Glen Affric in the Highlands has joined more than 10 rivals in bidding to gain the new status – and the benefits that go with it
Glen Affric in the Highlands is home to deer, ospreys, otters and one of Scotland’s largest Caledonian pine woods. Often described as one of the country’s most beautiful glens, its scenic landscapes and diverse wildlife are such that it is protected as a national nature reserve.
Now, local community groups have launched a bid for it to become Scotland’s third national park, in a race which has so far seen more than 10 other areas also submit their interest.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
The latest bid, submitted by Strathglass community council and supported by a number of local groups, proposes an Affric and Loch Ness national park that would encompass a portion of Loch Ness as well as Glen Affric, stretching from the Dundreggan rewilding centre to the south, mountainous Kintail to the west and the historic village of Beauly to the east.
Steve Micklewright, the chief executive of the rewilding charity Trees For Life, which is supporting the bid, said it could bring significant environmental benefits to the area.
Other areas to have submitted expressions of interest include Galloway and the Scottish borders in the south, Tay Forest in Perth and Kinross, Lochaber in the west Highlands and the Inner Hebridean islands of Skye and Raasay.
Scotland currently has two national parks: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, which stretches from close to Glasgow to the southern Highlands, and the north-east mountain range of the Cairngorms.
Home to a diverse mix of hills, moors, pastures and coastline, supporters hope the status would boost the area’s struggling land-based industries and local economy.
Its neighbouring island of Raasay enjoys similar landscapes, while also being known for the first legal Scottish distillery and as the birthplace of celebrated poet Sorley MacLean.
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