YOUR VIEWS: Existing national parks in Scotland are already failing
Re the Strathy online article: “Spotlight falls on the south-west now to add to Cairngorms and Lomond’ abut plans for a third Scottish national park to be established in Galloway and parts of South and East Ayrshire.
If indeed a new national park is to be created, it needs to have a very different constitution and aims than the two existing national parks which have so many failures in their administration.
Unfortunately, the Scottish Government is only interested in national parks as a means of promoting economic development.
We have two failing national parks, we do not need a third.
Gordon Bulloch
Seafield Avenue
Grantown.
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Estate has been shaped by range of differing forces
Correspondent Dick Webster (Letter, Strathy, 7 th November 2024) queries why land use on Alvie & Dalraddy Estates differs from some other land holdings in Badenoch.
We have the advantage of being able to manage for different objectives because of investment by our predecessors.
Since the early 19th Century, poor financial returns from forestry and farming on less productive land in Badenoch resulted in many estates being purchased for field sports (fishing, shooting and deer stalking) rather than producing food, forest or quarry products.
Marginal land was purchased at values well above its ability to generate net income and pay back the capital invested.
Purchasers were wealthy individuals buying for their recreation, or by organisations to entertain customers or politicians who could further their business interests.
Around 1865 Alvie Estate was purchased by Sir John Ramsden, an industrialist from Yorkshire.
On Alvie he erected 23 miles of fences and planted 2,000 acres (800 hectares) of conifer woodland.
He later purchased Ardverikie Estate where he erected 111 miles of fences, dug 473 miles of drains, planted 10,400 acres (4,210 hectares) of woodland, constructed 20 miles of road and 18 new houses.
In 1905 Alvie was purchased by Sir Robert Whitehead.
He rebuilt Alvie House to its present size, installed a hydro-scheme and deer fenced most of Alvie hill ground.
He selectively culled and managed the red deer until by 1920 Alvie had some of the largest red deer in Scotland.
In 1923 Alvie Estate was purchased by Lady Carnarvon who invested in a dairy farm and grouse shooting.
Alec Williamson purchased Alvie estate in 1927 and Dalraddy in 1929, he died in 1930.
His eldest brother was Liberal MP for Moray and Nairn between 1906 and 1922.
The estate was managed by his nephew Gerald Williamson who replanted most of the woodland felled for the war effort.
Gerald’s youngest daughter Jane helped manage the farm along with several land holdings in Glenfeshie.
Gerald’s eldest son Fergus (my father) was involved in developing downhill skiing on Cairngorm, gliding in Glenfeshie, tourism on Alvie and set up Dalraddy Holiday Park in 1968.
Long term investment in income earning activities over several generations is the reason why Alvie & Dalraddy Estates has been able to support my family and around 50 jobs without external private finance.
Today we maintain a diversified land holding generating sufficient financial return to sustain our staff and tenants, but insufficient to justify market values being paid by wealthy individuals or organisations for their recreation or speculation.
Our future depends on how government continues to support the production of goods and services we provide and how our assets are taxed when transferred between generations.
In an uncertain world there is value in our nation being more secure and self-sufficient in the goods and services our nation requires.
If Dick Webster or others are interested in an estate tour to see and discuss how we manage our land holding then they are more than welcome to contact me via email at jamie@alvie-estate.co.uk.
Jamie Williamson
Alvie Estate Office
Kincraig.
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The wind of change...?
Pity no UK politicians have had the courage to point out that wind turbines are not delivering the promised reliable cheap electricity.
Over the last year turbines struggled to deliver a third of our needs whilst gas and nuclear and imports totalling 54.9 per cent kept the lights on. Grid records are showing that for the last seven days unreliable wind only supplied 11.8 per cent of our electricity and unreliable solar 0.8 per cent whereas reliable gas is providing 53.8 per cent and reliable nuclear 15.2 per cent.
The UK also needed 9.2 per cent from the interconnectors.
These revealing generation figures are never mentioned by those in the lucrative wind and solar industries.
Do politicians really believe that unreliable wind and unreliable sun can drive the UK economy?
It will all end in tears.
Clark Cross
Springfield Road
Linlithgow.
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I was so proud to serve
When you serve in a famous Scottish regiment proudly wearing the regimental kilt and trews, you are aware of the rivalry existing with others.
Take the Cameron Highlanders based in their barracks in Inverness and the Seaforth Highlanders at Fort George, Ardesier.
But the rivalry came to an abrupt end when the two were amalgamated and became the Queens Own Scottish Highlanders, proudly wearing the tartan of the two regiments.
We are at the time of the year when the leaves fall gently from the trees and the poppies land on memorial stones as we pay our respects to all those named on them.
As we approached the weekend’s services I came across the following poem which mentions the Camerons and Caberfeidh called ‘The ballad of Wadi Maktilla’, describing the abortive raid by the Camerons on an Eyetie outpost 12 miles east of Sidi Barrani in 1940.
The tune is ‘Villikens and his Dinah’, alias The Old Orange Flute:
Now here is my story, it happened one night
How the Seventy Ninth went into a fight.
They were carried in lorries over bump, rock and cranny,
Backsides so sore on the road to Barrani.
Then we hoofed it along, lads, to Musso’s armed villa,
A stronghold it was, and named Wadi Makilla.
We tiptoed along till we came near our mark,
Not a sound could be heard, all was silent and dark.
Then suddenly the Eyeties let go all they had,
It’s a bloody good job their aiming was bad.
All down on the ground we lay as if dead
While the shells and the whizz-bangs flew over our head.
Some prayed to the Heaven which before they’d forsaken
And feared they had eaten their last tin of bacon,
But the Eyetie felt worse as he lay in his sangar
And fired his gun more in fear than in anger.
Now most of the Camerons, there isn’t a doubt,
Got corns on their knees from the crawling about,
But the blokes who lay flat brought us many a grin
With the most part their bellies being all hackit skin.
When at last we emerged from the unhealthy zone
We got on the trucks and we headed for home.
You can say what you like, you have plenty of scope.
Might think we enjoyed it…? My Christ, what a hope.
Leonard Grassick
Coppice Court
Grantown.
