Galloway chosen as preferred location of Scotland’s third national park
By Izzy Alexander
Galloway has been chosen as the preferred location for Scotland’s newest national park.
There are currently two national parks north of the border – the Cairngorms, and Loch Lomond and The Trossachs.
The Scottish government has pledged ‘at least one’ new park will be designated by spring 2026.
Officials confirmed the winning bid this week, with a further investigation now set to be carried out into the area’s suitability.
Galloway, which is already a UNESCO allocated Biosphere, was nominated against areas in the Scottish Borders, Lochaber, Loch Awe and Tay Forest.
NatureScot will lead the public consultation before submitting its findings to ministers in April next year.
‘This is superb news for Galloway, its people, its environment and its economy,’ Rob Lucas, Chair of the Galloway National Park Association, said.
‘We have been campaigning for almost eight years for Galloway to be designated as a National Park for Scotland and this is a huge step forward.
‘Today’s announcement is the result of the strong support we have received from thousands of members of the public along with businesses and from the local councils. We very much hope to see a new Galloway National Park come into being in 2026.
‘Galloway has fantastic hills, mountains, moors and coastlines. What we don’t have have is the means to make the most of these fabulous assets and to reverse our economic decline by building a sustainable future which generates jobs, tourism and business opportunities.
‘A National Park would bring major investment and boost Galloway’s international profile as a wonderful place to live, work and visit.’
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