Scottish Coastal Path
The final item of business is a members' business debate on motion S3M-3095, in the name of Alasdair Morgan, on a Scottish coastal path. The debate will be concluded without any question being put.
Motion debated,
That the Parliament welcomes the development of core path networks, which it believes can make a major contribution to both encouraging healthy exercise and attracting tourists to Scotland, and particularly welcomes those in the South of Scotland; considers that coastal paths have a particular attractiveness because of the beauty of Scotland's coastline; further considers that long-distance paths have a particular role to play in attracting walkers to undertake at least part of the journey along such paths; congratulates those councils that have already created and marked paths along all or part of their coastlines, and believes that the creation of a Scottish coastal path, marked and marketed as such, would be a worthwhile long-term objective and would provide a national asset.
I am grateful for the opportunity to speak in this debate on a Scottish coastal path. I thank the members who signed the motion and the members of the public who have e-mailed me since the idea received publicity earlier this week. I welcome Michael Russell to what must be one of his last official actions as an environment minister and I congratulate him on his new appointment; I also welcome his successor, who would have spoken in the debate but for her elevation.
Paths tie into many aspects of Government policy. Their existence encourages people to get out and exercise more and to see the beauties of our countryside. Visitors are encouraged to come to Scotland for the same reasons. Hence, paths contribute significantly to our economy.
Coastal paths have a particular attraction for many people. The contrast between land and the ever-changing sea, the variety of wildlife habitats, and the townscapes of the villages, ports and towns through which the paths pass make for a substantial and stimulating walking experience.
Long-distance paths are significant, not only in Scotland but throughout the world. They have a particular draw. Some people want to walk the entire length of a path; others are attracted to walking just a few miles, simply to say that they have been on that long-distance path. In Scotland, we have four, largely inland, long-distance paths. The longest coastal path in the United Kingdom is the south-west coast path, which mostly runs through Devon and Cornwall and is 630 miles long. France has a network of grandes randonnées and some countries have very long paths. One such path is the Appalachian trail in the United States, which is more than 2,000 miles long. A coastal path in Scotland would be longer than that.
A little while ago, the minister kindly got his officials to do a desk exercise for me, to try to establish how many paths there are along the coastline of Scotland. It was surprising to learn how many there are. The Fife coastal path is complete, if one starts at the Forth road bridge, and there are complete paths in Moray and Inverclyde. Edinburgh's path is complete, if one uses streets, and a project is under way to develop a waterfront promenade. Many other areas have partial coverage. I am sure that members will correct me if I have missed any, but the fact that it is possible to do so perhaps makes my point.
To complete the jigsaw would be a significant undertaking. Some local authorities face particular challenges—I am thinking in particular of Highland Council and Argyll and Bute Council, whose areas have very long coastlines. Decisions have to be made about which estuaries to go round and which to cross, and about whether ferry journeys may be included as part of the path, as they are for some Norwegian paths. There is a project to develop a North Sea trail, linking countries with a North Sea coast such as Norway, Germany and Scotland. The Scottish coastal path would be a logical extension of that.
If all the gaps could eventually be filled in and all the existing paths, plus the missing bits, branded and marketed as a single entity—the Scottish coastal path—we would have a tremendous asset to sell to our own people and to visitors. It would open up some of our most attractive scenic areas so that the public could enjoy them responsibly. Individual paths do not need to lose their identities. For example, the Moray coastal path would remain the Moray coastal path, but it would be part of the Scottish coastal path as well. In that way, we would get the best of both worlds. If that could be achieved, the value of a complete coastal path would be much greater than the value of its individual components.
Translating a good idea into reality, especially a reality of such a length, is going to be no easy matter. Budgets are always under pressure, no more so than now, and the budgets that are available to local authorities for path-related purposes are not limitless. That would be the case even if local authorities were not already drawing up their own core path networks, much of which by definition will be, and should be, inland.
The running costs of paths, particularly as they become popular, can be substantial, so I am not asking for a commitment to fund a Scottish coastal path. Scottish Natural Heritage may feel that its current four long-distance routes absorb considerable resources. However, a report that was commissioned by SNH and published last year included a recommendation that consideration be given to the establishment of a complete Scottish mainland coastal path.
The Government might wish to say that, in the long term—however long that term might be—it thinks that a Scottish coastal path would be a good idea. If that is the case, we then need some kind of co-ordination of the idea, so that it does not fester in the pile of good ideas somewhere on the shelf of one of our ministers. We need somebody to be given the responsibility of ensuring that the idea moves forward, albeit slowly, as an idea that is going to be realised in the long term.
