The Douglas Hotel would like to draw attention to some of the groups on Arran who have invested their time in raising awareness of the islands Environment over the years, their achievements and aims.

Coast

Coast and it’s achievements and take their environmental responsibilities seriously. In 1995, two Arran divers (Howard Wood and Don MacNeish) set up the Community of Arran Seabed Trust (COAST) with the aim of reversing the decline in Arran’s marine habitats.

For the past three decades the people of Arran have campaigned to stop mobile fishing that damages our seabeds, jeopardising future livelihoods and wildlife. Our community proposed and achieved protection, in 2008, for the first community-led No Take Zone in Lamlash Bay (NTZ). In this small area of 2.67 sq. km no fishing of any sort is permitted. Look at the NTZ case study from Kerri Whiteside, FFI’s Project Manager, of the Scotland Marine Community Support Project, for a full history behind this campaign.

In 2016, the South Arran Marine Protected Area (MPA) extended this area to nearly 300 sq km to exclude scallop dredging but allow for other, potentially more sustainable, fishing methods in various zones. You can find out more about COAST by visiting the visitor centre in Lamlash.

https://www.arrancoast.com

Arran Access Trust

Since inception in 1999, the Arran Access Trust has evolved from a community group set up primarily to resolve issues between landowners and walkers to the leading access organisation on Arran taking a strategic approach to the management of access provision throughout the island.

Access is very important to Arran both for those who live on the island and as a key part of the island’s tourism industry. Much more can be done to make sure that access on the island works well for visitors, residents, and the farmers and owners who manage the land.

http://www.arran-access-trust.org.uk