On 22 July 2024, the Scottish Government made a statutory proposal that a new National Park be established in Galloway. NatureScot has now been asked to investigate the detail of the proposal and to explore public opinion
As part of its role, NatureScot will explore:
- if National Park status should be granted
- what the geographic area should be
- what its governance should be and what powers it should have
NatureScot will conclude its assessments and provide advice to Scottish Ministers by the end of April 2025.
Impact to East Ayrshire
If a National Park is granted, it may include part(s) of East Ayrshire, potentially Loch Doon and the surrounding area. The Proposal by Scottish Ministers sets out an indicative boundary, but is still very much subject to assessment and consultation.
The full proposal and indicative boundary can be viewed at Scottish Government: Proposal by Scottish Ministers for a National Park in Galloway (PDF 324 KB)
If East Ayrshire is included in any National Park it will have implications for, amongst other things, governance arrangements, the local environment and tourism in the area.
Have your say
Information on the process, timeline and the reasons behind the proposal can be found at Galloway National Park: Have Your Say Today
NatureScot has also published a Reporter Plan, detailing what it will do over the next few months to understand the views of local people. The ‘conversation phase’ is currently live, allowing any interested stakeholders to share their views on what is special about the area and what a National Park should do.
A Galloway National Park: Interactive map has been set up to the allow views to be expressed and captured.
The conversation phase will be followed up by a formal 12 week consultation phase, expected to commence in November 2024.
The NatureScot Information hub also includes a function to allow interested people to be added to the mailing list for regular updates.