If that responsibility were allocated, the first step might be as simple as establishing the name and a branding, so that if Fife Council, for example, has to erect a new sign somewhere on the existing Fife coastal path, it might be persuaded to make the sign also say "part of the Scottish coastal path". It should also be possible to produce a leaflet, at minimum cost, which could be updated as appropriate, perhaps annually, to show just how much of the coastal path existed.
None of our motorways was built in one go; some of them are not finished even yet. Paths, I would argue, are much more beneficial in the long run than motorways, so even if we cannot see the end of this project, we should at least be willing to start on it.
I begin by congratulating Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate. I warmly welcome the huge amount of work that has already been done on constructing a network of core paths around Scotland, and particularly the concept of a Scottish coastal path. History proves the success of walks such as the west highland way, the southern upland way and the Cape Wrath trail, of which I had the privilege of walking approximately 80 miles last year, in fairly treacherous conditions, a bit like those of today. That tested my Gore-Tex clothing and map-reading skills to their fullest extent. Those routes are well known in Scotland as excellent facilities.
It goes without saying that some of the most magnificent scenery in Scotland is on the coastal edges—a fact that, for many centuries, has drawn our artists, photographers, musicians, authors and, of course, tourists. There are also many benefits to be enjoyed by local people, and I have no doubt whatever that, by securing a well-mapped and well-marked Scottish coastal path, we would be providing much greater incentives for people to enjoy their immediate environment and the best resource that Scotland can provide, namely her scenery. Who can deny the outstanding beauty and solitude of being at one with the elements in locations such as Sandwood Bay, with its extraordinary mixtures of Torridonian gritstone and Lewisian gneiss? Those sites are testimony to the rich geological, archaeological and cultural history of Scotland, and it is little wonder that they have become a Mecca for tourists from all over the world.
In John Muir, we have the perfect example of a pioneer in the field of ecology and environmentalism, who showed why it is so essential that we ensure that everything possible is done to preserve and enhance our natural world.
Members are aware of my lifelong passion for outdoor learning and the benefits that it can bring, particularly to young people as they learn more about themselves and how to cope with life in a different environment and acquire the essential life skills that they need when they move away from school. There has been a very encouraging growth in the number of schools participating in the John Muir Trust, and I have no doubt that a Scottish coastal path would bring more opportunities and an enriched learning experience to a wider school community. If the Fife Coast and Countryside Trust is able to report an increase of 100,000 visitors between 2005 and 2006 on 90 miles of coastline, what numbers might appear if all 2,300 miles were opened up. I got that figure from the 11th edition of the "Encyclopaedia Britannica", incidentally.
Although the prime interest must be in making best use of Scotland's outstanding natural resources, there are many other dimensions to the issue, not least of which is the benefit to the economy. There are obvious benefits in terms of the revenue from visitor spending, but there are other benefits that might be less obvious but are nevertheless hugely important, and they concern the use of many places of accommodation along the routes.
This week, I was passed information by one of our top-class outdoor education experts, who told me that two local authorities have been in contact with him to tell him that they might no longer have the resources to use his centre because of budget cuts. That concern is shared by many other outdoor education centres. How tragic it would be if excellent work were done to ensure that Scotland has a coastal path but some people were not able to get there because of inappropriate accommodation or, in some cases, a lack of expertise in staffing. Once again, I appeal to all parties in the chamber to ensure that our outdoor facilities are used to the best possible advantage, especially now when there is so much economic uncertainty.
There is also a marketing issue. We should learn from other tourist attractions about how we can improve marketing methods. I agree with what Alasdair Morgan said about focusing on articulating the best interests of neighbouring communities, as well as of those who are likely to benefit directly from the new amenity. Scotland needs some joined-up thinking in that respect. Perhaps we should look to best practice in countries such as Switzerland.
There is also the issue of the much needed marine bill for Scotland. A coastal path would be crucial in raising public awareness of our precious marine environment, and allowing us a better understanding of why it is so important to future generations that we look after that environment better than we have done in the past.
When the nation's health is under intense scrutiny, and more of us are being advised to take regular exercise, the motion could hardly come at a more important time. With our rights to enjoy Scotland's natural resources must come an even more important sense of responsibility, which must be to the fore when planning Scotland's coastal path. On bringing the motion to Parliament and into the public domain, I congratulate Alasdair Morgan.
I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate and drawing Parliament's attention to the value of the coastal path network and the opportunities offered by the development of a national coastal path.
