because “The boys are aged 21 and 19 having to comply with the new if someone is approaching retire- tion in these areas and that the flocks. The diehards who are left of sheep sold from these hills and the sheep wander into the vast and have had to get jobs as a join- European rules is terrifying and ment age and the price is sud- lightweight lambs which leave are getting ever fewer. the remotest farms abandoned. areas of unstocked land, so get- er and an electrician because there is undoubtedly contributing to denly better than it has been for Lochaber do well once they reach Increased bureaucracy and the ting them gathered for routine is just not enough income from the flight from the hills. Produc- years and there is no guarantee of better soils and richer pastures. But spectre of electronic identification tasks becomes increasingly dif- the sheep. And stories like ours are ers refer to “black loss”, the 5-10% a future, it is perfectly understand- much more is at stake for these VIDEO ON FWI... mean the exodus is far from over. ficult,” she says. “It also means going to have a massive knock-on of animals which disappear into able that they will want to grab the remote communities if the flocks Two independent reports in the there are fewer neighbours around impact on Scottish agriculture rivers or bogs and can never be ac- opportunity to get out,” she says. disappear from the hills. past 18 months have focused on in the years ahead because counted for in official returns. Not everyone agrees that all is Jamie MacGregor, another lo- the rapid reduction in sheep num- we just won’t have the ex- “People are nervous of being lost for sheep farming in these cal sheep farmer, is also a Conserv- bers in many areas of the north perienced people there to able to comply with the require- high hills of the west. Angus ative member of the Scottish Par- west by between 35% and 60%. work these hills.” ments of cross-compliance and MacFadyen, chairman of Argyll liament (MSP) and is concerned A Retreat from the Hills, a report He adds: “The Scot- that, if the sheep disappear, so from the Scottish Agricultural tish government is too will the rich biodiversity that College, described the potentially currently focused A whole network of stock production depends on sustainable grazing.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Place-Names of Inverness and Surrounding Area Ainmean-Àite Ann an Sgìre Prìomh Bhaile Na Gàidhealtachd
    Place-Names of Inverness and Surrounding Area Ainmean-àite ann an sgìre prìomh bhaile na Gàidhealtachd Roddy Maclean Place-Names of Inverness and Surrounding Area Ainmean-àite ann an sgìre prìomh bhaile na Gàidhealtachd Roddy Maclean Author: Roddy Maclean Photography: all images ©Roddy Maclean except cover photo ©Lorne Gill/NatureScot; p3 & p4 ©Somhairle MacDonald; p21 ©Calum Maclean. Maps: all maps reproduced with the permission of the National Library of Scotland https://maps.nls.uk/ except back cover and inside back cover © Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2021. Contains Ordnance Survey data © Crown copyright and database right 2021. Design and Layout: Big Apple Graphics Ltd. Print: J Thomson Colour Printers Ltd. © Roddy Maclean 2021. All rights reserved Gu Aonghas Seumas Moireasdan, le gràdh is gean The place-names highlighted in this book can be viewed on an interactive online map - https://tinyurl.com/ybp6fjco Many thanks to Audrey and Tom Daines for creating it. This book is free but we encourage you to give a donation to the conservation charity Trees for Life towards the development of Gaelic interpretation at their new Dundreggan Rewilding Centre. Please visit the JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/trees-for-life ISBN 978-1-78391-957-4 Published by NatureScot www.nature.scot Tel: 01738 444177 Cover photograph: The mouth of the River Ness – which [email protected] gives the city its name – as seen from the air. Beyond are www.nature.scot Muirtown Basin, Craig Phadrig and the lands of the Aird. Central Inverness from the air, looking towards the Beauly Firth. Above the Ness Islands, looking south down the Great Glen.
