Government rejects protection for Argyll’s surfing beaches in Marine Bill

Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Green party introduced an intelligent amendment to the Marine Bill at Holyrood.

He suggested that with Machrihanish beach in Kintyre and the Ise of Tree – both in Argyll – fast becoming major fixtures in the surfing and windsurfing world, these areas should be offered advance protection of assured access and against development.

His approach was dismissed out of hand by the Government – a short sighted ruling, given that the UK’s spectacular weakness is in the area of thinking ahead. Scotland should do better.