Happy New Year
NEW YEAR is traditionally a time for reflection, of looking back to times past. Personally, I prefer to look forward – this year, I reckon that’s true more than ever.
Whether physically or emotionally, the Covid-19 pandemic has taken a toll on us all. Few will be sorry to see the back of 2020.
We’re not through it yet, but as the shortest day passes, spring is on the horizon along with some hope.
Recently, I was offered the role of President of the Scottish Campaign for National Parks. It’s an honorary position and I was delighted to accept as it’s a cause close to my heart.
Regular readers will know that I believe Scotland should have many more National Parks. That the birthplace of John Muir, the movement’s founder, has just two is a source of shame.
I live within Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park – and I’ve never appreciated it quite as much as in the last year. The lockdown restrictions on movement and working from home have made me realise how lucky
I am to live in such a beautiful place – as seen in the photo of Loch Lomond above.
Areas like National Parks have become even more important during the pandemic as thousands have discovered a new appreciation for the natural world.
With limited leisure opportunities and the economy shut down, people flocked to our parks to escape.
It was a chance for many to connect with nature in a way they never had before. The physical and mental health benefits would have been enormous.
Of course, unprecedented numbers of visitors also brought challenges – huge volumes of traffic and a minority who displayed anti-social behaviour, leaving vast amounts of litter.
I asked the chief executives of our two parks – Grant Moir in Cairngorms and Gordon Watson at Loch Lomond – to tell us just how vital these places are and how they coped with the challenges of 2020. The fascinating article can be found on p110.