The Nature of Scotland

and we will be running a national vote to invite everyone to
choose their own Big Five.”
In early 2013 look out for special events featuring the
Big Five, competitions, posters and lots of information about
the Big Five species – and many others. Check the SNH
website (www.snh.gov.uk) to find out more.
Creative thinking
The Big Five is just one of the exciting plans in the pipeline
for 2013. People travelling by train around Scotland will
soon be able to find out more about what they see as they
journey around the country. Plans are underway to develop a
downloadable guide for three of Scotland’s major rail routes,
providing information on the natural heritage, including
information about the landscapes, history and culture along
key routes.
Alison Bell, who is leading SNH’s plans for the Year of
Natural Scotland, said: “For both visitors and all of us living
here, providing information on the natural environment will
help everyone to find out more about our country as they
travel around – and inspire our visitors to come back. The
Year of Natural Scotland is a great opportunity to use new
technology to inform people about our natural heritage.”
2012 was Year of Creative Scotland and celebrated the
cultural and creative strengths of the nation. SNH will build
on that successful year by linking with Creative Scotland
to explore the links between the creative world and natural
Scotland as we raise awareness of nature and landscapes.
SNH is also developing a new web portal and Facebook
app for young people to share their own ideas, stories and
experiences of Scotland’s outdoors online.
John Muir Day
The Year of Natural Scotland will see a focus on the work
of John Muir, including marking John Muir Day on 21
April 2013. Muir was a pioneering, influential Scots-born
conservationist who was passionate about the wild. He
emigrated to North America at a young age, dedicated his
life to protecting wild places and campaigned successfully
for the establishment of national parks to safeguard
vast tracts of wild lands, most notably Yosemite Valley in
California. Muir’s legacy is huge and, in his own words,
featured in the design of the Scottish Parliament building:
“The battle for conservation will go on endlessly. It is part of
the universal battle between right and wrong.”
“The Year of Natural Scotland is a great opportunity for
us all to explore our own country,” said Alison Bell. “Make
this your year to be curious about Scotland and our natural
environment and experience it anew. Set aside time to get
out and do something in the outdoors in 2013 that you
might not usually do – climb that hill, walk a long-distance
route, seek out some of the many wonderful species
found in our country, visit your local green space – be it
park, field, moorland or even your own garden – there’s
always something new to discover in Scotland’s rich natural
environment.”
2
2
Nature, landscapes
and a sense of history
enliven many a rail
journey.
12 The Nature of Scotland