Glens of Antrim potential explored

A review of the potential of activity tourism in the Glens of Antrim has just been published.
http://www.antrimcoastandglensaonb.ccght.org/access-to-the-countryside-audit/
Its a very interesting read, although it somewhat states the obvious - this great landscape could, if its potential is properly harnessed, become a hub of activity tourism. From reading it, it becomes painfully obvious that, without the proper legislative framework, it will probably continue to be under developed.
There is hope however. Local communities are now waking up and thinking seriously of how to attract people to their area. Individually, reports like this can't turn things around. But added to other research they may eventually make our politicians wake up to the potential of our countryside. Just don't hold your breath.

Little imagination

With the news that FG Wilson (Caterpillar) is laying off another 700 or so workers, our politicians are caught like rabbits in the headlights of not so much a car as an oncoming locomotive (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19587807). The economy is in the crapper and all they can do is...what exactly? Not much it would seem. Business leaders call for a lowering of the corporate tax rate, but there is little evidence that this would do anything except make businesses richer at the expense of ordinary working families, shifting the tax burden in an unacceptable fashion. It would also mean a cut to the block grant from HM Treasury of such magnitude as to actually threaten Northern Ireland's very viability as a governable entity.

The common theme is a complete lack of imagination or even willingness to engage with the real issues at hand. Much has been made of exploiting tourism, of making Northern Ireland a more attractive place to visit. Talk extends as far as setting up more golf courses in areas already overloaded with them, and in areas which need to be protected from stupid over-development. Where are the discussions about the one thing that would give Northern Ireland that extra edge (or at least equalise things a bit) - countryside access reform?

It would be almost laughable were it not so tragic that, instead of grasping the opportunity which so obviously presents itself, we have our Environment Minister Alex Attwood running scared from creating Northern Ireland's first national parks simply because the Ulster Farmer Union stamp their feet at the mere suggestion (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-19550802). Fear of change is of course the reason the farming lobby do so, for they are not so daft as to realise that access in such areas won't have to be enhanced - a park isn't a park unless you can walk around it a bit. However, the more enlightened surely realise that this very change will likely deliver a more prosperous future for them and their families. We simply cannot afford this myopic self-defeating nonsense anymore. If we don't change, if we don't show a willingness to improve things and to progress, for the benefit of all this society and not just the few, then what is the point of having a local Executive?

So, a challenge to our politicians: get your collective fingers out and start making a difference. Get your heads out of your favorite subjects of flags and marches and sectarian whataboutery, and get them into creating and delivering a real and imaginative program for government (as opposed to that lifeless thing you 'created' recently - http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/index/programme-for-government-and-budget-v1.htm) that will improve people's lives, not just economically but socially and environmentally also.

Here's a starter for ten - let's create a new legislative framework on countryside access that will actually deliver positive outcomes for everyone. Marry this legislation to a top down 10 year strategy with the aim of delivering a structured network of bridleways and footpaths right across Northern Ireland, linking every part of it with off-road access for walker, cyclist and horse-rider alike. Guarantee access to all parts of our uplands and mountains as a right. Create a path around the entire coastline. Create a path around Lough Neagh and also Lower and Upper Lough Erne. Create tow paths along all our major rivers. In short, create a countryside environment which will mean that hundreds of thousands more people, both at home and from abroad, will want to visit and explore our beautiful landscapes, and where new and existing tourism businesses can make investments, in the knowledge that they will have every chance to develop and flourish.

Too radical? I think we live in radical times. We have radical problems, we need radical solutions. And when you think about it, there's little radical about it. Its nothing more than simply playing catchup with the rest of the UK and most of Europe anyway.

Antrim: A gem of a walk...

We walked a great circular route in Antrim today. From the fantastic new gardens at Clotworthy House, we walked along the Six Mile Water following the Mill Race Walk to Muckamore. Magic wildlife can be found here, and as well as a Dipper and a couple of Herons, we spotted our first Kingfisher, a glowing blue blur dashing low over the river. That really made the day that did.

Backtracking a bit, we took to Kirby’s Lane which winds through a scene of bucolic loveliness and despite the fact that it is a public road it had not a car on it.

We passed across the Dublin Road and onto the path going down to Rea’s Wood, hugging the Lough Neagh shoreline.  The path took us back to the Lough Shore car park where we met the Six Mile Water again. A short ramble took us back to Clotworthy House. In short, a really nice lowland walk, along a beautiful river and with lots of great woodlands. And because of this, very atypical for Northern Ireland.

Congrats and kudos to Antrim Council for having the vision to develop this walk. It forms a great blueprint for what can be accomplished to improve countryside access, and is one that other councils would do well to study and follow. Despite the poor weather, the walk was being well used by families and dog walkers.

One final note: there was relatively little litter along the length of this walk but there was some, left by the type of people I can only classify as idiots. The council obviously work hard to keep on top of this, but if you are ever out on a walk either here or anywhere else, you can help things enormously by lifting some of the litter you might see.

Welcome To My Blog

Hi All. Welcome to what I hope will be a fun and informative blog mainly relating to walking in the Northern Ireland countryside. As a keen walker based in Northern Ireland I have long thought that our countryside access situation was poor in comparison with the rest of the UK or indeed the rest of Europe. With the establishment of a new parliament at Stormont, hope was high that this issue would be addressed for the benefit of all its people. Unfortunately, we are still waiting.

In an economic environment which is badly struggling, where politicians claim that no stone will be unturned to create jobs, and where there is a great push to maximise Northern Ireland’s tourism industry, I am amazed that countryside access is not further up the agenda. Our natural heritage is our greatest asset, yet unlocking the potential of that asset, by enhancing access, does not seem on the agenda.

Writing letters to politicians doesn’t seem to be working, so I decided to set up this blog to raise awareness of the need for a new deal in countryside access legislation in Northern Ireland. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom whose citizens are not, by law, guaranteed access to the countryside, whether over mountain or moor, coast or lowland countryside. That means Northern Ireland’s citizens are disadvantaged in relation to their compatriots on the UK mainland; second class citizens. This has got to change.

There is some actually quite powerful legislation on the statute books in the shape of the Access to the Countryside Northern Ireland Order, which came into being in 1983. It gives local councils quite sweeping powers to map, establish and maintain Public Rights of Way (PRoW), yet, apart from a few notable exceptions, it has proven quite ineffective in improving the access landscape in the North. I'll explore why this might be so, and what can be done to change this situation.

But I want to keep things positive for the most part, so to that end I’ll be highlighting great examples of where access to the countryside has been enhanced either by local councils or community groups. I’ll also post some walking routes of walks I have completed, because despite the limitations we face in comparison to UK mainland, there is still some great walking to be had.

I shall also be commenting on other related issues, such as environmental protection, heritage, anything that takes my fancy really. I hope that you can contribute too to all of this and makes this blog a force for real positive change.