Image credit: Mary Lewis
Our primary concerns are:
Ensuring transparency from CnES
Dedicated to the preservation and care of Scolpaig
Arguing for sustainable development for our islands
Ensuring long term health & wellbeing
Safeguarding Natural Capital for future generations
Defending protected and endangered wildlife from man made disturbance
Fighting for citizen justice and open access to information
Ensuring a just & fair planning process
Protecting rare & valuable habitat from biodiversity loss
Our aims:
The permanent withdrawal of the Spaceport proposal from Scolpaig
An alternative vision for Scolpaig, focused on:
protecting /preserving our Natural Capital,
encouraging environmental tourism,
enhancing natural and valuable assets
creating long term, sustainable jobs for the community
“If you walk to Scolpaig either from the north or from the south you get a sense of something utterly strange. We're not talking about a big area here (about the size of Hollyrood Park in Edinburgh). If you get to the top of the hill(s) above Scolpaig you can see everything around about quite close by. It's not like Eskdale Muir in the Borders where you're fold upon fold of hills distant from the next town. It's not like Shetland where you start thinking you're close to Norway. It's all within grasp. But it's disconnected on a profound level. The rock forms and geology are stupefying. And the way the coastline transitions from bay to inlet to ravine to cliff to rolling spit of pebbles is exhausting. You travel a short distance but it takes forever because everything bears examination and the perspectives afforded by the movement of the land are exhausting. Which is a good, good thing.”
About Scolpaig
The land and seascape at Scolpaig, designated as a National Scenic Area, rank amongst the most spectacular in the Western Isles. They form one of the iconic tourist areas of North Uist, a wildlife haven and a place of remarkable natural bio-diversity within a mile of the SSSI of Vallay Island, three miles from the Balranald RSPB Nature Reserve and the closest point on the Western Isles to the double World Heritage Site of St Kilda.
Sustainable development is crucial to these islands. So too is the preservation of its natural assets which encourage visitors from around the world. It is these visitors who directly and indirectly underpin much of the existing local economy and jobs. Wilderness areas are under threat throughout Scotland and, as they diminish, those that are preserved will attract an increasing number of visitors.
We believe it is the role of a pro-active Council to resolve the conflict between economic development and protection of this environment. We are not arguing against the principal of a Spaceport project in the Outer Hebrides. Such a project might bring new and well-paid jobs to the area. However, to develop a major industrial project at Scolpaig and to destroy an existing and valuable asset in the process can only be counterproductive for the community. Even the proposed infrastructure of Phase 1 is likely to cause lasting damage. The case for doing so needs to be made openly and clearly and the Consortium behind this proposal led by CnES has not done so to date.
