GALLOWAY has been chosen as the proposed location to become Scotland’s next national park.
The Scottish Government is committed to the creation of at least one new national park in the country by 2026, with nominations closing back in February.
The National previously spoke to the Galloway National Park Association about their bid, which has been years in the making.
Now, the Government has confirmed that Galloway will move onto the next step in the process of potentially becoming a national park.
Residents, community groups, businesses and interested parties will all be invited to share their views on whether Galloway should become a new national park and where the boundary for the new park should be drawn.
NatureScot will conduct the public consultation and investigation into whether Galloway should join Loch Lomond and the Trossachs and Cairngorms before submitting its findings to Ministers in April next year.
During a visit to Shambellie House within the proposed new park, Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “After carefully considering all of the nominations we received, I am very pleased that we are proposing to create a new National Park for Scotland in Galloway.
"The proposal is community led, has the backing of many local businesses and makes a strong case on the benefits that national park status will bring for people who live in the area, for the local economy and for the environment.
“At this stage it is still a proposal. NatureScot will now lead a consultation with local people, communities and businesses to gauge support and to look at specifics like the proposed boundary, and how it should take account of local circumstances and help to meet the needs of communities.
“We received nominations for new National Parks from some really special places – Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest.
“I would like to thank everyone who worked so hard on these proposals and all other communities who came together to explore the idea of a new National Park.
“The competition was extremely tough and the bids have clearly shown the outstanding natural and cultural heritage we have in Scotland, as well as people’s ambitions for the rural communities they live in.”
Rob Lucas, chair of Galloway National Park Association said: "This is fantastic news that the case for Galloway to be proposed as Scotland’s third National Park has been recognised. It would bring transformational economic and environmental benefits to the area and strengthen our local communities.
“We are grateful to the thousands who attended events and shared their views over the last seven years which helped to shape our bid.
"We look forward to contributing actively to the next important step in the process for putting a National Park at the heart of a sustainable future for Galloway.”
