2

1. The Creation of Scotland’s Natural Landscape

Colliding continents, erupting volcanoes

and moving ice sheets are some of the

ways in which the diversity of Scotland’s

natural landscape has been created. In

the past, Scotland travelled towards the

South Pole and wandered the southern

hemisphere, before drifting to its present

latitude.

In the process it passed through all the Earth’s

climatic zones. The land which we now call Scotland

carried an ever-changing cargo of plants and

animals. These early forms of life adapted to the

ever-changing environmental conditions or died out.

Scotland has drifted across the surface of the planet

like a great Ark, constructed of rock rather than

wood, and driven not by the tides and winds, but by

the movement of plates on the Earth’s surface.

Learning Intentions:

To understand the journey Scotland has taken to its current location.

To understand the variety, origin and importance of Scotland’s geology.

Skills:

Working with others while contributing ideas.

Extracting information and annotating maps.

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Alfred Wegener (1880- 1930)

Continental drift is a theory that

explains how continents shift position on

Earth's surface.

Wegener thought all the continents were

once joined together before breaking up

and drifting to their current positions.

Pangaea was a supercontinent that

formed roughly 300 million years ago,

and was responsible for the fossil and

rock clues that led Wegener to his

theory.

The Earth’s crust is divided into about fifteen segments called tectonic plates. These plates

‘float’ on the mantle (a thick layer of semi-molten rock). Heat from the Earth’s core (5,500°c)

creates convection currents in the mantle. Convection currents is the movement of the hot

molten rock rising to the surface before cooling and sinking. These currents cause the

tectonic plates to move slowly, sometimes only a few millimetres per year (fingernail growth

rate!).

TASK: Collect blank world map.

1. Using the map above and the information on the slide, highlight the tectonic plate

boundaries and fill in the plate names.

2. Correctly label the countries where Wegner saw evidence for continental drift and annotate

what that evidence was.

4

2. Geology

For its size, Scotland has the most varied geology

(the study of the earth’s structure) and natural

landscape of any country on the planet.

Evidence of deep oceans, scalding deserts and

tropical rainforests are all to be found in

Scotland’s rocks. There are hundreds of different

kinds of rock in Scotland. Some of Scotland’s

rocks are among the oldest in the world. The rock

forming the low ground in the North West of

Scotland is around 2700 million years old. They

are an important part of the landscape and have given us important resources from early

times.

Many rare, spectacular and precious minerals

occur in Scotland's rocks. Lead, silver, gold,

manganese, baryte, zinc, chromium, copper,

mica and talc have all been mined in Scotland

Over millions of years, rocks have formed in

different ways. Sometimes the earth’s tectonic

plates moved violently resulting in lava flows and ash being blasted high into the sky as new

volcanoes formed. Some of these are still visible today; Castle Rock in Edinburgh and the

Bass Rock are just small parts of once large volcanoes.

About 330 million years ago, another type of rock began to form. The climate was hotter and

wetter; parts of Scotland were covered with swamps, tropical trees and giant ferns. Huge

dragonflies with wingspans up to 75 cm flew about. Eventually dead trees and

plants fell into the swamps and were covered by sea and sand. The dead wood

slowly hardened to form coal. This is how Scotland’s coalfields developed. These

coalfields became very important to Scotland as a natural resource, especially

during the industrial revolution, when coal was an important energy source.

Edinburgh Castle sits on top of an extinct volcano

5

Scotland’s oil fields have also been created due to its changing locations. The

following processes outline the development of oil:

1. Oil is formed from the remains of dead sea animals. Some dead trees may

have been in the deposits, but small sea animals mostly formed the oil. Trees

usually turned into coal.

2. The dead sea animal remains were covered by layers of mud which eventually

turned into rock.

3. The rock produced conditions of both heat and pressure which caused oil to

form. The actual temperature was between 90° C and 120° C.

4. It was important that no air or oxygen was present. The animals would rot and

not form oil if air was present.

