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Getting into Scotland's National Parks and Nature Reserves
Introduction and How to Use the Pack

A Resource Pack
Information, advice, resources, ideas and a host of helpful contacts for teachers,
staff and volunteers supporting visits to Scotland’s National Parks and National
Nature Reserves.

NOTE THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS IMAGES WHICH CANNOT BE CONVERTED TO TEXT.
PLEASE SEE ORIGINAL PDF FOR REFERENCE AND ACCURACY. 

Cover photo © Angus Findlay/CNPA
Photography © Scottish Natural Heritage,
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park,
and Cairngorms National Park Authority
Richard Learoyd
Lorne Gill
H MacKay
Stewart Grant


Contents

Introduction to the Resource Pack 3

How to Use the Pack 4

Section One 5

Scotland’s National Parks and National Nature Reserves

Ten Things You Might Not Know

Section Two 13

Resource Sheets

Packaging the Experience

Practicalities

Assessing and Managing Risk

Building Commitment

Schools

Section Th ree 35

Top Tips

Section Four 39

Contacts and Information

Section Five 49

Future Updates

Introduction to the Resource Pack

You have picked up this pack... GREAT! Hopefully that means
you are interested in enjoying some of the brilliant things
on offer in Scotland’s National Parks or National Nature
Reserves (NNR’s).

Of course it may also mean that you are already thinking about all the
barriers that might make visiting or getting involved with National Parks
or NNR ’s difficult.

This pack is based on a larger more formal research project* that gave us a
much clearer idea of what gets in the way for people who do not make the
same kind of use of the National Parks and NNR ’s as others; for example
those who are young, disabled or do not have a lot of spare money. It also
helped us get a much better idea of issues for schools.

What was helpful about the research was that it came up with some good
ideas on how to tackle the barriers that people come up against. These were
often practical things based on their own and others’ experiences of using the
Parks.

We have pulled together the common themes from the research and
produced this practical guide. It is aimed at those of you that work with
and support people to broaden their horizons and increase their sense of
well being. What is great about spending time in the Parks and NNR ’s is that
the people you support can enjoy themselves while taking part in something
educational or developmental.

We hope you find the Pack useful and that you will be encouraged to visit
a National Park or NNR sometime soon.

*Scotland’s National Parks and National Nature Reserves-overcoming barriers to engagement
(LLTN P, CN PA, and SNH March 2009)

How to Use the Pack

Each section of the Pack is colour coded –
check out the contents page at the front to
find the one that best fits your needs.

Information on each of Scotland’s two
National Parks, the National Nature Reserves
(NNR ’s) and Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)
is provided early in the Pack. If you are
unfamiliar with the National Parks, NNR ’s
or SNH then this is a great place to start.

Resource sheets in the middle of the Pack deal
with various barriers that may make it difficult
for you to access or enjoy National Parks and
NNR ’s. These pages give a snapshot of the
issues, and offer advice and examples based
on real experiences. In this way they provide
ideas on what to do or things to think about
when you are planning and organising a visit
to a National Park or NNR .

sc otlan d’s nat ional par ks
Towards the back of the Pack you will find a
‘top tips’ list that you can photocopy. This is an
‘at a glance’ list of things to consider when you
are organising your activity. Not everything on
the list will apply to you, so pick out the ones
that seem most relevant.

This is followed by a list of useful contacts
and information sources.

Finally the Pack provides a space for you
to keep information that will be of use in
the future. 

For example, this might include
information from the Park Authorities and
SNH (you can get these by requesting
updates and mailings – see the ‘Contacts
and Information’ section of this Pack).

© Ashworth Maps and Interpretation Ltd 2010
© Crown copyright and database right 2010. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey
Licence number 100040965 Cairngorms National Park Authority.