Scottish Natural Heritage Scottish Nature Omnibus Survey August 2019 The general public’s perceptions of Scotland’s National Nature Reserves Published: December 2019 People and Places Scottish Natural Heritage Great Glen House Leachkin Road Inverness IV3 8NW For further information please contact [email protected] 1. Introduction The Scottish Nature Omnibus (SNO) is a survey of the adult population in Scotland which now runs on a biennial basis. It was first commissioned by SNH in 2009 to measure the extent to which the general public is engaged with SNH and its work. Seventeen separate waves of research have been undertaken since 2009, each one based on interviews with a representative sample of around 1,000 adults living in Scotland; interviews with a booster sample of around 100 adults from ethnic minority groups are also undertaken in each survey wave to enable us to report separately on this audience. The SNO includes a number of questions about the public’s awareness of and visits to National Nature Reserves (see Appendix). This paper summarises the most recent findings from these questions (August 2019), presenting them alongside the findings from previous waves of research. Please note that between 2009 and 2015 the SNO was undertaken using a face to face interview methodology. In 2017, the survey switched to an on-line interview methodology, with respondents sourced from members of the public who had agreed to be part of a survey panel. While the respondent profile and most question wording remained the same, it should be borne in mind when comparing the 2017 and 2019 findings with data from previous years that there may be differences in behaviour between people responding to a face to face survey and those taking part in an online survey that can impact on results. For example, the presence of an interviewer in a face to face survey may result in some respondents giving what they perceive to be socially-acceptable answers; while this risk may be reduced in an on-line survey, there is no interviewer present to probe respondent answers which might be difficult to interpret or to clarify survey questions which respondents may have found difficult to understand. 2. Summary of main findings In 2019, 41% of respondents said they’d heard of NNRs and 28% said they recognised the NNR logo. These levels of awareness are very similar to those reported when the survey was last undertaken in 2017, but lower than in earlier waves of the research. When prompted with an NNR map and a list of NNR names, 54% of respondents in 2019 claimed to have visited an NNR in the last 12 months, up from 40% in 2017. The proportion of respondents reporting NNR visits in 2019 and 2017 is higher than in any of the earlier waves of research. In 2019, the Loch Lomond, Glencoe and Loch Leven NNRs were mentioned most frequently by respondents as reserves they had visited in the last 12 months. Please note, however, that these findings will reflect to some extent the geographical location of individual respondents (where they live) as well as their awareness of the exact location and boundary of each NNR. In some locations (e.g. Loch Lomond), respondents may be mis-reporting visits to the general area as a visit to the NNR. 3. Detailed research findings 3.1 NNR awareness In 2019, 41% of respondents said they had heard of National Nature Reserves, similar to the proportion reported when the survey was last undertaken in 2017 (42%). As shown in Figure 1, NNR awareness is lower in the most recent waves of research (2019 and 2017) than in any previous wave. While these findings may reflect a real decrease in public awareness of NNRs, it is possible that the change to an on-line survey methodology in 2017 has had some impact; respondents participating in the more recent on-line surveys may, for instance, have felt more comfortable about reporting a lack of NNR awareness than those taking part in earlier face to face interviews. There were relatively few differences in NNR awareness across population groups in 2019, although awareness remains higher among older people (aged 65 and over) and more affluent people and is lowest among those who are unemployed. Figure 1: Proportion of adults in Scotland who have heard of NNRs 100 90 80 70 60 67 69 67 69 69 67 66 62 62 62 50 58 57 55 51 40 41 42 30 % All % All respondents 20 10 0 2019 2017 2015 2014 2013 2013 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 2010 2009 2009 (Aug) (Aug) (Aug) (Aug) (Sep) (Feb) (Sep) (Feb) (Sep) (Mar) (Dec) (Sep) (Jun) (Mar) (Dec) (Sep) Source: SNO, Question 6a When shown a copy of the NNR logo, 28% of respondents in 2019 said that they recognised