Oil has become another very important natural resource to Scotland. Scotland is the EU's

largest petroleum producer, with the discovery of North Sea oil transforming the Scottish

economy. The city of Aberdeen became the centre of the North Sea Oil Industry, which it still

is today. However we know that oil and coal will run out, as it takes millions of years to form.

What is more, it is damaging to the planet, creating dangerous ‘greenhouse gases’ that heat

up our atmosphere. It is therefore important to find other sources of energy.

6

Questions:

1) Write a paragraph to explain what has moved Scotland around the globe and give

details on the different climates Scotland has experienced.

2) What does the word geology mean?

3) Name the two resources Scotland’s geology has provided us with.

4) Explain how oil has been formed.

5) Can we keep using coal and oil? If we do what are the possible implications for human

activity?

Pupil Choice - Poster Activity

Homework

You have been learning about Scotland’s journey to its current location. Try and imagine what

Scotland looked liked as it passed through different climates.

1. Create an information poster or a storyboard showing the various climates of Scotland

and detailing Scotland’s journey.

OR

2. Create a timeline/ poster showing the different stages in the formation of coal or oil.

Ideas:

1. You could use the comparison of Scotland as a boat travelling through different

climate zones.

2. Draw an outline of Scotland in the middle of the page and then around it draw

and label images from the different climate zones it travelled through (i.e. a sand

dune to indicate Scotland as a desert).

3. Create a timeline with images and text showing the stages and timescale of coal

formation.

7

3. What shapes landscapes?

Would you believe it if you were told

that the landscapes you see around

you are slowly disappearing? Each

time it rains and every time the wind

blows, tiny pieces of sediment get

taken away. This process, known as

erosion, is gradually wearing down

the surface of the earth. While it may

be a slow process, given enough

time, erosion can move mountains and

dig holes as big as the Grand Canyon!

The process of erosion can be defined as the removal of solids in the natural

environment. Erosion can be caused by a number of different factors; natural and human.

Four of these agents of natural erosion, are ice, waves, rivers and wind.

ICE

Out of these four factors ice can give the most dramatic changes to a landscape; ice has

been the main agent of erosion to shape Scotland’s landscape. In mountain and polar

regions, huge masses of ice move down valleys and across plains. As they travel, they pick

up rocks and stones which grind away at the ground surface below, wearing down the land

like sandpaper. The material they move collects in huge mounds at the end of the valley.

Learning Intentions:

To understand the concept of erosion.

To understand the different ways Scotland’s current landscape and other

landscapes around the world have been formed by erosion.

Skills:

I can use prior knowledge in decision making.

Effectively participating in groups.

Wind erosion: ‘Balancing Rock’, Arches National Park, Utah, USA.

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WAVES/ RIVERS

Water too has a lot of strength; rivers are

constantly wearing tiny pieces of rock from their

banks and their beds. These particles are carried

away by the river. When a river is in flood it can

carry huge boulders. Waves constantly batter our

shores and wear away the cliffs. Eroded particles

are carried away by the waves or by currents and

are deposited on beaches.

WIND

Material can also be moved along beaches by waves. If you walk along a beach when there is

a strong wind, you will feel sand blowing against your face. The particles carried by the wind

blast away the rocks in their path, sometimes forming weird and wonderful shapes like the

photo on the previous page.

Extension Questions

1. Explain the process of erosion.

2. Describe and explain the four main processes of physical erosion.

Homework:

Forces of Erosion Homework Task: Take an ‘Erosion sheet’ and complete the activities at

home deciding how each land formation was formed.

Activities:

1. In pairs read pages 7 & 8 together. In your jotters divide a page into 4.

Write down a definition of the 4 different processes of erosion and state the

locations that they can occur. As a pair think of any landscapes that have been

created by these processes and add them to your boxes.

2. Your teacher will show you images of different landscapes from Scotland and

around the world. Using coloured cards decide:

How have these been formed?

Choose from: Ice, River, Waves or Wind

Durdle Door Natural Arch, Dorset. Created by wave erosion.

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4. Ice-Age Scotland

We have all heard of the movie ‘Ice Age’ but did

you know the changes that happen throughout the movie

have happened more than once throughout the Earth’s history?