    [Show full text]
  • Letters of Support John Kerr, the Secretary, Glenorchy and Innishail Community Council
    Letters of Support John Kerr, the Secretary, Glenorchy and Innishail Community Council, , -. _ .. _. -_. -, Argyll _ Tel:; - _-. _-- Prof. K Black, The Dalmally Community Company, Craig Cottage, Dalmally PA33 1AR 24th November, 2014 Dear Kenny, On behalf of the Glenorchy & Innishail Community Council I would like to express community wide support for the Dalmally Community Company's plan to purchase and develop an off road car and coach park beside t~e A819, with an elevated view of Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe; possibly one of Scotland's most photographed vistas. There are many keys to unlocking the potential which will allow our rural communities to thrive, however economic development leading to jobs must be one of the most important As an area of nationally scenic importance, tourism remains one growth element; any development that allows visitors to stop safely for a moment and enhance their holiday experience can only be applauded. Your Community Company's proposal will not only benefit local businesses, but hopefully will encourage the all-important return visits. Yours with best wishes, John Kerr. Argyll and Bute Council Comhairle Earra Ghaidheal agus Bh6id Councillor Ellen Morton, Depute Leader and Policy Lead for Roads, Amenity Services, Infrastructure, Asset Management, and Special Projects. 18 Adelaide Street Helensburgh G84 7DL Professor Kenneth D. Black Chair Oalmally Community Company Tel: 01436675 500 _.. ~ • II __ , Email- .. Argyll Our Ref: EMIWB ... S Your Ref: Date:26 November 2014 Dear Professor Black Kilchum Castle Viewpoint - Oalmally Community Company I can confirm that the proposed development of this viewpoint is a commendable aspiration and frts well with our shared ambitions for community driven development and to increase tourism within the Argyll and Bute area.
    [Show full text]
  • The Dalradian Rocks of the North-East Grampian Highlands of Scotland
    Revised Manuscript 8/7/12 Click here to view linked References 1 2 3 4 5 The Dalradian rocks of the north-east Grampian 6 7 Highlands of Scotland 8 9 D. Stephenson, J.R. Mendum, D.J. Fettes, C.G. Smith, D. Gould, 10 11 P.W.G. Tanner and R.A. Smith 12 13 * David Stephenson British Geological Survey, Murchison House, 14 West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA. 15 [email protected] 16 0131 650 0323 17 John R. Mendum British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West 18 Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA. 19 Douglas J. Fettes British Geological Survey, Murchison House, West 20 Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3LA. 21 C. Graham Smith Border Geo-Science, 1 Caplaw Way, Penicuik, 22 Midlothian EH26 9JE; formerly British Geological Survey, Edinburgh. 23 David Gould formerly British Geological Survey, Edinburgh. 24 P.W. Geoff Tanner Department of Geographical and Earth Sciences, 25 University of Glasgow, Gregory Building, Lilybank Gardens, Glasgow 26 27 G12 8QQ. 28 Richard A. Smith formerly British Geological Survey, Edinburgh. 29 30 * Corresponding author 31 32 Keywords: 33 Geological Conservation Review 34 North-east Grampian Highlands 35 Dalradian Supergroup 36 Lithostratigraphy 37 Structural geology 38 Metamorphism 39 40 41 ABSTRACT 42 43 The North-east Grampian Highlands, as described here, are bounded 44 to the north-west by the Grampian Group outcrop of the Northern 45 Grampian Highlands and to the south by the Southern Highland Group 46 outcrop in the Highland Border region. The Dalradian succession 47 therefore encompasses the whole of the Appin and Argyll groups, but 48 also includes an extensive outlier of Southern Highland Group 49 strata in the north of the region.
    [Show full text]
  • Delegated Decisions Report
    TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING DELEGATED DECISIONS MADE IN THE LAST MONTH Delegated Decisions Report Application Types: ADV - Application for Advertisement Consent AMSC - Approval of Matters in Conditions CAAD - Certificate Appropriate Aleternative Dev CLAWU - App. for Cert. of Law Use/Dev (Existing) CLWP - App. for Cert. of Law Use/Dev (Proposed) CONAC - App. for Conservation Area Consent CPD - Council Permitted Dev Consultation FDP - Forest Design Plan Consultation FELLIC - Felling Licence Consultation FGS - Forest Grant Scheme HH - High Hedges HSZCON - App. for Hazardous Substances Consent HYDRO - Hydro Board Consultation LIB - Application for Listed Building Consent MFF - Marine Fish Farm Application MIN - Application for Mineral Consent MPLAN - Masterplan NMA - App. for Non Material Amendment (sec 64) PACSCR - PAC Screening PAN - Proposal of Application Notice PNAGRI - Prior Notification Agriculture PNDEM - Prior Notification Demolition PNELEC - Prior Notification Electricity PNFOR - Prior Notification Forestry PNMFF - Prior Notification Marine Fish Farm PNMRE - Prior Notification Micro Renewable Energy PNRAIL - Railway Works Notification PNTEL - Prior Notification Telecommunications PP - Planning Permission PPP - Planning Permission in Principle PREAPP - Preliminary Enquiry RDCRP - Rural Development Contract S36 - Consultation Electricity Works S37 - Consultation Overhead Line SCOPE - Scoping Opinion SCREEN - Screening Opinion SCRSCO - Screening and Scoping Opinion TELNOT - Telecommunications Notification TPO - Tree Preservation Order
    [Show full text]
  • Aspirational Path Report for A002 Taynuilt to Tyndrum