I also congratulate the current and former Ministers for Environment on their new appointments. I am sorry to be left alone in the cross-party group on grammatical accuracy, although I believe that John Scott wishes to be a member. I hope that the new Minister for Environment never finds an errant apostrophe in her ministerial briefings.
To the subject. Ramblers Scotland believes that, consequent to the passing of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, Scotland now has one of the best arrangements for public access to land and inland waters in all Europe but, in its briefing for tonight's debate, it says that it is not optimistic that the first single outcome agreements will result in better path networks across the country. It takes the view that it is not yet the case that all local authorities appreciate the role that path networks can play in promoting the wider health, environment and economic development agendas.
In November last year, when I asked ministers whether the Government would consider the promotion of a coastal path, I was advised that Scottish Natural Heritage was consulting on a paths policy statement and seeking views on whether path resources needed to be improved in particular areas. A draft policy was published last October. I would be grateful if, in his summing up, the minister could give an update on the progress of that policy.
I also asked for information on the estimated value to the Scottish economy of outdoor recreation on the coast and was advised that the World Wildlife Fund estimates that coastal tourism contributes £375 million to the Scottish economy as a whole. It will, of course, be of particular value to the economies of rural coastal areas such as Dumfries and Galloway.
As the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds points out in its briefing for the debate, the protection of coastal and wildlife habitat is not incompatible with the development of a coastal path. Nevertheless, inappropriate development poses a threat to coastal areas, so a number of European countries have introduced coastal protection zones to ensure access for recreation, preserve habitat and biodiversity and protect against erosion as sea levels rise due to climate change. The UK Parliament is considering an access margin around the coast under the Marine and Coastal Access Bill. Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Latvia, Norway, Spain and Sweden are among our European neighbours that have introduced some form of coastal protection zone. I ask the Scottish Government to give serious consideration to introducing similar provisions in its forthcoming marine bill.
National planning policy guideline 13, on coastal planning, is widely felt to provide insufficient guidance to planning authorities and, therefore, insufficient protection against inappropriate development. I hope that its successor, Scottish planning policy 13, will be a stronger instrument, although there are some concerns that that much slimmer document may not provide sufficiently detailed guidance. Therefore, a statutory underpinning via the marine bill could be beneficial.
I have one request to make of the outgoing Minister for Environment—that he update us on progress with the paths policy statement—and one to make of the new minister: that she consider giving SPP 13 a statutory underpinning in the marine bill.
Like Scotland as a whole, Dumfries and Galloway has a diverse and fascinating coastline that already contributes to the economy through leisure and tourism, to healthy activity through facilities for walking and cycling and to biodiversity through the range of habitats that are to be found along the shoreline. It is a tremendous local and national asset that can be enhanced only by the development of the core path network into a Scottish coastal path.
I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate on coastal path networks and Roseanna Cunningham on her new appointment.
Unsurprisingly, I will focus my brief speech on the recently completed Ayrshire coastal path, which stretches the 100-miles between Skelmorlie at the northernmost point of Ayrshire to Glenapp, where the county meets Galloway. The path is the creation of the Rotary Club of Ayr, of which I am proud to be a member, although I should make it clear that my membership did not start until after the coastal path was complete so, sadly, I can claim no credit for, or involvement in, the work.
The Ayr Rotarians undertook the massive task of planning and fund raising for the creation of the Ayrshire coastal path in celebration of their centenary in 2005. It is a huge tribute to their drive and enthusiasm that such a huge project was so successfully completed. The Rotarians, ably led by Jimmy Begg, put in much physical work, which included clearing waste, digging paths and creating gates and markers all along the 100-mile route. The project also won the support of the wider community in Ayrshire and backing from South Ayrshire Council, North Ayrshire Council, landowners along the route and the local business community.
The route takes in some of the most impressive landscapes in Scotland, set against the backdrop of Ailsa Craig and the isles of Arran, Cumbrae and Bute. Ayrshire's rich history is also evident. By following the coastal path and the recommended detours, one can take in a host of fascinating sites, including the ancient castles of Ardstinchar, Turnberry, Culzean, Dunure, Greenan, Dundonald, Seagate, Ardrossan, Portencross and Kelburn, as well as Burns's cottage in Alloway, St John's tower—the venue for the first Scottish Parliament after Bannockburn—and the old Stinchar bridge, which was built in 1776 from the stones of Ardstinchar castle near my home in Ballantrae.
As Alasdair Morgan's motion makes clear, coastal paths not only have great value in opening up some of the most beautiful landscapes in Scotland to regular use but have an important role to play in promoting healthy physical exercise and encouraging visitors to holiday in Scotland.