TASK: The graph above shows the changing temperature from present day to over 2,400

million years ago. Working with a partner try to answer the following questions:

1. How many Ice ages has there been in earth’s history?

2. When was the most recent ice age?

3. When was the first BIG MELT? (When did the glaciers first start melting?)

4. When did the pattern change and do you think we are due another ice age?

Learning Intentions:

To understand the importance of ice in shaping the Scottish Landscape.

To understand the concept of an Ice-Age.

To name and explain features of glaciation.

Skills:

Effectively work with others to make decisions.

Use my literacy and numeracy skills to extract information from graphs.

Fascinating! Tell me more…

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The general term "ice age" explains a period in

time when there was a long-term reduction in

the temperature of the Earth’s surface and

atmosphere, resulting in an expansion of ice

sheets and glaciers. The period of time known

as the ‘Ice Age’ lasted 2.4 million years,

however, Scotland did not stay permanently

covered by ice because the climate increased

and decreased throughout this time. Scotland was covered by ice on three occasions, the

most recent being 10,500 years ago. During this time, heavy snow fell in the mountains

allowing layers of snow to build up in hollows. Gradually this snow was squeezed down into

ice. Very slowly, once the hollows were full, some of the ice crept

down the valleys below. These slow-moving ‘rivers of ice’ are

called glaciers.

These glaciers moved very slowly and helped shape the present-

day landscape of Scotland by eroding, transporting and

depositing material, creating Scotland’s hills, mountains, lochs

and lowlands.

TASK:

While watching the DVD answer the following Questions:

1. How many metres of ice are they standing under?

2. What does the glacier ‘pick up’ as it moves?

3. What size rock can a glacier carry?

4 What makes the glacier “flow more easily”?

Loch Lomond

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Once the ice had all melted, the mountains looked different. Large, deep hollows were now

left high on the mountainsides where the glaciers had begun. In Scotland, these hollows are

called corries. Sometimes there is a loch at the bottom of the corrie. In Scotland this is called

a tarn or a corrie loch. Narrow river valleys had been transformed from being shallow and

narrow, with sloping sides (V shaped valley) to broad and deep with steep vertical sides,

known as a U-shaped valley (see fig.1.). The glacier had acted like a giant file grinding away

at the land as it passed through the valley. Long lochs were sometimes left in these valleys

such as Loch Lomond and Loch Ness.

Fig.1. Changing Valley, V to U shaped

Most of the soil and stone was eroded from the mountains and dropped in the lowlands where

the glaciers had lost their power and could no longer erode. As a result, many of Scotland’s

lowlands are plastered over by thick glacier deposits known as glacial till. Glacial till can be

very fertile and has resulted in large areas of lowland Scotland being used for farming.

Activity - Becoming the glacier. A volunteer will wear the glacier robe and ‘shape’ the class into a U-shape valley with the

help of erosion. Move through the aisles picking up rocks and other material before depositing as you run out of energy.

Narrow and shallow V-shaped valley eroded by a river

Wide and deep U-shaped valley eroded by a glacier

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These deposits of glacial till have in some

places been shaped by the ice forming

smooth, egg-shaped hillocks. Have you

ever noticed, when walking or driving

through Glasgow that you are often going

up and down many hills? This is because

Glasgow is built on top of these egg-

shaped hillocks (known as drumlins).

There are 180 of these drumlins under

Glasgow. Do any of these names sound

familiar to you – Partick Hill, Hillhead or

Garnethill? The word ‘hill’ which appears in many Glasgow place names is due to their

location on these drumlins.

Extension Questions

1. Explain what an ‘ice age’ is.

2. Describe how glaciers formed and what glacial till is.

3. Explain the changes from a v-shaped valley to a u-shaped valley.

4. Why do so many names in Glasgow have the word ‘hill’ in them?

Garnethill, looking down from Glasgow School of Art to Douglas Street.

Glossary of Glacial Features:

U-shaped valley: Large, deep, wide valleys formed from ice passing through a v-

shaped valley.

Corrie: Large, deep, steep-sided hollows in mountainsides.

