UKC

If you are a Are an NTS member or even if you are not please check out this blog post regarding their management of the Mar Estate http://theuplandofmar.squarespace.com/achieving-best-practice/

I'm no wildernista but the wanton disregard shown for one of our most precious natural places, and one in public (ish) ownership is not good enough.

Also, please check out the rest of the blog it is a treasure trove of great information about the lands of Mar.

In reply to nickyrannoch: unfortunately, the text element of the blogpost appears to be broken, and all I'm left with is some pictures of what looks like fairly normal practice - fencing and forestry operations. I don't know enough to be able to comment further. Is there any other context about the management of this area I can read?

In reply to toad:

Hmmm link works fine for me the home page is here http://theuplandofmar.squarespace.com/ if you go to the photos section there you will get the piece I am trying to link to and there is a blog entry from the author here http://theuplandofmar.squarespace.com/joe-blogs/curse-of-the-self-perpetuat...

Just stumbled across this last night so have no knowledge of the author and no axe to grind. On the face it I think it does just look like ordinary fencing and forestry and were it in a commercial forestry operation i wouldnt have (as much of) a problem. I realise that NTS do have to undertake some commercial forestry work but insensitive nature of the work, the damage to the Scots Pine in the area and the illegal dump were what really astounded me.

In reply to nickyrannoch:
I couldn't get to your second link, but it seems ok now...
On the face of it, it looks like he doesn't want any active management. The dump seems a bit naughty, agreed, but I suspect it's not a strategic decision. As for the rest of it, it looks like ephemeral disturbance. You can't really fence/ fell without tractors, and they make a mess - if you want to keep using the same routes, they'd need upgrading, but my suspicion (and again - I know very little about this area) is that it was an in and out, and the rutting will recover over time - I've seen far worse mess in English SSSIs before now and have seen them recover just fine.

Anyway, idle speculation - My suspicion is the author has an axe to grind

In reply to toad:



I would suspect that too. The "I discovered a loo at Corrour" adds to the suspicion. It was hardly a secret, or a controversial thing to do.

In reply to MG:

I must say i was wholly glad to make use of the loo at Corrour and seemd a very pragmatic solution to the alternative of many people burying their waste (and probably some not doing so) around a very popular bothy.

In reply to MG:
I'd agree too that the author seems to have an axe to grind.

No evidence that NTS is responsible for the dump - it could be flytipping.

If he thinks that area was 'wild land' (under his definition) to begin with, he's mistaken - there's been human modification of that landscape over the centuries (and in fact NTS have been undertaking remedial work on some of the high-altitude vehicle hill tracks on the estate, thus improving the 'wild quality').

In reply to inboard: Also, some 200 Canadian soldiers spent the war there sawing wood. I am sure they were careful to ensure they left nothing of their residence there. Actually I am not as I played in the remains of their sawmill as a kid.

In reply to duckman: Great place to play as a kid, too. Have many very happy memories of those days.