    Aspirational Path Report for A002 Taynuilt to Tyndrum 1. Proposed Aspirational Path Page 1 of 13 2. Summary of Representations Received Representation Respondent Organisation/ Objection Respondents Respondent Objection Name Group Summery proposed Ref No. withdrawn action Objection Mr J Little UPM Tilhill, Business Delete P018/4 on behalf of Dalmally Woodland Objection Glen Orchy Glen Orchy Privacy & Delete P054 and Innishail and Innishail Security Community Community Council Council (John Kerr) Objection Katherine Privacy & Amend/ P014 Craig Security/ Add section should be Core Path 3. History of Access i. Right of Way Status: None ii. Recorded Access Issues: None iii. History This route was proposed by members of the local community and in 2008 a Feasibility Study was commissioned by the North Argyll Community Trust and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage. Scottish Natural Heritage has since considered this route as part of a feasibility study for a “Pilgrims Way” linking Iona with St Andrews. However neither project has made much progress to date. The most significant issue to solve is that of finding a route through the pass of Brander. Scottish Power Renewables are currently seeking a route for buried cable between Oban and Dalmally and it has been suggested that by combining the two projects it may be possible to deliver the path in the medium term. 4. Site Visit N/A 5. Alternative Route/s N/A 6. Consultation with Objectors & Other Interested Parties i) Houses Loch Awe Village - Path next to houses Davar, Mo Dairach and the Sheiling should be moved higher up the hill. ii) Houses at Tullich - The section of path at Tullich and Anne Lea is too close to these properties iii) Kilchurn Castle to Loch Awe - The section between Loch Awe hotel and Kilchurn Castle should be a core path iv) Forestry - There is concern that core path status will affect the ability of the forestry manager to close the route for health and safety reason.
    [Show full text]
  • Loch Awe (Potentially Vulnerable Area 01/34)
    Loch Awe (Potentially Vulnerable Area 01/34) Local Plan District Local authority Main catchment Highland and Argyll Argyll and Bute Council Etive coastal Summary of flooding impacts Summary of flooding impactsSummary At risk of flooding • 20 residential properties • 30 non-residential properties • £100,000 Annual Average Damages (damages by flood source shown left) Summary of objectives to manage flooding Objectives have been set by SEPA and agreed with flood risk management authorities. These are the aims for managing local flood risk. The objectives have been grouped in three main ways: by reducing risk, avoiding increasing risk or accepting risk by maintaining current levels of management. Objectives Many organisations, such as Scottish Water and energy companies, actively maintain and manage their own assets including their risk from flooding. Where known, these actions are described here. Scottish Natural Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland work with site owners to manage flooding where appropriate at designated environmental and/or cultural heritage sites. These actions are not detailed further in the Flood Risk Management Strategies. Summary of actions to manage flooding The actions below have been selected to manage flood risk. Flood Natural flood New flood Community Property level Site protection protection management warning flood action protection plans scheme/works works groups scheme Actions Flood Natural flood Maintain flood Awareness Surface water Emergency protection management warning raising plan/study plans/response study study Maintain flood Strategic Flood Planning Self help Maintenance protection mapping and forecasting policies scheme modelling 357 Section 2 Highland and Argyll Local Plan District Loch Awe (Potentially Vulnerable Area 01/34) Local Plan District Local authority Main catchment Highland and Argyll Argyll and Bute Council River Awe Background This Potentially Vulnerable Area is The main rivers are the Awe and the located around Loch Awe and includes Orchy.
    [Show full text]
  • Dalmally Responses 2019
    Dalmally Responses 2019 Priority Areas for Improvement: Moving Public Transport Work and Local Housing and Around Economy Community How good is your place? Area wide engagement results using the Place Standard Tool Between May and October 2019, the Community Planning Partnership (CPP) used the Place Standard tool to engage residents in Argyll and Bute on how they feel about the place(s) that they live and work in Argyll and Bute. We are very grateful to all the responses that we received. We hope you find the information easy to understand and of interest to you and your community. We are pleased to see that the thematic areas of Natural Space, Feeling Safe, Identity and Sense of Belonging and Social Contact came out with the highest scores, needing the least improvement, when considering Argyll and Bute as a whole. The engagement has been undertaken at a place-based level and respondents provided their postcode, groupings of postcodes have created the settlement/community level detail. The results are available for community groups and partner agencies to use, for example, to assist with service planning or for community-led action plans. Please note: The information is the views of individuals who responded to the engagement. We trust that the information provided will be viewed within the context of which it is provided. We are grateful to all those who have taken part in the consultation and believe in sharing information for openness and transparency. We appreciate that the documents can be lengthy due to the amount of information and we hope that the format is user-friendly.