In this year of homecoming and of the British open being held at Turnberry in Cathy Jamieson's constituency, Ayrshire's coastal path network is another attraction that we have to offer to our visitors to the riviera of Scotland. It complements our written heritage in Burns, our built heritage at Culzean and Dumfries house, as well as our free championship golf courses and many municipal golf courses.
I agree with Alasdair Morgan that a Scottish coastal path network is a national goal that is well worth pursuing. Indeed, it is an idea whose time has come. My colleagues in the Rotary Club of Ayr would very much subscribe to that goal, too. The Burns suppers are past and now is the time, as spring approaches—in calendar terms at least—to start walking our coastal paths. I commend the Ayrshire one to all members and offer my support for Alasdair Morgan's motion.
I, too, congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate and welcome the ministers to their new positions.
As John Scott was speaking, I was reflecting on another landmark on that coastline: Sawney Bean's cave. I would not necessarily suggest that the ministers made that their first stop on the coastal path, but they may wish to come along and visit some of the other sites that John Scott mentioned.
John Scott also mentioned the valuable work that was done by the Rotary Club of Ayr, particularly by Jimmy Begg, in ensuring that the coastal path became a reality. There is a guidebook to the coastal path—I will do my advert now: "Ayrshire Coastal Path: The Official Guide Book"—which describes it for anyone who wants to walk along it. Originally, the rotary club members thought of having a relatively short path to link up some of the attractions along the way, taking in Dunure, Ayr and Girvan, but they realised that there was an opportunity to link up a number of other paths and parts of paths along the way, without a huge amount of additional cost. They are to be commended for that superb piece of work.
The work was not without its difficulties. For a particular section in my constituency in south Ayrshire, it took my intervention with Transport Scotland, Amey and the council to ensure that a commonsense approach was arrived at to allow part of the path to link up a section alongside the trunk road. I say to the ministers, in case they get the opportunity to talk to the Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change, that there are similar issues in other parts of Ayrshire, particularly along the A76. It is not a coastal path, but it is important to recognise that there is the opportunity to link up existing path networks with the River Ayr walk.
Has the member for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley made any progress with creating a pavement on the A77 south of Girvan, which she mentioned?
Some progress has been made, but it is not entirely the progress that we would like. Further work needs to be done on that. Perhaps the ministers can take that point back to the relevant authorities.
In the wider context of access to the outdoors and people's ability to get out and enjoy themselves and keep healthy, it is worth considering the opportunity to link up other existing path networks. As well as the Ayrshire coastal path, we have the River Ayr walk, which is 44 miles from the source of the river to the sea. There are plans for people to develop a Carrick way and link up a number of existing path networks. If the Scottish Government gave that its backing and ensured that the relatively modest amount of resources required were available, that would be very much welcomed.
I echo John Scott's comment that, if we are serious in this year of homecoming about attracting tourists to our local area, we must highlight the varied opportunities that are there. John Scott mentioned golf, the opportunities for walking and the sights along the way. However, that requires that basic facilities are provided for tourists. People will not be surprised to hear me say that I find it astonishing that South Ayrshire Council has just decided to close another batch of public conveniences in villages throughout south Ayrshire and on the coast at a time when we should try to encourage visitors.
I realise that I have probably strayed entirely from the path during the course of my speech, but it is an important debate because the success of the Ayrshire coastal path and how it was put together is a model that could be followed in other areas with the aid of a relatively small amount of money. I hope that ministers will take account of that.
At the outset, let me say that this should be my final appearance in fulfilling my previous ministerial role. I thank those whom I have worked with—and against—over the past 21 months. I pay a warm tribute and welcome to my successor, Roseanna Cunningham. She will be free to act as she will, of course, so I will not bind her in any way in what I say today.
I congratulate Alasdair Morgan on securing the debate. The Scottish coastal path is an important issue that, as he indicated, he has discussed with me on a number of occasions. I am glad to say that, with officials, I have been able to help to begin at least to scope the task. The indicative map that we now have, which shows where some of the Scottish coastal path exists, is a foundation on which to build.
I welcome to the public gallery Gil Campbell, who is running a Facebook campaign for a Scottish coastal path. Many people are interested in the idea and many of them are online—not many of them are in the chamber—but I am sure that Gil Campbell will take away the message that the Scottish Government has a commitment to the on-going development and promotion of the core path network throughout Scotland. We need to find ways to build upon that.
