A Highlands MSP has welcomed a new conservation order aimed at stopping environmental damage at one of Scotland’s most significant geological sites.
Scottish Green MSP Ariane Burgess says the move is a long-overdue step to protect the Parallel Roads of Lochaber from piecemeal and unregulated development.
The Nature Conservation Order was issued by the Scottish Government and applies to land at Achnabobane, part of the nationally recognised Site of Special Scientific Interest.
The decision follows sustained campaigning by Burgess on behalf of residents who have seen the area around them deteriorate due to speculative land sales and unauthorised construction.
“This is a welcome and necessary intervention,” said Burgess.
“For too long, unscrupulous landowners have been allowed to sell off small plots of land to unsuspecting buyers, many of whom have invested their life savings in the hope of building a home in this beautiful area.”
“The result has been not only personal distress but also the destruction of a protected landscape of national importance.”
The conservation order prohibits any operations likely to damage the site’s natural features and gives enforcement bodies the power to stop unlawful activity.
Until now, efforts to halt development in the area have been hampered by legal loopholes and limited authority.
Burgess said that the new order finally gives agencies the legal tools they need to act.
“It gives agencies the legal tools they need to stop further damage and begin the process of restoring this unique site,” she said.
Burgess has spent the past year pressing ministers to take action, submitting a series of parliamentary questions and calling for tighter safeguards around land sales in sensitive areas.
The site sits within a dramatic stretch of Highland landscape shaped by Ice Age glaciers, known for its striking, terraced landforms known as the Parallel Roads.
Concerns have grown in recent years as plots were divided and sold off without full awareness of the planning restrictions involved.
According to Burgess, the order could set a precedent for other parts of the Highlands facing similar pressures.
Other areas mentioned include parts of Spean Bridge, Garve, Inveroy, and even Orkney.
“I urge all the organisations that have been involved in this issue to now work together to enforce this order robustly,” she said.
“We must stop this destruction in the name of profit and ensure that those responsible are held to account and fully restore the land.”
“This is also a wake-up call for how we manage land sales and planning in sensitive areas,” she added.
“There’s clearly huge demand for affordable but scenic plots of land, and many of the potential buyers lack information about the planning and environmental constraints.”
“We need stronger safeguards to prevent this kind of exploitation from happening in future.”
