Q1.  What is the area being nominated for NP status? 500 words allowed.

Galloway National Park is a new kind of National Park for a new kind of Scotland. Fit for the twenty-first century and inspiring in scope, Galloway National Park is innovative by design and ambitious in scale.  Our unique vision is a joint proposal that builds on 7 years of work by Galloway National Park Association (GNPA) and 12+ years’ experience of Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere; two independent charities coming together with a shared vision and purpose, to offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to use the synergies of both designations to do national parks differently.  The foundation of a Galloway National Park will:

  • Co-ordinate initiatives using the NPA’s permanence, convening power and resources

  • Bring forward and realise the potential for people, planet and prosperity on a landscape scale transcending designations and administrative boundaries

  • Usher in a new era of connectivity, in which the competing demands of conservation, community and commerce are addressed with cohesion and respect

  • Build on the UNESCO Biosphere “pilot areas for sustainable development” remit

  • Offer adventure, discovery, exploration and a wealth of recreational opportunities to visitors new to the South of Scotland by championing responsible tourism

  • Honour its unique natural and cultural heritage by supporting their development and growth in innovative ways that are kind to people, planet and pocket

  • Commit to partnership and genuine engagement with all communities

  • Provide democratic accountability

  • Use the charitable status of the UNESCO Biosphere to attract new investors via innovations for climate change and nature recovery.

Galloway National Park  occupies the south-west corner of Scotland (shown here) across a landscape of outstanding international importance. Including part of the Ancient Kingdom of Galloway, at its heart is the wild land surrounding the Merrick (843m), Cairnsmore of Fleet NNR, Galloway Forest Park, and Galloway International Dark Sky Park representing the core and buffer areas of the UNESCO Biosphere . The unspoilt Galloway coastline (longest of Scotland’s NPs) is stunning, with a varied landscape of cliff edged peninsulas and coastal plains, small harbours and communities, and substantial bays at Wigtown and Glenluce.

A mosaic of countryside flows between coast and hills with river valleys and broadleaved woods creating nature networks for wildlife and biodiversity.  Farming varies from intensive dairy and arable to traditional stock farming, regenerative practises and rewilding.

Our nominated area is about 3,000km2 with a population around 25,000 (excluding the larger settlements of Stranraer, Newton Stewart and Kirkcudbright). As well as identifying areas of national importance, we focused on

  • coherent identity

  • greatest opportunities for environmental gains, and

  • greatest socio-economic needs which could be met through National Park designation

Our area includes parts of Dumfries & Galloway, East Ayrshire and South Ayrshire.  All councils support this nomination, believing that the bid meets the criteria and would benefit the region to the tune of about £250m pa. Whilst Galloway National Park is not coterminous with the UNESCO Biosphere the commitment, ethos and passion are the same, offering opportunities to expand the learning and best practice developed through both designations across a greater geographic area.