Tarn/Corrie Loch – A loch in the bottom of a corrie.

Glacial Till – a mixture of soil and stone deposited by a glacier.

Drumlin – Smooth, egg-shaped hillocks created by a glacier flowing over glacial till.

Activity

Your teacher will show you slides providing you with more detail on how these features

were formed. Following this, collect the ‘Glaciation features’ sheet, cut out the diagrams, fill

in the missing labels and colour in the diagrams.

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5. Map Work

You are going to learn how to identify the glaciated areas you have been

learning about on a map, but first of all you need to familiarise yourself with

some basic map-reading skills.

Your teacher will show a PowerPoint to allow you to understand compass directions and how

to read a map using 4 AND 6 figure grid references.

TASK: Secret Message Activity

Now that you understand how to use four figure grid references, it’s time to put this to the test.

Using the grid on the next page, write a secret message to someone in your class using grid

references. The person you choose to send this message to will only be able to read this

message by testing their map-reading skills.

Learning Intentions:

To be able to read a map using grid references, contour lines and map symbols.

To identify an area of glaciation on a map.

Skills:

I can solve problems.

I can take ownership over my own learning.

Example: (9303) (9403) (9506) (9303 )(9404)(9605) (9202)(9704)(9605) (9206)(9404)(9405) (9706) Hi, how are you?

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02

03

04

05

06

07

08

09

Secret Message Activity Grid 92 93 94 95 96 97

A B C D E F

G H I J K L

M N O P Q R

S T U V W X

Y Z . , ! ?

: ; ( ) £ -

‘ @ 1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 0

92 93 94 95 96 97

4 & 6 figure grid reference Homework

Collect a homework sheet and complete both sides. Remember to put the return date in your homework diary.

15

Understanding symbols, height and relief

Understanding map symbols:

It is important that you are able to identify different map symbols. These symbols

allow you to know what is in the area that your map is showing you. These

symbols show you everything from roads, airports and industrial estates to picnic

sites and telephone boxes.

TASK: Symbol memory test.

Study the key from an O.S. map and complete the task on the PowerPoint. Can you get all 10

correct?

Height and the relief (gradient/steepness) of land can

always be identified on a map. On a map you will see thin

orange/brown lines which are called contour lines, and

these connect areas on the map which are of equal

height. If the land is very steep these lines will be very

close together, showing a very quick increase in the

height of the land (a steep gradient). If the land is flat no

contour lines will be present.

Symbols called trig points (a blue triangle on the map) are also used to show height, these

are located at the top of hills. Spot heights are also used on maps to give exact heights;

these will be a black dot with a number beside it.

The biggest clue from a map that a landscape has been glaciated is from the

contour lines. Think about how a U-shaped valley and a corrie looks in real life

and then think what shape the contour lines would take. What would a corrie

loch look like on a map?

TASK: Using the PowerPoint for direction, draw a U-Shaped Valley and Corrie Loch as they

would be represented on an O.S. map.

Example of contour lines. Orange/ Brown lines with numbers showing height from sea level.

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6.The ‘Value’ of our Landscape

We have now looked at how Scotland’s landscape has been created

and shaped but how important is our landscape and how much is it

worth to us?

When we think of the word ‘value’ we instantly think about a price, a number.

However, how easy is it to value our landscape? Indeed, can our landscape

actually be valued similar to how we would value an object in a shop?

We use our landscapes in many ways from exploiting natural

resources to being used for recreational activities and we market

it to other countries to encourage people to visit Scotland. Our

landscape can therefore be described as an economic resource

as it generates money for our country.

Research has been conducted to calculate the approximate economic value of some of our

landscapes. In 2016 a survey was completed analysing the importance of Scotland’s land to

our economy. It was found that the Scottish environment is estimated at £17.2 billion a year

which is 11% of total Scottish output – this output support 242,000 jobs which is 14% of all

full-time jobs in Scotland. This research has determined that one fifth of all industry sectors in

Scotland significantly depend on our natural environment!

Learning Intentions:

To understand how Scotland’s natural landscape has contributed to the economy.

