Human Environments 3

RURAL: UPLAND

Higher
Geography

Rural: Upland

In relation to rural land conflicts in a Glacial Landscape (Loch Lomond)

1. Conflicts

2. Management Strategies

1. Conflicts

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1. Forestry

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Description: Large areas / plantations of non-native species (Spruce) spoils the scenic environment.

Solution: Planting natural species of trees to encourage wildlife – Great Trossachs Forest Project.

Effectiveness: The project will take a very long time - 200 year to complete. Cutting down the old trees will make it less active in the short term

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2. Hill Walking

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Hill Walking - Footpath Erosion

Description: Walkers can go off paths widening them and causing damage to the plants.

Solution: They can also damage fences / walls if they try to climb over them.Footpaths have been improved by laying local stones, for example at Ben A’an.

Effectiveness: This is expensive at a cost of over £2 million.
The local stone blend in with the surroundings enhancing the landscape.

Hill Walking – Littering

Description: Litter can cause animals to choke and die if they try to eat it.

Solution: Removing bins from the rural areas as its difficult to empty them and encouraging people to take their litter home.

Effectiveness: People are not always willing to put litter in their own bags, so can mean some more litter is dropped. Encourages recycling of rubbish.

Hill Walking - Dogs

Description: Walkers can leave gates open allowing animals to escape.
Dogs can chase and worry sheep causing them to miscarry or even kill them.

Solution: Signs and warnings can try to prevent this and owners can be prosecuted. Kissing gates / spring gates can be installed to prevent gates being left open.

3. Water Supply

Description: Sheep dropping on hills around Loch Katrine cause a stomach bug (Cryptosporidium) for people in Glasgow in 2000.

Solution: Sheep are no longer allowed to graze on the slope around Loch Katrine to prevent contamination of drinking water. SS Sir Walter Scott now runs on biofuel to reduce / prevent pollution.

Effectiveness: Water quality has improved with no further outbreaks.

4. Camping – Anti Social Behaviour 

Description: Anti-social behaviour, starting fires and leaving lots of litter behind, from people camping on East side of Loch Lomond.

Solution: Wild camping now banned in large areas of Loch Lomond National park, between March and October.
Rangers trained as community support for Police and able to give out fixed penalties for littering.

Effectiveness: 81% reduction in anti social crimes recorded in East side of Loch Lomond between April – September.
Increased use of organised Camp sites generating more money for National Park.

5. Water Sports

Description: Speed boats can create a wake which can disrupt and annoy (even dangerous) to other water users i.e. Kayakers & Swimmers.
The wake can damage the shoreline and the nests of certain birds.

Solution: Speed limit of 7 mph in Loch Lomond for certain areas to reduce damage to beach erosion. (Within 150 meters of shoreline and to area near Balmaha)

Effectiveness: Speed limit to within 150m of shoreline to protect swimmers and nesting birds.
Also around Balmaha as this is a National Nature reserve for birds.

6. Traffic Congestion

Description: Narrow rural road are unable to cope with large numbers of Tourists (A82). Increases air and noise pollution.

Solution: Using farmer fields to park cars can reduce on street parking. As can improved public transport.

Effectiveness: Limited success as people prefer the freedom of their own car and services can be infrequent.