Friends of the Ochils Newsletter 20: Spring 2002
The Ochils - the invisible hills
In 2001, Scottish Natural Heritage divided Scotland into 21 "Natural Heritage Zones", with the Ochils included in the Eastern Lowlands Zone. Amidst a sea of arable and low ground farming, one might have thought that the presence of a hill mass exceeding 600m would have merited some specific comment in the 30-page document on the ELZ. That would be to misjudge the document, however: it is mainly a non-specific description of present land use and nature and an even more non-specific vision of what could be by the year 2025. FotO does not disagree with the vision of lower intensity farming and a greater diversity of habitats in the uplands, but the objectives as set out have little to say about the hills and can be remarkably trite, eg: "Implement conservation plans capitalising on skills and knowledge of farmers". Would anyone be so stupid as to ignore them?
While the conservation industry gathers pace, sometimes seemingly in danger of using more trees to produce documents than it plants, where stand the Ochils? If they are largely invisible as a misfit in the Eastern Lowlands, surely they fare better in local biodiversity plans?
One problem is getting hold of the documents. Another is knowing that you've got the right documents. I have one document each for Clackmannanshire, Stirling and Tayside. Stirling's summary of species and habitation action plans (Volume 1!) contains one reference to the ash woodlands of Kippenrait Glen. There is no other reference to the Ochils. The Tayside consultative draft Local Biodiversity Action Plan contains no reference at all to the Ochils. The exception, as one might expect, is Clackmannanshire. Unlike Stirling, preoccupied with the development of the National Park in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, and Tayside with its wealth of uplands, Clackmannanshire sees the value of the Ochils. So far there is only a leaflet, but that both maps and mentions the Ochils. Habitat Action Plans being prepared of particular relevance for the Ochils include: glens, grassland/heathland, and blanket bog.
Perhaps it is wrong to judge the biodiversity plans by whether or not they mention the Ochils. Perhaps they are not meant to be about real places. Their format is given by habitats and species, seemingly divorced from the real geography of places. It is very rare that one gets a hint that a specific action might happen in a specific location. I look forward with interest to the Ochil Glens Habitat Action Plan since it is the only one in all three council documents that appears to be rooted in a type of habitat in an actual location.
I do not mean to do an injustice to the hard work of the council officers and many others who are contributing to these plans. The intention to act is laudable and effective action needs to be properly informed and planned for. What is worrying to me is the apparent invisibility of the Ochils. Their physical presence is lost in the paperwork and in simplified zones that link the summit of Ben Cleuch with the beaches of Fife, the arable of East Lothian, the livestock farms of the Mearns.
Friends of the Ochils has long argued that one of the major barriers to a coherent strategy for the Ochils landscape and nature is their division between local authorities. The council-centred process of biodiversity planning (and access has taken the same route too) fails and fragments the wider vision of the Ochils. We urge the relevant local authorities to link across the boundaries. Perhaps they could agree that one should take the lead for natural areas split arbitrarily by political boundaries. If the focus of other councils is away from the Ochils, how about Clackmannanshire leading on landscape and biodiversity planning for the whole of the Ochils west of the Dunning road? Or shall the hills continue to be, if not invisible, then certainly semi-transparent?
David Gordon
Ed. - Further to the (in)visibility of the Ochils, I wonder whether Stirling's shiny new city status can be utilised to increase awareness/protection etc? It almost goes without saying that the view of the Ochils escarpment is one of the primary contributing factors in making Stirling the attractive place it is - perhaps only the castle itself ranks higher in "trademark" terms.