To explore the ethics of placing a monetary value on a landscape.

Skills:

I can communicate well with others.

I can contribute ideas.

17

We may be able to work out how much money we

make from a landscape but many people would argue

that a landscape can not only be valued in terms of

money. A definition of the word ‘landscape’ by

Scottish Natural Heritage is ‘an area perceived by

people, whose character is the result of the action

and interaction of natural and/or human factors’.

Activity

1. What is the total income from water based business activities? (Hint: there are 5 activities)

2. Why do you think there are so many water based businesses in Scotland?

3. Write a short paragraph explaining your opinion on whether it is ethically acceptable to only value a landscape on how much money that landscape can

produce.

18

The wording ‘an area perceived by people’ has

led to research into the fact that people and in fact

different cultures and religions perceive

landscapes in different ways. Therefore, how

important and subsequently how valuable a

landscape is will vary between people and

societies.

Many people have emotional attachments to landscapes and some landscapes are even

seen as globally important? Imagine if someone decided to fill in the Grand Canyon to build a

shopping centre on the land if it was decided that the shopping centre would make more

money than the money the tourists who come to see it bring? The Grand Canyon is globally

seen as one of the most impressive natural landscapes in the world and therefore the ‘value’

of this landscape to many, is much more than the economic value that land could bring if it

was a shopping centre.

Grand Canyon

Activity

Q: Can you think of any landscapes which are important to you?

The landscape could be a location of a childhood holiday or just a landscape you see all the time. It doesn’t have to be in Scotland. TASK: Write at least three sentences to describe the landscape and why it is important to you. How would you feel if this landscape was altered?

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7. Tourism

What is tourism?

Tourism can be defined as the business of providing tours and services for people travelling

for pleasure or recreation. People travel or move from one place to another for different

reasons, such as:

for business

to visit friends or family, or

for pleasure or recreation

People who travel for pleasure or recreation are called tourists; however,

they may combine tourist activities such as visiting the historic sites with

business meetings or visiting friends.

Learning Intentions:

To understand what tourism is.

To evaluate how important tourism is to Scotland and its economy.

To assess the importance of the landscape and media in marketing Scotland.

Skills:

I can demonstrate and apply skills from across the curriculum.

I can work efficiently to manage my time.

Activity

In pairs try and decide on some reasons why you think the tourist industry has increased in

the last half of the century. Write them down then share with the class. Use the images on

the slide to help you!

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There are several factors that together may account for the very rapid growth in tourism

activity worldwide since the end of the Second World War in 1945.

A combination of the following is usually used to explain the growth in tourism:

• Increased leisure time, paid leave and disposable income in developed

countries.

• The arrival of the commercial jet aircraft in 1958.

• The availability of relatively cheap oil.

The growth and economic importance of tourism

It can be said that during the last century, tourism has grown to become one of the world’s

biggest industries, with international tourism growing particularly rapidly in the latter half of the

century.

Activity

The map above shows growth in tourism for various different regions. Using the map answer the following questions:

1. What region has seen the biggest growth in 2016? How much money did his region make for tourism?

2. What area has grown least from tourism in 2016? 3. Why do you think there are differences in growth between these two areas?

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Why is tourism important to Scotland?

Scotland's tourism industry

employs a massive 217,000

people – that's 8.5% of the

nation's workforce and 15% in

the Highlands and Islands.

Tourism pays the wages of

more people than the oil, gas

and whisky industries

combined and

contributes £6

billion a year to the

Scottish economy.

The importance of Scotland’s landscape to the tourist industry.

In a recent survey carried out by the Scottish Government, the

quality of the scenery is the leading factor given as the reason

for a visit to Scotland, with 92% of our visitors describing it as an

important influence on their decision. For over 90% of visitors, the

scenery exceeded their expectations which had a significant

impact on repeat and referral visits.

Go

Homework:

Select one of the activities below and find out about its impact on Scotland. Include:

1. How much money does it bring into Scotland?

2. How many tourists does it attract? 3. Where can we find these activities?

4. What role does the landscape play in this activity?

Hill walking and climbing, boating and watersports, skiing, cycling, castle and whisky trails, a

packed festival calendar, Highland Games, fishing, pony trekking and golf.

