Over 800 people have responded to a survey on whether to create a Lochaber National Park.
The Scottish Government will designate at least one new national park, adding to the ones in the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and Trossachs, by spring 2026. The deadline for submissions is February 29.
Five Highland and Island communities have been consulting on bids: Skye and Raasay, Affric to Alladale, Glen Affric Loch Awe, and Lochaber, led by the Lochaber National Park Working Group (LNPWG).
An opposition bloc called ’The Lochaber National Park Group - NO more’ raised concerns about the "lack" of residents in Lochaber reached by LNPWG’s meetings and survey, which closed on February 4.
"The whole of Lochaber cannot be put forward on the back of 500 approx. people having been consulted out of 22,000," it said on January 29.
"The survey, prior to 18 December, was able to be filled in multiple times with no ability to check or cross-reference if they were duplicate submissions. We request these surveys are not used as they are unable to be trusted.
"Even after changing the survey format there were discussions on social media they could put in fictitious email addresses and submit anyway.
"Successful [national parks] are in condensed areas of outstanding natural beauty, which need protection for its wildlife and habitat. They do not encompass living, working communities, townships and farmland.
"Let’s sensibly identify within Lochaber condensed areas of outstanding beauty that actually tick all the boxes required for a national park. Fort William does not, which contains approx 50 per cent of the population within Lochaber."
The LNPWG replied on January 30: "There is a lot of common ground and we completely agree this is not a case of two sides; it is instead a community of people with a range of opinions which we are all trying to make sense of.
"We agree it is disappointing the Scottish Government has not provided the means with which to allow every resident in Lochaber to express themselves, such as by a vote after a period of information sharing.
"Instead, they asked any areas considering this designation to indicate what level of support there is in their area, with no indication of how to go about doing so.
"It seems reasonable to try to reach as many people as possible through information online and a series of public meetings at locations all around Lochaber to discuss the issue over a period of four months.
"We put together a survey to have some means of demonstrating the level of support for a nomination and we now have 835 responses out of a population of 20,042 (in 2022).
"Initially, we did not collect email addresses on the survey to allow as many people to respond as possible, and with anonymity. Since individuals on Facebook began to encourage and promote multiple submissions we began to collect email addresses.
"There is absolutely no intention from us to put in a nomination for Lochaber unless it can be demonstrated that there is a majority of support for that to happen.
"The Scottish Government will carry out in depth, far ranging public consultation in any area that is nominated and chosen for the second phase.
"Fort William is especially industrial and it is a very good question whether the town should be included in any potential designation.
"We are not looking to change Lochaber but to provide the resources to manage the change that is already happening, to help protect the natural and cultural heritage of the area that makes Lochaber what it is. The increases in house prices and visitor numbers are already happening here and have been for the last 20 years.
"With many local organisations struggling with short term funding streams and the Highland Council looking for areas to save money a national park could preserve vulnerable, existing jobs whilst creating new opportunities to support the local economy."
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