Local Community Oppose Planned Development
The Dall Community Association believes Rannoch is such a unique nature reserve that it should be available to all people, not just the super rich.
The gigantic scale of the proposal, over 428 hectares, would exclude and deny access for the local community and the many visitors who have come to love this beautiful area within the heart of Scotland. The development as proposed would essentially be an “exclusive playground for the super-rich”. It would have a detrimental impact on existing business and inhibit future prospects for developing a more economically appropriate development for the benefit of the Rannoch and Tummel area.
We have come together to fight this proposal and to seek a better, more beneficial alternative development as part of an inclusive Rannoch for All where everyone benefits and where the environmentally sensitive habitat and its creatures will be cherished and preserved.
Our Vision - 'Rannoch For All'
'An inclusive ‘Rannoch For All’ where everyone benefits and where the environmentally sensitive habitat and its creatures will be cherished and preserved’
Rannoch can be shared! Carefully fostered and sustainable economic growth for people need not detract from the protection and benefits that we should bring to its environs and other living things.
The recent proposed development at Dall has made us all think, possibly more than some of us have ever done before, about how we feel for Rannoch. There has been an overwhelming response from many different groups of people – those who live in and around Rannoch and Tummel, visitors from other parts of Scotland and the UK, from Europe and from all over the world – so many of us have realised that this wonderful area is something we value completely, and we have shown this in our letters of comment and objection.
Those who wrote were unanimous that Rannoch is precious. Equally, there was a clear understanding that as an area it is potentially vulnerable to threats from developers seeking only to make profit for themselves, whilst disregarding the needs of others, the natural environment and its ecology. The area around the Black Wood, the Dall Estate and Loch Rannoch in particular needs the right development. What is proposed is both alien and out of touch with what most people feel is appropriate. What has emerged instead is a positive reaction with strengthened relationships, new friendships forged, and a deepening sense of community and purpose.
Rannoch has always welcomed visitors, and those who do not reside there but visit regularly or just occasionally, have always felt that they too belonged. People who come to the area for the first time talk of the beauty, the sense of space and peace, the wonderful combination of loch, burn, forest and mountain, that is so special to Rannoch. They discover what local people have always known, that it is possible to get close to and live alongside nature in all its abundance. Here you can see a red squirrel darting out from the trees and over the road, watch an osprey dive into the loch for a trout, walk through the ancient woods and enjoy all the passing seasons’ colours, feel the silence and wildness of moor and hill.
These are thrilling experiences, and so also for many are the outdoor activities that can be enjoyed to the full. On any reasonably decent day in the year it is possible to see old and young picnicking, camping, walking, biking, fishing, sailing, canoeing and wind-surfing – or just sitting by the lochside listening, and looking. All these people become part of the larger community who belong to Rannoch because they have responded to its charms.
For the first time in the history of the world more people live in cities and urban areas, than in the country. We should take from this an understanding that people will increasingly need places such as this for our own health, happiness and general well-being. Rannoch must be ready and willing to welcome the arrival of more visitors in the years to come.
Equally, local people, particularly those who depend on their livelihood from the land and its resources, know that it is not the easiest place for individuals and families in which to flourish. There are many challenges – adequate healthcare and transport, the many miles from retail facilties, recreational and cultural pursuits. Some have to travel considerable distances for work or education out of the area. However there are going to be increasing opportunities to start and grow viable and sustainable businesses, in particular in relation to tourism and the leisure industry, and there is no reason why local people should not seek to benefit from these.
It might seem to be the easier option to sit back and hope that the sort of proposed development at Dall will never happen again, but in some form or other, somewhere in this area, it probably will. By seizing the initiative we can help to determine the future for Rannoch. We should now take an active interest in identifying and encouraging the right sort of development that will bring economic growth and prosperity to this part of Scotland, whilst sustaining and growing local employment opportunities, as well as keeping all that is natural and good.
Each person has their own vision and expertise to help preserve this beautiful place and must be allowed to have their say and influence on its future. We all love Rannoch so let’s make it work for everybody.