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Country Percentage

USA 20

Germany 17

France 13

Australia 11

Netherlands 9

Canada 8

Irish Republic 7

Norway 6

Italy 5

Spain 4

TASK:

1. Using the table on the right create a bar graph (with

spaces between the categories). Remember the golden

rules:

a. Give a title

b. Label both the axis (including units)

c. Plan in pencil

d. Use a ruler

2. Once you are finished write a descriptive paragraph about where tourists come from.

(Aim for at least three sentences and include data in your answer).

In Geography, we use different types of maps to display information. Look at the following

maps and think what they could be used for? What could be the benefit of using these maps?

1.This is a flow line map showing where people who visit the Lake District

2. This is a proportional symbol map showing the amount of internet users.

Activity

1. Use your homework diary or an atlas to help you find the countries and shade them lightly. 2. Make each bar 5mm wide. 3. Use a scale of 1mm = 1% to work out the height of your bars. i.e. the USA bar will be 5mm

wide and 20mm tall. 4. Draw the bar inside the correct country. If the bar doesn’t fit within the country, draw it in a

space close by and put an arrow pointing to the country. 5. Give your map a title and a key that explains the scale.

3. Proportional map showing the top 10 countries that visit Scotland by percent.

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8. The Scottish landscape as a marketing tool

We have just learnt that the landscape is the key reason why people

visit Scotland. How has this been achieved? The answer lies in

advertising strategies; some of these deliberate, some not so

deliberate. From pictures on biscuit tins to television adverts and

Hollywood films, the image of Scotland has been spread around the

globe.

How would you describe the iconic Scottish landscape?

Watch the clip from SNH and write down:

1. How many people does tourism employ?

2. Where is a lot of the revenue from tourism spent?

3. Why is it important to spend it in these areas?

4. Why has there been an increase in nature-based activities?

Activity

Your teacher will show you video clips to show you how Scotland is

advertised here and across the world.

While watching these clips think about how Scotland is being portrayed.

How is Scotland sold?

Think about the images, words and music used.

After you have seen these clips, write down your answer to the question in bold.

Share with a partner and then with the whole class. These ideas will be important

for the next section of this unit.

24

Visit Scotland Advertising Project

The ‘brief’:

Visit Scotland, Scotland’s national tourism

organisation, has asked your advertising company to

develop a new campaign for attracting tourists to

Scotland.

Making your company work:

You will be working in companies (groups) for this project. You need to consider how you are

going to structure your company.

Company structure:

You have to decide whether or not to have a company manager to lead the project or whether

everyone in the company is going to have an equal role. However, when it comes to important

decisions, everyone in the company should have a say.

Everyone in your company should take part in every section of this project, however, for

successful time management you may want some people in your company to concentrate on

certain aspects of the project.

Learning Intentions:

To revise the previous topics and convey an understanding of this unit so far. To create an advertising plan for Visit Scotland.

SKILLS:

I can communicate using a range of methods. I can work effectively in a group and contribute ideas.

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Your market:

Visit Scotland already has a very strong marketing campaign for different types of tourists.

However, Visit Scotland is looking at creating a new television advert to encourage those who

enjoy the outdoors and have an interest in being educated about the formation of

landscapes to come to Scotland. As experts on the importance and creation of the Scottish

landscape, your company, has been asked to create an idea board for Visit Scotland to put

forward a plan for this television advert.

Tasks:

1) Choose your company name

2) Decide on your company structure (see ‘making your company work’)

3) Decide on a company slogan

4) Carry out research on your project.

You should have a good general understanding of what Visit Scotland is

looking for from your previous learning in this unit.

5) Prepare your ‘idea board’. This can be done on a large piece of paper or

using PowerPoint or both.

You might want to include:

A slogan for advertising Scotland

Images of Scotland (remember your target market!)

Information about the creation of the Scottish Landscape which you think

should be included in the advert with a map.

