YOUR VIEWS: No need for such massive support from taxpayer for tree planting
The Williamson family have owned the Alvie estate near Aviemore for longer than the lifetimes of any of your readers.
Successful businesses have been run on this estate for decades.
So the time for other estate owners, as well as public bodies, to pay attention to the messages from Alvie is long overdue (Strathy 8 Dec, 2022).
The authoritative scientific research referenced by Jamie Williamson in his many contributions to the Strathy, along with the expert opinions of people like Basil Dunlop and the late Dick Balharry and Adam Watson, should no longer be ignored.
First of all the RSPB and Nature Scot need to question why they are spending huge sums of money, raised from taxpayers, volunteer contributions and charitable funds, to send excavators and other machinery to the high tops to re-profile blanket bogs.
Montane engineering is not needed when the first priority should be to stop overgrazing and to block previously constructed drains both on Abernethy and elsewhere.
The RSPB have even used helicopters and tracked vehicles to transport people and equipment to remote locations in the Cairngorms to do this blanket bog work – what a misuse of fossil fuels when cooperation with neighbours over deer control and drain blocking would achieve far better outcomes.
Further time, effort and money is being spent by the RSPB when planting willow saplings in Glen Avon, one of the wildest parts of the national park and the last place where planting is needed.
Evidence from elsewhere in the Cairngorms has demonstrated that willow species will regenerate far faster than anyone had previously realised, once grazing pressures are eased.
But two visits by the RSPB’s chief executive from their headquarters in Cambridgeshire led to instructions to start planting as he did not have the patience to allow nature to do the job at an ecologically sensible pace.
Elsewhere we have absurd amounts of public money being wasted by the Scottish Government through their forestry grants scheme.
BrewDog are reported to be receiving a grant of over £1 million for deer fencing and planting on their Kinrara estate when there is plenty of natural regeneration on their land which is capable of restoring the forest, provided that burning and grazing is properly controlled.
On Ralia estate the new owners, Standard Life Investments Property Income Trust, have also welcomed the massive forestry grant they can expect for fencing and planting in an area where the adjacent owner, Wildland Ltd, has demonstrated that deer control, not fencing, is all that is needed to restore the forest.
SLIPIT and every other investment manager between Edinburgh and Singapore and beyond do not require any of these grants – the carbon market alone is sufficient to drive ecological investment on Scottish land, providing it is properly regulated.
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Effective control of burning and grazing can secure ecological restoration across much of Badenoch and Strathspey.
This includes the vast tract of land between Kingussie and Laggan, all of which is reportedly owned either by the Qatari royal family or the chief executive of a Middle East oil company.
None of these people have the experience to manage Highland estates when compared to traditional owners like Alvie.
Public money should only be spent on these estates for the employment of more deer stalkers, with a prohibition on the erection of any more deer fences.
Organisations like the RSPB, Nature Scot and Scottish Forestry should be told by Scottish Government ministers to stop wasting public money on unnecessary projects.
New tree planting should only be taking place on ground already in regular cultivation, with low organic soil content, leaving nature to do the rest in the hills, helped by the proper control of fire and the grazing animal.
Dave Morris
Glen Road
Newtonmore.
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Special Christmas visitor to Aviemore
Re the online article ‘Jane McDonald gives the strath a big hug for a seasonal special’. What an amazing experience for the Aviemore Primary School children.
Jane will make them feel so part of her Christmas show.
She is such an inspiration to whoever she meets.
This will be the best Christmas show on TV and Jane will give us something to look forward to in these hard times.
She has that charisma halo that even just her smile can bring so much joy.
Christine Bishop
Norwich.
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Ban on parking up by loch should be ended
Earlier this year temporary parking restrictions were put in place alongside the road at Loch Morlich to allow Highland Council to improve the parking.
After an objection from Dr Gus Jones all work was stopped, and the cones left in place to litter this National Scenic Area (NSA) and are causing major parking problems at busy times.
Readers might remember Dr Jones objecting to the building of the Old Logging Way which was mostly built through an environmentally protected area.
The route has now become one of the busiest paths in the Cairngorms National Park and taken many bikers and walkers off the Glenmore Road, thus increasing safety.
Cars have been parking off the road at Loch Morlich for the last 50 plus years and brought a lot of income into businesses in this area. I cannot remember the last traffic accident here.
I have recently heard that legal action is being taken to stop parking by the roadside at Loch Morlich.
I do not know the reason, but I am sure the conservationists are involved, although this area has no environmental designations apart from being an NSA.
The Road Traffic Act 1988 states that – It is not an offence to drive a motor vehicle on land within 15 yards of a road for the purposes of parking a vehicle. The council cannot unilaterally decide otherwise.
I re-emphasise there are no conservation designations, SiteLink (nature.scot) refers.
