Scottish Ministers could make their final decision any day now regarding the future of one of Scotland’s most protected wild places.

Coul Links is on the coast of east Sutherland; a mosaic of rare habitats hosting endangered wildlife including Fonseca’s seed fly, a species found nowhere else in the world.

This area is protected under national, European, and international designations. It forms a breathtaking and wild stretch of the new John O’Groats Trail. It’s the last place you’d expect to see threatened by development.

This area is protected under national, European, and international designations. It forms a breathtaking and wild stretch of the new John O’Groats Trail. It’s the last place you’d expect to see threatened by development.

Yet, this is the decision now facing Ministers: to stick to their commitments and pledges to the natural environment by taking action to defend it, or allow a golf course to irreversibly damage a special site for nature.

We’ve been here before. Trump International Golf Links in Aberdeenshire was approved by the Scottish Government at the time despite objections from the Trust and many others, and evidence and expert testimony that this would damage the site.

The site was similar – a rare dunescape on the east coast of Scotland protected as a Site of Special Scientific Interest. The promises were similar, too. We were told the environment would be cared for and jobs would flow to the area.

In Aberdeenshire, neither of these promises have been delivered. Foveran Links SSSI is set to lose its special status because the damage done by the golf course has left almost nothing to protect. And the promised number of jobs haven’t appeared – in fact, it’s never returned a profit. Nationally, golf courses in Scotland are closing as demand decreases.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust, together with other organisations, gave evidence in the public inquiry held to consider the plans for Coul Links earlier this year. The developers of the golf course extended the inquiry beyond its deadline by several months before submitting their final documents, which swelled to great proportions during the extra time they had.

As charities, we don’t have the same resources but we’ve been enormously thankful for the contributions that have we have received to help us fight this case. Every donation has helped make the case that this area of land is worthy of protection.

Now the Inquiry report is finally with Ministers, they really could make their decision any day.

We know we’re nearly at the end. The Inquiry report is finally with Scottish Ministers, who really could make a decision any day.

We hope they will show that lessons have been learned from the mistakes of the Trump golf course and demonstrate to all of us that strong pledges made on protecting our natural environment are being kept.

Scott Leatham, Policy Specialist

 

Scottish Ministers could make their final decision on Coul Links any day now. Support the campaign to save this special site by signing up to our e-action.