Information about outdoor tourist activities available in Scotland

Music that could be played during the advert

6) Prepare and present your advertising strategy.

You will have to present your idea board to Visit Scotland.

You will need to introduce your company, company slogan and then sell your

idea board to them. Therefore you will have to explain your ideas to Visit

Scotland to successfully put across your marketing strategy.

The best group wins the contract!

26

9. Sustainable Tourism and Sustainable

Development

We have been studying the importance of the tourist industry for the Scottish

economy.

Tourism in Scotland is expected to keep increasing; therefore, the

sustainability of this industry has to be examined, especially in

consideration of growing global environmental concerns. We know

how important the landscape is to Scottish tourism and

subsequently our economy; however developments have to take

place in order to accommodate tourists and their needs. This raises

the question of how we can protect our landscape while making sure the economy and

society prosper. Many believe the answer to this is through ‘sustainable development’.

Learning Objectives:

To examine the origins and meaning of the term ‘Sustainable Development’. To understand the meaning of sustainable tourism.

SKILLS:

I can listen and reflect on the ideas of others. I can evaluate different resources to come to a conclusion.

Activity Many of you will have already heard of ’sustainable development’ or words such as

‘sustainable’ or ‘sustainability’. Think of the meaning of these words and try and

decide what ‘sustainable development’ is.

Discuss this concept with a partner and write down any ideas you have then you can

share these ideas with the class.

27

What is Sustainable Development?

The past 20 years have seen a growing realisation that our current

model of development is unsustainable. In other words, we are

living beyond our means. From the loss of biodiversity with the

felling of rainforests or over fishing to the negative effect our

consumption patterns are having on the environment and the climate.

Our way of life is placing an increasing burden on the planet.

The increasing stress we put on resources and environmental systems such as water, land

and air cannot go on forever. Especially as the world's population continues to increase and

we already see a world where over a billion people live on less than a dollar a day.

A widely-used definition of sustainable development is: 'development which meets the

needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet

their own needs' . Around the world we are not even meeting the needs of the present let

alone considering the needs of future generations.

Unless we start to make real progress toward

rectifying these contradictions we face a future

that is less certain and less secure.

Globally, there is now a general recognition

that we need to make a definite move towards

more sustainable development. Not just

because it is the right thing to do, but also

because it is in our own long-term best

interests. The practice of this is not so straight

Sustainable

Development

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forward and many countries believe that to meet the

sustainable development objectives, the economy

will have to suffer. This debate has reached the

global political agenda through the 2015 Paris

Agreement, in which the world’s major industrial

countries agreed to reduce their ‘carbon footprint’.

However, the USA – a country with one of the largest

carbon outputs – has since decided to withdraw from this agreement, leading to widespread

condemnation from other world leaders. Extract from the Guardian newspaper, June 2017:

The world’s second largest emitter of greenhouse gases will quit the international effort to

address dangerous global warming. Trump commented: “I was elected to represent the

citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris.”

To conclude, sustainable development simply balances the benefits of

economic development against environmental and social costs.

Sustainable development is often compared to a three legged stool, if the

three legs; economic, social and environmental are not of equal length

(importance) then the stool will topple over – sustainable development will

not be achieved.

Activity Read page 27 and 28 and answer the following questions:

1. What do we mean when we say ‘living beyond our means’?

2. What resources are we putting stress on?

3. What do some countries think will happen if they meet their sustainability objectives?

4. Which country is less willing to reduce its carbon footprint?

5. What has sustainable development been compared to?

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What is Sustainable tourism?

Sustainable tourism is tourism development that avoids damage to the

environment, economy and cultures of the locations where it takes place. The aim of

sustainable tourism is to ensure that development is a positive experience for local people,

tourism companies and tourists themselves.

Sustainable tourism is not a marketing idea

to attract new markets - it is a planned term

to describe a specific approach to the

development of tourism. Sustainable

tourism aims to take all impacts, positive

and negative, into account. All tourism

has the potential to be more sustainable.

As well as encouraging continued tourism growth, sustainable tourism should ensure that

Scotland’s two key tourism assets, our natural heritage and our communities, will survive and

thrive.

