Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – May I utilise the letters page of The Courier to openly invite Jim Crumley to the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust’s Scottish Game Fair, June 29 – July 1, at Scone Palace?
I think he would benefit from the wealth of information on display about all walks of rural life particularly those which he writes emotively about, ie gamekeeping, land management and nature conservation.
Mr Crumley is, of course, welcome to his opinion whether it is challenging the legitimacy of a gamekeeper’s role in conservation or deliberating where sea eagles should and should not reside (Conservation stance must be examined, Courier, April 10).
However, we at the GWCT have learned that a balanced and pragmatic approach to conservation is the most effective. Our ethos and advice is based on scientific fact and we fully advocate equilibrium in nature.
I may be simplifying matters but it is surely most advantageous to Scotland’s biodiversity if we can base our opinions on facts rather than pre-judgments?
I do hope Mr Crumley will accept our invitation and will look forward to introducing him to a variety of individuals and organisations who are striving to manage and conserve Scotland’s rich flora and fauna.
Katrina Candy.Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust,The Control Tower,Perth Airport,Scone.
Why would a ‘national’ party do this?
Sir, – I cannot understand how anyone can have the audacity to plan the construction of huge wind turbines in the vicinity of the Bell Rock lighthouse.
I am not a supporter of Mr Trump, but he is right in thinking that Alex Salmond will destroy Scottish tourism through being besotted with wind turbines.
I cannot see how a party calling itself the Scottish National Party can consent to the dereliction of a national heritage asset not only of Arbroath, but of Scotland, by such an atrocity.
Gordon Stuart.Colliston Castle,by Arbroath.
More than just wind turbines
Sir, – Nationalist MSP Mark McDonald suggests that ”the Conservatives cannot have it both ways on renewable energy” (May 2).
He makes the mistake of equating renewable energy only with wind turbines. But there are a great many other ways of creating renewable energy including wave and tidal schemes, hydro power, biomass systems and solar power, to name some of them.
Onshore wind turbines, which our Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson says are very unpopular, are indeed causing dismay in many rural areas.
The SNP Government is encouraging so many of these industrial turbines that they are fast ruining our wonderful Scottish landscape.
They are also creating the most unreliable and intermittent electricity, always having to be backed up by conventional coal or gas power stations.
What is ”renewable” about that?
Wind power is also a most expensive source of electricity and we are all paying for this grandiose folly through our monthly bills.
It would be refreshing if the Scottish Government admitted its mistake before it is too late and started to promote some other source of renewable energy.
(Mrs) Ann Cowan.The Old Inn,Fowlis Wester,Crieff.
Where one goes…
Sir, – I was delighted to read the article in The Courier of Grove Academy’s renewed esprit de corps because I saw the tide turning towards the end of my time in Broughty Ferry.
My arrival in the early 1970s coincided with the introduction of the most rigid, anti-elitist form of comprehensive education and undoubtedly the Grove was badly affected.
I sensed the dawn was breaking when towards the end of my career one of the Grove boys in my congregation sailed into Cambridge and where one goes, others will follow.
Success feeds on success and parents clamour to send their bright kids to a school where quality teaching gets them where they want to go, and that in turn attracts first-class staff.
The next target should be the ”needs-blind” US Ivy League, Stanford and my alma mater Pomona where it costs less than Oxbridge for the child of parents with moderate means.
(Rev Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Paying same for lesser service
Sir, – I am becoming increasingly frustrated at the lack of Scottish football coverage by the BBC, especially on news broadcasts.
On Sunday morning BBC Breakfast Sport featured five English Premiership matches and one Spanish one followed by English rugby and London marathon reports.
Not a single mention of any Scottish Premier League matches. We are also paying £145 a year for this ”service”!
S. Braid.St Mary’s, Dundee.
Planning ‘aid’?
Sir, – I understand that cigarettes are likely to be sold in plain packets.
Most of our political policies appear to have been ”worked out on the back of a fag packet”.
Plain packets will give more space for politicians to get their energy, economic, foreign, immigration and welfare policies even more wrong.
Clark Cross.138 Springfield Road,Linlithgow.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.