Q5: How would designating the area as a National Park support visitor management, sustainable tourism and access for all? How would it enhance public understanding and enjoyment of the area’s assets? 1,500 words.
Our vision for a new style National Park offers abundant opportunities for adventure, discovery, and exploration to visitors new to Galloway. It will unlock our region’s potential for enjoyment by people of all ages, abilities, and socio-economic statuses. It will build on the work of the UNESCO Biosphere in the development and delivery of sustainable tourism initiatives in the region. Our area has significant capacity for more visitors and the combination of National Park and UNESCO Biosphere branding will increase awareness of this undiscovered gem to both a national and international audience of visitors who will bring a much needed boost to our fragile economy.
As Access Authority the Park will enhance the ability of visitors and residents to:
Discover the natural beauty and wildlife of Galloway throughout the year
Enjoy opportunities for all abilities on water and land, by boat, foot, wheels or hooves
Understand the unique environment of the combined Park and UNESCO Biosphere and the work being undertaken to meet biodiversity goals and climate change targets
Access our incredible landscapes, including by people from some of Scotland’s most deprived communities
Visitor management:
Despite its rich nature and culture, Galloway is still a secret and offers real potential to relieve other areas suffering from tourism pressure. The Park area has a current visitor intensity estimated at 293/km2 - comparable to Cairngorms NP (331/km2) and substantially less than the Lake District (6,943/km2), LLTNP (2,144/km2), Northumberland (1,527/km2). Visitors can easily be accommodated at present. With 56% average room occupancy for hotels and only 26% unit occupancy for self-catering accommodation, there is ample scope for expansion of tourism even within current levels of provision.
Most existing National Parks faced significant visitor pressures when they were created. Galloway provides an exciting opportunity to develop tourism facilities in parallel with the expected growth in visitors. We are uniquely able to create the infrastructure to cope with sustainable tourism that is good for the economy, environment, and local communities; this could be a blueprint for Scotland. Our mild climate means that bad weather rarely curtails access and our out-of-season festivals and long birdwatching season reinforce Galloway as a year-round destination. The UNESCO Biosphere has a fully developed sustainable event certification methodology and greener events toolkit for use by festivals and events. Biosphere Dark Sky Rangers are trained to run tours and educate residents and visitors on the night sky. As ambassadors for the Dark Sky Park they are a key resource in celebrating and increasing understanding of the intrinsic value of our natural capital assets. Expanding this service to cover the National Park promotes responsible access and education and mitigates against any negative impacts.
Sustainable tourism:
The Park is well placed to attract visitors from England, Ireland and Scotland. Our emphasis will be on outdoor recreation, delivering strong mental and physical health benefits and well-being for all. Community-led and agri-tourism are already important. They are key markets that a Park would develop further, allowing communities and visitors to benefit from and better engage with our natural and cultural environment, particularly how our amazing food is produced as well as directly supporting local producers. Responsible Tourism is being promoted across the South of Scotland, with the Park offering an opportunity for showcasing what can be achieved at scale through taking a collaborative approach.
It will build on the internationally acclaimed Scotland’s UNESCO Trail to attract international visitors from across the globe who are seeking sustainable and authentic experiences.
The critical outcome for us is delivering community benefits and Community Wealth Building as we develop and strengthen the National Park brand. Promoting the area as a year-round destination will make better use of the facilities and create a robust and skilled workforce.
Transport:
Travel to and within the Park is a key issue. We are well provided with EV charging points. However, public transport provides only a basic level of service and we will explore innovative ways to meet the demands of our visitors. Whilst rail access to the eastern and western ends of the Park area suffers from limited services it offers a sustainable form of travel to places from which to explore and enjoy the area.