    [Show full text]
  • The Macintyres of Letterbaine
    THE MACINTYRES OF LETTERBAINE Alistair K. Macintyre November 2016 1 THE MACINTYRES OF LETTERBAINE Preamble The following account is the fruit of over ten years´ research. Martin L MacIntyre is currently putting the finishing touches to a comprehensive history of the Macintyres1, though from a predominently Glenoe perspective, building on pioneering work done by his father during the 1970s. This history of the Letterbaine Macintyres, the oldest branch of Glenoe to appear in the written record, was put together to augment his ambitious and wide-ranging clan saga. A transcript of this research will appear in his book, though the following gives a fuller picture, and may be of interest to family historians. The lateral spread of the tree – the original of which can be seen online as Macintyre of Letterbaine at Ancestry.com – has taken the author by surprise. The Letterbaine Macintyres have turned out to be well-documented, and many years of sifting through the National Archives for Scotland have brought to light several sub-branches of the family. Hopefully this will give Letterbaine descendents a leg up with their own research. Currently the Fortrose Macintyres are the senior branch, though that could change if the Clenamacrie Macintyres, last heard of during the early nineteenth century, have living descendents. The Kayuga Macintyres in Australia are a well- documented junior line. Basic genealogical information is set out in italics, accompanied by the historical background for each of the main characters, and - where available - excerpts from contemporary correspondence. A dry chronological head-count is seldom fun to read, though the individual players, once placed in their historical niche, become invaluable keys to the general sweep of events - here spanning Scottish history from the 15th to the 19th century.
    [Show full text]
  • Aspirational Path Report for A002 Taynuilt to Tyndrum
    Aspirational Path Report for A002 Taynuilt to Tyndrum 1. Proposed Aspirational Path Page 1 of 19 2. Summary of Representations Received Representation Respondent Organisation/ Objection Respondents Respondent Objection Name Group Summery proposed Ref No. withdrawn action Objection Mr J Little UPM Tilhill, Business Delete P018/4 on behalf of Dalmally Woodland Objection Glen Orchy Glen Orchy Privacy & Delete P054 and Innishail and Innishail Security Community Community Council Council (John Kerr) Objection Katherine Privacy & Amend/ P014 Craig Security/ Add section should be Core Path 3. History of Access i. Right of Way Status: None ii. Recorded Access Issues: None iii. History This route was proposed by members of the local community and in 2008 a Feasibility Study was commissioned by the North Argyll Community Trust and funded by Scottish Natural Heritage. Scottish Natural Heritage has since considered this route as part of a feasibility study for a “Pilgrims Way” linking Iona with St Andrews. However neither project has made much progress to date. The most significant issue to solve is that of finding a route through the pass of Brander. Scottish Power Renewables are currently seeking a route for buried cable between Oban and Dalmally and it has been suggested that by combining the two projects it may be possible to deliver the path in the medium term. 4. Site Visit N/A 5. Alternative Route/s N/A 6. Consultation with Objectors & Other Interested Parties i) Houses Loch Awe Village - Path next to houses Davar, Mo Dairach and the Sheiling should be moved higher up the hill. ii) Houses at Tullich - The section of path at Tullich and Anne Lea is too close to these properties iii) Kilchurn Castle to Loch Awe - The section between Loch Awe hotel and Kilchurn Castle should be a core path iv) Forestry - There is concern that core path status will affect the ability of the forestry manager to close the route for health and safety reason.