it, similar to the proportion reported in 2017 (29%). As shown in Figure 2, awareness of the NNR logo is also lower in the two most recent waves of research than in most previous waves. There were relatively few differences in NNR logo awareness across population groups in 2019: men, members of the BME population and people living in small towns or rural areas were more likely to recognise the logo; people who were unemployed or not working had lower levels of awareness. Figure 2: Proportion of adults in Scotland who recognise the NNR logo 100 90 80 70 60 50 54 57 49 40 45 44 45 46 45 40 43 42 43 30 38 % All % All respondents 28 29 28 20 24 10 0 2019 2017 2015 2014 2013 2013 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 2010 2009 2009 2009 (Aug) (Aug) (Aug) (Aug) (Sep) (Feb) (Sep) (Feb) (Sep) (Mar) (Dec) (Sep) (Jun) (Mar) (Dec) (Sep) (Jun) Source: SNO, Question 6b 3.2 Visits to NNRs in the last 12 months Respondents were next shown an NNR map and a list of NNR names and asked which reserves they had visited in the last 12 months. Fifty four per cent of respondents said they had visited at least one NNR in the last year, up from 40% in 2017. As shown in Figure 3, the proportion of respondents reporting visits to NNRs in 2019 and 2017 is higher than in any previous wave of research. The 2019 ‘visits’ estimate may seem surprising given that only 41% of respondents had previously claimed to be aware of NNRs. In interpreting this finding we should bear in mind that the change to an on-line survey methodology in 2017 may also have had some impact on this question. Respondents participating in the more recent on-line surveys may, for instance, have taken more time to examine the NNR map than those participating in earlier face to face interviews. It’s also possible that some of those examining the map may be mis-reporting visits made to the wider area as a visit to an NNR (we know from previous waves of research that there is confusion among some respondents about the extent of NNR boundaries, in particular, in the Loch Lomond area). Figure 3: Proportion of adults in Scotland who have visited an NNR in the last 12 months 100 90 80 70 60 50 54 40 40 39 30 37 35 38 % All % All respondents 20 26 25 20 20 23 10 17 18 16 16 0 2019 2017 2015 2014 2013 2013 2012 2012 2011 2011 2010 2010 2010 2010 2009 (Aug) (Aug) (Aug) (Aug) (Sep) (Feb) (Sep) (Feb) (Sep) (Mar) (Dec) (Sep) (Jun) (Mar) (Dec) Source: SNO, Question 6c As shown in Figure 4, below, 23% of respondents in 2019 had visited only one NNR in the last 12 months compared to 32% who had visited more than one. Most of those visiting an NNR had visited a spotlight reserve1 (44% of all respondents). Younger respondents (aged 16-24), students, members of the BME population and people living in small towns or rural areas were more likely to have visited an NNR in the last 12 months. Older people (age 55 plus), retired people and those in the DE social grade were less likely to have done so. 1 Spotlight NNRs meet a set of advanced standards for visitor management, visitor experience and opportunities for learning and volunteering. Figure 4: Number of NNRs visited in the last 12 months 100 90 80 70 60 50 54 40 44 46 30 % All % All rspondents 20 23 10 13 8 11 0 At least 1 1 visited 2 visited 3 visited More than 3 Spotlight None visited visited visited NNR visited Source: SNO, Question 6c The number of respondents in 2019 claiming to have visited individual NNRs in the last 12 months is shown in Table 1, below. Please note that these findings will reflect to some extent the geographical location of individual respondents (where they live) as well as their awareness of the exact location and boundary of each NNR. In 2019, the Loch Lomond, Glencoe and Loch Leven NNRs were mentioned most frequently by respondents as reserves they had visited in the last 12 months. The numbers of respondents who reported visiting some of the remoter reserves are relatively low, with accessibility likely to be an influencing factor. Table 1: Number of respondents visiting individual NNRs in the last 12 months National Nature Reserve Nos. respondents visiting each NNR in last 12 months (Bae: 1,101 respondents) Northern Isles Hermaness 7 Noss 2 Western Isles St Kilda 16 Highland and Skye Knockan Crag 9 Loch Fleet 15 Corrieshalloch Gorge 18 Ben Wyvis 29 Beinn Eighe and Loch Maree Islands 21 Glen Affric 29 Craigellachie 26 Abernethy 43 Insh Marshes 17 Invereshie & Inshriach 12 Glenmore 48 Creag Meagaidh 7 Rum 12 Glen Roy 17 Ariundle Oakwood 12 Glencoe 164 Forsinard Flows (referred to as The Flows on the NNR map) 12 Grampian Highlands Forvie 16 Muir of Dinnet 18 Glen Tanar 21 Table 1 cont.