A brief history of National Parks proposals

A brief history by year

1931

The Addison Committee propose the Cairngorms area for National Park status.

1945-7

Government Committees, chaired by Sir Douglas Ramsay, reviewed National Parks for Scotland and five prospective Park areas: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, the Cairngorms, Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount, Wester Ross and Glen Strathfarrar-Glen Affric-Glen Cannich.

1951

The 1949 legislation, which allowed for the establishment of National Parks in England and Wales, did not extend to Scotland but Government designated the five 'Ramsay' areas as National Park Direction Areas, which allowed for some extra scrutiny of development proposals within them.

1953

Cairngorms National Nature Reserve declared.

1958

Loch Lomond National Nature Reserve declared.

1975

The former Countryside Commission for Scotland (CCS) identified Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, the Cairngorms and Glen Coe-Ben Nevis as areas needing special management to care for their national importance.

1981

The National Park Direction Area designation was replaced, in part, by the new National Scenic Area designation. Of the 40 NSAs identified by CCS, two separate NSAs were identified for parts of Loch Lomond & the Trossachs and the Cairngorms had two adjacent NSAs – one covering the main Cairngorms massif, the other for upper Deeside and Lochnagar.

1988

Legislation passed in 1981 to create Regional Parks was used to establish a joint local authority-led Loch Lomond Park Authority - but excluding at this stage the Trossachs.

1991

The former Countryside Commission for Scotland, in reviewing Scotland's mountain areas, recommended National Park status for four areas: Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, the Cairngorms, Glen Coe-Ben Nevis-Black Mount and Wester Ross.

1991

In response to the CCS report, the Government established working parties for Loch Lomond & the Trossachs (chaired by Sir Peter Hutchinson) and the Cairngorms (chaired by Magnus Magnusson) to undertake a detailed review of the needs of the two areas.

1992

The report of the Cairngorms Working Party (Common Sense and Sustainability) recommended an approach based on a partnership of key interests and organisations, and this led to the proposal for the Cairngorms Partnership.

1993

The report of the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs working party (The management of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs) recommended an approach based on enhanced joint local authority working, but for a wider area than covered by Loch Lomond Park Authority, including the Trossachs.

1995

The government responded to both reports. In Loch Lomond & the Trossachs, it favoured the joint committee approach recommended by the ‘Hutchinson’ report, and the local authorities then set up a steering group to consider how matters might be pursued. In the Cairngorms, the Cairngorms Partnership is established.

1997

The new Government declared its intention to legislate for National Parks in Scotland and that Loch Lomond & the Trossachs and the Cairngorms should be Scotland's first Parks. SNH was invited to make proposals for a general model of a National Park appropriate to Scotland's needs, as a basis for legislation by the new Scottish Parliament.

1998

The local authorities of Stirling, West Dunbartonshire and Argyll created the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs Interim Committee, as a basis for working towards a National Park for the area.

1999

The government accepted the general National Parks proposals, developed by SNH after wide-ranging consultation, as the basis for legislation by the new Scottish Parliament and the matter became part of the new Parliament's first legislative programme.

2000

Following a debate in Parliament, the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 passed into law in August, and soon thereafter Government invited SNH to act as a reporter for its proposal to create National Parks for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and the Cairngorms.

2002

Lomond & The Trossachs National Park was established.

2003

Cairngorms National Park was established.

Read National Parks in Scotland ­– Advice to Scottish Government in 1999