Sustainable tourism has the following characteristics;

1. Economic prosperity

long term competitive and prosperous tourism businesses

quality employment opportunities, fair pay and conditions for all employees

2. Social improvement and sustainability

tourism that improves the quality of life of local communities,

working together - community involvement in tourism planning and management,

safe, satisfying and fulfilling visitor experiences

3. Environmental and cultural protection

reduced pollution and degradation of the global and local environment

tourism that maintains and strengthens biodiversity

tourism that maintains and enriches our unique and diverse culture

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Sustainable Tourism Project

Large development proposals in Scotland and around the world are becoming increasingly

difficult to gain approval for due to the growing pressures of sustainability issues. Most

development proposals now have to be audited in terms of how they meet sustainable

development outcomes in terms of being beneficial to the economy and society without

compromising the environment. Those in the role of making these difficult decisions have a

tricky task. It is now your turn to take on this role. You will have to weigh up the evidence

for and against a proposal before making a decision on whether this development should be

allowed to go ahead. You should use your

knowledge of sustainable development and

sustainable tourism in order to help you

evaluate this proposal.

Your Job

You are a sustainable development surveyor carrying out a piece of independent research

into the proposed development of a theme park in Loch Lomond. You have to way up the

positive and negative impacts of this development on the economy, society and the

environment before putting forward your decision on whether this development should be

given approval.

Learning Objectives:

To research a development proposal. To evaluate the sustainability of this proposed development. To prepare a report reasoning the rejection or acceptance of this proposal

SKILLS:

Develop research skills Analyse and interpret data to make a decision Plan and create

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The Proposal

The proposal from the Flamingo Chain of theme parks is to open a theme park ‘FunLand’ in

Balloch, Loch Lomond. This proposal involves the development a high quality, family-based

attractions with a 450-bedroom hotel, conference centre and spa, 70 glamping pods, a hostel

with shops, rides and other tourist attractions, accommodation for 100 staff on site and a

100m viewing tower and local road developments.

The development is expected cost approximately £30 million, will create about 1,200 jobs and

will take 4 years to complete.

Research

In order to establish whether this development can be classed as sustainable you need to

research the three aspects of sustainable development – economic, social and

environmental. You need to produce some real facts about this development using the

internet as your source for information in order to justify your decision on whether this

development should go ahead`. Make sure you familiarise yourself with the report layout and

what you are expected to include in the report so you can maximise the efficiency of your

research.

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Some key ideas to research:

Jobs (how many will be

created?)

Impact on locals (are

people having to sell their

houses which are on the

proposed location? Will

local businesses benefit?)

Money (how much does the

development cost? How

much will the development

make when it is up and

running?)

The environment (Will the

theme park affect the local

nature reserves and

National Park?)

Researching Techniques

Remember to put the research techniques you have learned in Social Subjects into practice.

Some of these include:

Skimming

Scanning

Note Taking

Mind Mapping

Remember, cut and pasting from the internet is plagiarism (stealing work belonging to

another) and will lead you to fail the task. Using the research skills noted above allows you

to avoid the risk of copying someone else’s work.

Proposed site for ‘FunLand’ in Balloch

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Sustainable Development Report Layout

Name:

Outline of Development Proposal:

Evaluation

1. Economy

Positive Impacts:

Negative Impacts:

2. Social

Positive Impacts:

Negative Impacts:

3. Environment

Positive Impacts:

Negative Impacts:

Decision (tick box):

Proposal accepted Proposal declined

Decision Justification

A short paragraph providing the main details of the proposal (i.e. size of development)

For each category – economy, social and environment, you have to list positive and negative impacts for each. Try and include some figures (i.e. number of jobs to be created, area of land being used which is a nature reserve).

Tick the box dependent on whether you accept or decline the proposal, this decision should be made after weighing up the negative and positive impacts from the evaluation section.

In this section, you have to justify your decision. If you have accepted the proposal you should be focusing on the positive impacts. If you have declined you should be focusing on the negative impacts. You should just include three or four of your reasons which you think are the strongest in justifying your decision.