A Park will help develop transport strategies which better meet the needs of everyone ensuring improvements to public transport are matched to growing demand eg the use of smaller, electric buses on an improved timetable with constant revolving services (Snowdonia Hoppa buses) or request routes/stops. Transport objectives include promoting health and well-being for all by linking public transport to a variety of circular paths based on an expanded Core Path Network, helping visitors appreciate travel as an enjoyable part of their experience and not simply as a means of getting from A to B.
Access for all:
A Park will have the resources and commitment to increase accessibility for all users through improved routes, removal of stiles, way marking and increased maintenance.
Many of our walking routes are accessible to most, utilising forest tracks and paths and along the coast. We have three of Scotland’s Great Trails – the Mull of Galloway Trail, the Ayrshire Coastal Path, and the Southern Upland Way. This passes through Glentrool at the heart of our bid area, where the path runs for 20 kilometres without crossing a road. There is rugged walking for the keen and fit, with 7 mountain summits, including Merrick, and plentiful rarely trodden ground. An extensive core path network already exists supported by leaflets and signage. The Rhins of Galloway Coast Path offers routes allowing visitors to take in Mull of Galloway, Scotland’s most southerly point and promoting its incredible archaeology. The Whithorn Way from Glasgow is the longest pilgrimage route in Scotland. Partners are already working on the development of a continuous coastal path along the Solway linking into the English coastal path.
Cycling is already a core part of the Galloway experience and attracts many people. Three of the 7Stanes sites are in the Galloway National Park area, and two more are in the region. There are safe, traffic-free routes through the Forest Park, and along national cycle routes and quiet tracks and lanes. The area hosted the Trek UCI Gravel World Series at Gatehouse of Fleet for the first time in 2023, using the gravel tracks through the Forest. The event is set to return in 2024. The Tour of Britain has visited the area 10 times since it was established in 2005. The Kirkpatrick C2C route runs from Portpatrick to Eyemouth offering choices for those riding at speed or wanting to visit places on route.
Locations near the Merrick offer places for climbing, with coasteering in the Machars, Rhins and South Ayrshire coast. Fishing remains popular and our rivers still yield a significant catch, even though the numbers caught (and returned) are reducing. Loch fishing for brown trout and coarse fish, and in some cases for stocked trout, is enjoyed. Sea fishing for profit and pleasure is widespread, including line fishing from the shore.
The sea and lochs provide abundant recreational opportunities. Sailing is strong in the Dee Estuary and Loch Ryan (which hosts the World Skiffies). Canoeing, paddle-boarding and wind surfing opportunities abound. We are blessed with tremendous beaches and dunes, some sheltered and ideal for traditional family beach activities, others ideal for extensive walks and host to abundant wildlife.
Understanding and enjoyment:
The Park offers exceptional opportunities for enhancing people’s understanding and enjoyment of the natural world and how it has created and shaped this beautiful location. The Park will engage residents and visitors in the cultural transformation required to deliver the Wellbeing Economy. Using creative exploration and innovative technology the National Park will embrace the UNESCO Biosphere remit of being a ‘living lab’, explaining the intrinsic associations between people and nature, the reasoning for land management decision making and the changes required to address biodiversity loss and climate change impacts. Effective and innovative interpretation and engaging people in decision making will enhance people’s experience and provide a more attractive and immersive offer to all, with a particular focus on the young and disadvantaged.
Future developments could include:
Exploring the field systems around Mid-Gleniron and interpreting the landscape on new trails
Building on the pilgrimage sites across the area to put each in the Scottish context
Supporting our communities:
National Park status will make a transformational difference to our communities. The cost-of-living crisis is having a severe impact on our fragile rural communities, with retail and other facilities suffering. It is these shops and services that maintain and keep rural communities vibrant, living places, as well as underpinning the health and well-being of residents.
Increased visitor numbers and a longer season will benefit all such facilities and ancillary services and support community led and entrepreneurial activity, through Community Wealth Building, to service the increased demand. All of this will help to overcome the challenged economy and the drift of people away from the area. It will help build resilience and underpin economic viability to ensure our communities thrive in the 21st Century.