It seems strange that Forestry and Land Scotland carried out maintenance work on their car parks using the same techniques as Highland Council, only last year.
If the local authority lose the legal action, it would seem that the FLS car parks would have to close as well.
That would really cause a parking crisis in the Glenmore area.
Highland Council has not taken any action under the Road Traffic Act to authorise any parking restrictions and the cones should be removed pending the outcome of any legal action.
There is a white line each side of the road meaning no stopping.
The cones seem to be indicating that there is no parking on the road.
Parking off the road behind the cones could be legal. If Highland Council wishes to change the speed limit, they have had enough time to put in a permanent change and get rid of the untidy speed limit signs, that frequently blow over or the plastic bags blow off the permanent signs.
Finally, I am pleased to see the dangerous boulders have been removed by the Glenmore beach car park.
Ray Sefton
Craig na Gower Avenue
Aviemore.
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What next excuse for dualling the A9.... the price of fish?
Grant Fraser’s attack in the Strathy on the ‘ill informed activists with their self righteous and harmful comments’ about the lack of progress on the A9 is as ill judged as it is unfair.
No one doubts that, as he says, the A9 will be dualled one day; the issue is how long after the previously trumpeted SNP target of completion by 2025 that will achieved.
Without hazarding a guess on the final completion date, which he argues has been adversely affected by Covid, Brexit and the UK government (and probably the price of fish) he urges us to to support the ‘fully informed and elected people working to complete the task’ , by which he presumably means the SNP government.
But that’s the same lot who are struggling to build two ferries in a time longer than it took to build the Titanic and her sister ship; whose new hospitals in the Central Belt are beset with structural problems and rising waiting lists; whose education policies are manifestly failing; who have been criticised by the independent UK Statistics Authority for misuse of statistics on its climate change record and wind energy; who delayed the 2021 Census with adverse consequences, and are preoccupied with centralising care services, independence and gender identity.
That record hardly inspires confidence in the Scottish Government’s competence in delivering anything on budget and on time – so any promises for a completion date for A9 dualling beyond 2025 should be regarded with extreme scepticism.
But we live in hope if not expectation and wish more power to Fergus Ewing’s efforts to get a commitment to a realistic early completion date.
Peter Mackay
Dunachton Road
Kincraig.
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Short-term let control zone is short-sighted
I DO believe the proposal for a short term let control area for the entire strath is short-sighted and feel this should have waited (Short-term let control area moving forward for Badenoch and Strathspey, Strathy online, Monday December 12). Whilst seeing this may help people get onto the housing ladder all we see as a holiday let owner is this knocking owners and tourism trying to get over Covid.
House prices dropping with so many coming onto the market and higher cost for owners trying to get planning which will again affect the cost of holidays.
We bring tourism and accommodation to many businesses to what could just be a empty house in a very small lovely village as well as employment for locals.
Neil Watson
Dalwhinnie.
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King Coal is a global player on world stage
Since Michael Gove gave the go ahead for a new coal mine in Cumbria the green brigade have never stopped moaning. Reality check.
China has 1110 coal-fired plants, India 285, Japan 91, Indonesia 84, Russia 72, Germany 63 and Poland 44.
Countries are building 1800 new coal-fired plants making 8500 worldwide.
Does that look like a commitment to reduce greenhouse gases?
Old King Coal is back to power the planet.
PS 11,000 wind turbines at this moment are providing 9.2 per cent of our electricity.
Clark Cross
Springfield Road
Linlithgow.
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Gauging the impact of soaring costs for farmers and crofters
NFU Scotland’s latest intentions survey for farmers and crofters opened yesterday as the union seeks to assess the scale of change that unprecedented input costs and flat-lining output prices are having on business plans.
The survey is available at: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NFUSintentionsurvey with all those taking part being entered into a free draw for a hamper of Scottish food valued at £200.
Concrete evidence on the business intentions of the Scottish farming industry will accurately illustrate the current challenges facing farmers and crofters and how that will impact on their plans for the coming year.
It will also indicate the ramifications for the wider food supply chain and the nation’s food security.
The survey, which closes on 10 January 2023, will be used by NFU Scotland when lobbying UK Government, Scottish Government and officials.
It will also add significant and irrefutable weight to lobbying efforts with retailers on the need for fairer pricing and greater equity in supply chains.
This intention survey will also provide invaluable information for both the Livestock and Less Favoured Areas committees as we gather evidence on a multitude of issues and the depth of their impact on the industry.
Moreover, the regional breakdown will give clear insight into specific issues faced by remote areas.
It is crucial that we have the evidence to highlight future intentions of farmers and crofters across Scotland and their ability to continue to deliver high quality of food.
Lisa Hislop
Policy Advisor for Livestock and LFA,
NFU Scotland
Rural Centre
West Mains
Ingliston.
