GUEST ARTICLE
The Cairngorms:
Through the Eyes of an Ecologist
By Charles Gimingham
By the time this article appears, the long-awaited National Park for the Cairngorms will be a reality. Although the final Designation Order is likely to leave many people unhappy with aspects of the Park boundaries and planning powers, it will generally be warmly welcomed. For it to be successful, however, a very clear perception is needed of why it is such a special place, and what the Park should hope to achieve.
Everyone has their own reasons for regarding the Cairngorms as special; its 'wilderness quality', its magnificent scenery, its wildlife, opportunities for mountaineering, hill walking, skiing and field sports. For some it is their home and source of livelihood, for others it is magical place to visit. I want to suggest that it also has a very special ecological character.
In part this derives from the sheer extent of the high plateau - the largest continuous area of arctic-alpine, tundra-like habitats in the British Isles. But equally significant is the great diversity of habitats extending from the high ground to lower altitudes - the heather moors, grassy slopes, peat bogs, marshes, lochs, mountain streams draining into major rivers, and last but not least the splendid remnants of the once widespread Caledonian pine forest. Therefore the mountain core cannot be divorced from its surrounding slopes, valleys and lowlands, all of which add up to a distinctive whole. The component habitats contribute to the support of a rich assemblage of mountain flowers, rare birds like dotterel and Scottish crossbill, insects and other animals - some of economic importance such as deer and grouse. The scope for study of the complex interactions between these and their often-inhospitable environment is wide, leading on to possibilities for uncovering the effects of atmospheric pollution and global warming.
The landscape and wildlife bear strong links to counterparts' in Scandinavia, but the character of the Cairngorms, which owes much to the effects on climate of the nearby north Atlantic, is unique. It is also moulded by human influence, except perhaps at the highest summits. Removal of trees, planting of crops, management of moors and grasslands for domestic stock and deer and commercial afforestation have created "cultural landscapes" - wide vistas of moorland on the hills, patchworks of cultivated land in the glens and valleys, dense blocks of conifers on some of the slopes. This history of land use is a vital element of the whole picture.
What is needed is integrated management, for the benefit not only of the environment but also of local residents and visitors. If we ask 'What has been going wrong?' the answer inevitably points to the lack, hitherto, of any sort of integrated management plan. From very early days, extensive destruction of the native forests has seriously reduced diversity, flora and fauna, continuing into historical and recent times. Concentration over quite large areas on just one or two types of land use, whether agriculture, commercial forestry, field sports or tourism, by landowners or public and private agencies, has replaced diversity by uniformity. This has been exacerbated by generations of overgrazing of the hills by sheep and/or deer. As a result, mosaics of heathland, grassland, woods and scrub have given place to tree-less moors or peatlands and scars in the landscape have been caused by the proliferation of bulldozed hill tracks in the interests of estate management.
Conflicts have arisen between the advocates of different types of land use; and amongst conservationists over nature and landscape. This has been especially evident when new development or extensions of facilities for skiing or tourism have been proposed (e.g. the funicular railway on Cairn Gorm). Decisions made in the absence of an agreed strategy have often taken little account of environmental conservation, and ignored the fact that in the Cairngorms much of the natural heritage is too valuable for damage or loss to be affordable. Development control has been in the hands of several local councils, rather than a single authority, and as a result they have tended to be ineffective in resolving disputes. It has been evident to visitors from abroad that little attention has been paid to ecological principles, and that this magnificent region has lacked sufficient protection.
What then of a vision for the future? The new National Park will need to secure the goodwill and support of local communities, while promoting national interests. Effective representation and participation of all groups in drawing up and implementing an integrated Park Plan will be essential. The Plan must be robust, not because it is imposed from above, but because it is widely accepted as of real advantage to the whole area. Its aim must be one of sustainable development in the context of conservation of both natural and cultural heritage. It should be based on ecological principles because it needs to secure the ecological health of the area for the benefit of our own and future generations. It should seek to redress the imbalances inherited from the past, restoring diversity and promoting the best in land management. It has to safeguard and manage a priceless asset, and can only achieve this if the needs of those who live in the area and manage the land, as well as of those who visit for refreshment and enjoyment, are satisfied without jeopardising its future.
SAFETY & TRAINING NEWS
First Aid Course
For Hillwalkers and Climbers
8th & 9th November 2003
Based at Mill Cottage, Glen Feshie, the MCofS is running a two-day outdoor first aid course for members. The course will be run by Alan Crichton who is a qualified first aid instructor and director of “First Aid Matters”. The cost is £75 per person and this includes two nights self-catering accommodation at Mill Cottage. It does not include your food. You need a sleeping bag.
Accommodation is available at Mill Cottage on the nights of Friday 7th and Saturday 8th November. The course starts at 9am on Saturday and finishes at 5pm on Sunday.
To book your place, please complete the form below and send it to the MCofS Office with a £75 cheque made payable to MCofS (further copies can be obtained from the MCofS Office). Places are issued on a first come - first served” basis.
Booking form not reproduced here
NAVIGATION COURSES
“Brush up on your navigation skills”
October 2003
These highly popular courses are designed for folk with limited navigation experience and are open to MCof S members and the general public. They are run in local areas to encourage participation by people who might not otherwise develop their navigational abilities. So, if you want to increase your confidence in finding your way on the hill and learn the skills of map reading and compass bearings, these courses are for you. The one-day courses are being run by the MCofS S in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Dundee. The day begins with an introduction to the theory followed by a practical hill session in the afternoon.
The course costs £25 per person and the dates are as follows:-
- Edinburgh 11thOctober
- Glasgow 18th October
- Dundee 25thOctober
For more information please contact the MCofS Office
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