Rural protection

The irony of ca me ronmc ne ish complaining about the popularity of Munro bagging (Scotsman, 30 September) is just one example of the dilemma facing the Highlands and Islands generally. Popularise a location and it becomes overcrowded and degraded. There are many examples – Skye is over-run in season; traffic on the North Coast 500 obstructs locals going about their business and can turn an emergency into a crisis; Hebridean ferries can be too fully booked to have space for emergency vehicles; photographic hotspots can become trampled by happy snappers; and providing car parks in popular places exacerbates the problem.

The initiatives that create these situations are often those of public bodies. Visitscotland, local authorities, Scottish Natural Heritage, the National Trust for Scotland, the Woodland Trust, the campaign for National Parks, and others, together with guide books extolling the must-see places, best viewpoints, and top beaches, may all intend to serve the interests of tourists and promote the well-being of remote communities, but the unforeseen consequences of attracting much traffic and many people are inevitable.

Is anyone addressing the problem of balancing economicgain for rural areas with the conservation of their visitor assets? Are there realistic prospects of achieving such a

balance? Landscape and heritage are Scotland’s unrivalled attractions but they are in danger of being despoiled.

GEOFF MILLER Glebe Cottage, Newtyle,

Blairgowrie