I attended the launch of this initiative at the Scottish Parliament, last night. It was good to see the Moorland Forum so well represented - 14 Chief Executives from the Forum's 30 organisations were present.
The Minister for Environment & Climate Change addressed the reception and there was an opportunity to vote for the selection of the favourite species to be promoted through the year. The Red squirrel's charms were proving to be a big attraction, but I would like to think that a species more representative of our moorland and upland areas topped the bill.
Scottish Natural Heritage and Visit Scotland are promoting this initiative and there is much more information an the websites.
The Visit Scotland website quotes that, "Scotland is renowned for breathtaking scenery and our unique natural heritage. The Year of Natural Scotland is a chance to highlight our great natural assets and celebrate our reputation as a land of outstanding beauty." In his address, Andrew Thin, the Chairman of Scottish Natural Heritage, highlighted the value of the Scottish brand to Scotland and how we should be making the most of our natural assets to enhance this.
