Rural land use conflicts

Question 1

Conflict between tourists and authorities

Answer 1

1. Unlawful camping, camp fires and partying, noisy water sports and litter.
2. Footpath erosion in popular walking areas can erode or damage paths resulting in visual pollution in spectacular landscapes.
3. Tourists park on grass verges leading to erosion.
4. Speedboats on the loch can erode beaches and oil from engines can harm aquatic life.
5. Tourist activity can lead to visual pollution in spectacular landscapes, eg unlawful camping.

Question 2

Conflict between tourists and farmers

Answer 2

1. Walkers leaving gates open causing animals to escape, dogs chasing sheep, damage to farmland and buildings, noise disturbing animals.
2. Litter if eaten by wildlife or livestock can harm or kill.
3. Tourists activities can affect the farmer’s livelihood, so tourists may face restrictions in places to walk and explore placed upon them by farmers.
4. Tourists wander off footpaths widening them and stone walls can be damaged by people climbing over them affecting farming activity.

Question 3

Conflict between tourists and locals

Answer 3

1. Tourists buying second homes pushes prices up for locals and can lead to rural depopulation, which can reduce demand for local services which may close.
2. Although tourism supports the local economy, in the Trossachs during summer there are significant increases in traffic congestion on narrow rural roads leading to air and noise pollution, reducing the quality of life for local people.

Question 4

Solutions

Answer 4

1. Signs for walkers, eg, Keep Gates Closed, No Camping Here, etc
2. Employing park rangers who can issue fines to people caught littering in the national Park (although it is hard to catch people).
3. Introducing separate ‘zones’ around the loch so tourist activities are split into different sections
4. One-way systems for cars and limited waiting times.
5. Stone paths to stop footpath erosion (although at a cost to the farmer).
6. Farmers can install spring loaded gates which close automatically (although at a cost to the farmer).
7. Speed limits on the loch to reduce beach erosion and oil pollution.
8. Increased rail and bus services to reduce car use (although limited effectiveness since people prefer the convenience of their cars).
9. Removing litter bins in remote areas where it is difficult to empty them (leading to overflowing bins), encourages people to take their litter home.
10. Using farmers’ fields as temporary car parks reduces on-street parking and can bring in another form of income for the farmer (although they are unsightly can lead to visual pollution).
11. Planting trees around unsightly developments can shield them (although this is a long term solution).
12. National Park Rangers offer talks, guides, provide leaflets and operate visitors centres to educate the public about the area.
13. New building developments using local materials which blend in with the landscape (although this may be at increased cost to the developers).
14. By laws introduced to stop wild fires and camping in certain areas at specific times of the year.