I was struck by Elizabeth Smith's comments on the significance of the coast, which came to the heart of understanding the matter. The coast is not just an arbitrary line of some sort or even just a definition—although it is a definition—of who we are and where we are. It is a route and an explanation, and it has a huge significance for us all.
A coastal path has more significance than many other long-distance ways—in Scotland most of all, probably—because the Scottish coastal path will be very long indeed. Alasdair Morgan suggested that the path might well exceed the Appalachian trail, and I think that there is no doubt about that. In fact, we do not know how long the path will be, as there are lots of questions about where it will run. Even if we have just a mainland coastal path—I am particularly fond of the idea of including certainly the larger islands—the Scottish coastal path will be one of the longest paths in the world. That is why our ambition will take some time to achieve.
I entirely agree with Elaine Murray that the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 is a foundation on which we can build such an achievement. I pay tribute to the previous Administration on that. She and I will both regret that, so far, some of the weaker contributions to the core path network have been in Dumfries and Galloway—an area that both of us know well—under both the previous and current Administrations. I hope that Dumfries and Galloway Council is back on track—as I believe that it is—to be a contributor, as is required of all local authorities, in building the core path network in Scotland.
Paths contribute in all sorts of ways, as Alasdair Morgan indicated. They contribute to the wellbeing and health of all our citizens by providing the opportunity to get outdoors. One of the 45 national indicators that were chosen to track progress towards the achievement of our national outcomes relates to outdoor access. During 2007, 44 per cent of adults are estimated to have visited the outdoors once or more than once a week. That was the same as the figure in 2006. If we continue to develop, market and expand what is available, more people will go and see. The more that we talk about the paths and actively promote them by changing and developing things, the more we will achieve progress. I think that we can build on the success of the access legislation and be ambitious in taking the matter forward.
Of course, there has been success. Examples of recent local approaches—coming from the bottom up rather than from the top down, which is an important point—include the Fife coastal path, St Cuthbert's way, the Cateran trail, the Kintyre way and the River Ayr way. I should also give special mention to the Cowal way; the path runs within sight of the house in which, some of the time, I live. Given that Cathy Jamieson has advertised a publication, let me advertise a new book, "The Cowal Way", which was written by Michael Kaufman and Jim McLuckie, who are members of the local community council. I believe that the publication is available now, at very modest cost.
We now need a specific way of moving forward. Scottish Natural Heritage—I will come to Dr Murray's point about SNH in a second—believes that a bottom-up partnership is more effective than a top-down imposition. Of course, we need to work out a strategy that will make that work. SNH's paths policy paper will go to the SNH board this summer. Recommendations will likely be made in the autumn, so there is plenty of time to have an influence. I will come on to discuss the actions that my successor might, or might not, wish to take.
Following the concordat between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, it will be for access authorities, in consultation with communities and other relevant partner bodies, to make progress and create long-distance paths. The Scottish coastal path proposal is ambitious. Another existing proposal is for a pilgrim way. The origin of that proposal lies with someone who may have some influence in the days and months to come. The future of those proposals lies in the hands of Roseanna Cunningham and in the work that she chooses to do.
At present, around 2,700km of the Scottish coast is served with paths. That is nearly 25 per cent. Of course it is right to make progress now, so I will respond to Alasdair Morgan's closing request. Yes, there is a commitment within this Government to take this issue forward. The path cannot be completed in a day, a month or a year. The issue will be affected by a shortage of resources, and, as I have said, ideas need to come from the bottom up. We need to get the people around the coast to agree that joining up what they have, and developing new ideas, will be the best way to go. Out of such ideas will come a successful venture. This is a project for the long term, but there is a commitment to get moving. A quarter of the path is already there; how we use it and develop it will be a key issue.
As I say, SNH will be considering a paper in the summer. There will be an opportunity—say, for a Minister for Environment—to talk to SNH about these issues and to indicate the will of this chamber. Even though we are few in number this evening, there clearly is a will to take the idea forward. We cannot commit vast resources to it, but we can take it forward. That minister might suggest to SNH, as it develops its paper, that it should take notice of what has been said this evening; should think about how to make progress; should perhaps think about other existing ideas for long-distance paths; and should see whether recommendations will emerge that we can take action on. That minister might want to bring the topic back to the chamber for a discussion on the contributions that long-distance paths can make to Scotland.
In conclusion, I will say that I have greatly enjoyed all the work that I have done on the environment. It has been an enormous privilege. I have learned a great deal; I might say that I have had a ball. I look forward to my future role, and I very much look forward to supporting Roseanna Cunningham in hers.
Meeting closed at 17:37.