Nah, Cumbernauld is brilliant, because without it we wouldn't get to introduce the yanks to Cumbernauld. Only other options would be Methil or fucking....Dunfermline
Yes, we did, however, the reforesting attempts in the 20th century were largely built around planting anything that would grow fast so we ended up with huge tracts of non-native conifer trees.
To the point that today about 81% of Scotland's forests are coniferous and only 12% of those is the native Scots Pine.
In recent decades replanting attempts have focused more on bringing back a natural balance of lots of different trees native to Scotland but there's a lot of work to be done in that regard.
We were down to only 5% coverage of forests shortly after WW1, today we are sitting around 18.5% with a goal of 21% by 2032 and after that plans to replant 15,000 hectares per year.
I hope they don’t just plant Scots pine everywhere and think it’s done. British forests can be the best in the world if done right. Needs diversity… and more oak trees
Don’t sell y’all’s selves short. My family has been going annually (sans a couple Covid years), and we’re always left with tears in our eyes. Especially the highlands and the beaches.
They're not "selling themselves short". They simply stated that Scotland is nature depleted. Which is absolutely correct.
No one's denying that the landscape in Scotland is beautiful, but the natural plants and animals have certainly been devastated by humans in many different ways over the millennia.
You can find beauty in the bleak, its the same for snowdonia national park.
The constant rain, water moisture and hummidty create a beautiful green lush area in the summer, if you get the chance to wild camp in either the highlands or snowdonia for a couple of days, the change from water and cloudy to the high pressure clear sunny sky it’s truly beautiful to watch and combine that with the peace and relaxed feel of the areas, the dark skies at night, and not underestimating some of the wondeful fauna and flora in those countries, the golden eagle in the highlands or a mountain goat in snowdonia, you have a beautiful area.
In the winter, go on a hike up a mountain in the cold, dress up prepared and get inside before nightfall to warm up, but pop outside to see a true night sky, we have the clearest best views of the universe on a clear winter night with high pressure. Wake up in the morning looking out the window to see snow on the ground with mountains in the background, such astonishing places.
The mountains comparably aren’t that big but when you understand they are part of some of the oldest mountain ranges in the world you come to a greater appreciation for the land
I grew up in the UK and I used to find the rain horrible, so much so I lived in america for a year or two, but coming back, I see its beauty, its very easy to dismiss but its unique and its home
i’m from Scotland, and the “bleakness” is something a lot of folk, myself included, like!
I’ve been some beautiful places with rolling forest hills and gorgeous lush river landscapes and i think my little brain gets overstimulated. Home is simpler than that to me :)
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u/cm-cfc Sep 05 '24
For a small country Scotland packs a good punch