    [Show full text]
  • Oban Lorn and the Isles Area Committee
    ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Oban Lorn and the Isles Area Committee Customer Services 10 December 2014 Oban - Dalmally Train Service - School Transport 1.0 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.1 This report provides members with an update on the successful implementation of the enhanced Oban-Dalmally Train service, which has been used to transport pupils living along the Dalmally corridor to Oban High School since the beginning of the school session in August 2014. 1.2 The report details the trial train journeys which took place in June 2014, involving the school pupils who were eligible to travel on by train from August 2014. The trials were completed successfully, without incident, and enabled train and road safety measures to be explained to the pupils. 1.3 The report also reviews the full implementation of the school train transport in August 2014. In addition it outlines the impact on the enhanced service for the general public provided by the extra train journeys. 1.4 Recommendations 1.4.1 Members are asked to note the content of this report. ARGYLL AND BUTE COUNCIL Oban Lorne and the Isles Area Committee Customer Services 10 December 2014 Oban-Dalmally Train Service - School Transport 2.0 INTRODUCTION 2.1 This report provides members with an update on the successful implementation of the enhanced Oban-Dalmally Train service, which has been used to transport pupils living along the Dalmally corridor to Oban High School since the beginning of the school session in August 2014. 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS 3.1 Members are asked to note the content of this report.
    [Show full text]
  • Argyll and Bute
    Appendix 1 . ARGYLL AND BUTE Indicative Regional Spatial Strategy Argyll and Bute Indicative Regional Spatial Strategy Contents 1 Introduction 2 Strategic Overview 3 Tobermory-Oban-Dalmally Growth Corridor 4 Helensburgh and Lomond Growth Area 5 Argyll and Bute Western Seaboard 6 Delivery: Strategic Infrastructure 7 Appendix 1: Contribution to Strategic Outcomes Argyll and Bute Indicative Regional Spatial Strategy 1 Introduction This document is the indicative Regional Spatial Strategy (iRSS) for Argyll and Bute except that area lying within the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park which will have its own iRSS. It has been prepared on a voluntary basis to inform the preparation of the forthcoming Draft National Planning Framework 4. It is without prejudice to the content of the formal Regional Spatial Strategy and the Council’s formal response to Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4). The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019, requires Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS)to be prepared by planning authorities or groups of planning authorities and for these RSS to help inform the national and regional planning priorities which will be set out in NPF4. Detailed regulations prescribing how RSS are to be prepared have not yet been produced by Scottish Government. However there is an expectation that iRSS will be prepared in advance of those regulations, for September 2020, so that their content can help to inform the forthcoming NPF4 and help to shape a national vision for 2050. At the time of writing a draft NPF4 is anticipated during the autumn of 2021. There will be a variety of styles of iRSS and it is anticipated that some other Local Authorities will produce collaborative / joint iRSS.
    [Show full text]
  • River Awe Catchment Summary
    Published October 2010 Argyll and Lochaber area management plan catchment summaries River Awe catchment Introduction The River Awe catchment covers 829 km2 and runs south west from Water of Tulla, through Glen Orchy to Dalmally and further to the south west end of Loch Awe covering the area shown in grey in Map 1. The catchment: contains 28 water bodies, seven of which are heavily modified water bodies (HMWBs); contains/is adjacent to nine water dependent protected areas. Further information on River Awe catchment can be found on the river basin planning interactive map – www.sepa.org.uk/water/river_basin_planning.aspx Map 1: Area covered by River Awe catchment shown in grey Published October 2010 Classification summary Ecological No. WB ID Name WB category status (ES) WBs or potential (EP) High ES 2 100259 Loch Avich Loch 10277 River Avich (d/s Loch Avich) River Good ES 14 100237 Loch Tulla Loch 10271 Loch Awe/Clachandubh River Burn/Socach Burn 10273 Kames River River 10274 Allt Blarghour River 10275 Allt Beochlich River 10278 River Avich (u/s Loch Avich River 10279 Kilchrenan Burn River 10282 Teatle Water River 10286 River Lochy River 10287 Eas a Ghaill River 10289 Allt Tolagan River 10291 Allt Bhreacnais River 10292 Water of Tulla River 150075 Loch Awe and Glenorchy Groundwater Good EP 2 10280 River Awe River (HMWB) 10293 Allt Mhoille River (HMWB) Moderate ES 2 100247 Loch Awe (South) Loch 10290 Abhainn Shira River Moderate EP 2 100340 Loch Awe (North) Loch (HMWB) 10272 Abhainn a Bhealaich River (HMWB) Poor ES 1 10285 River Orchy River Poor EP 1 10276 Abhainn Fionain River (HMWB) Bad ES 2 10270 River Liever River 10284 River Strae River Bad EP 2 10281 Cladich River/Allt an Stacain River (HMWB) 10288 Allt Kinglass River (HMWB) Please note that following discussions with Argyll and Lochaber area advisory group members, it has been agreed that splitting Loch Awe into two separate water bodies is not appropriate so Loch Awe (south) and Loch Awe (north) are shortly due to be merged into one heavily modified water body at moderate ecological potential.
    [Show full text]