Peter Bottomley MP Paddles the River Tay
Peter Bottomley MP has been up to Scotland to look at how well the Scottish Land Reform Act 2005 works. His main inertest was in respect to access to inland waters for canoeists. Access in Scotland to the waterways (as well as land) is fantastic. It is a really modern and fair approach to access to natural resources. Access for all is available be you land owner or user but all the access comes with rights and responsibilities. ..something we are asking for here in England.
We paddled on the River Tay up above Grand Tully finishing in Grand Tully. We had a beautiful day and canoed down a very exciting stretch of water. The Tay is a very popular salmon fishing river but the two sports of fishing and canoeing work extremely well together and respect each others needs and sports activities. Alongside this also goes the rapidly increasing activity of wild swimming for which there is access in Scotland.
The *Gamefisher Spring 2006 Journal of the Salmon & Trout Association, Refers and recommends that the Scottish Land Reform Act should be sort by Canoe England to solve the access situation. This is what we have done for a while and are continuing to do.
Canoeing is an environmentally benign and healthy activity and should be accessible for all… through clarity and certainty of access to our inland waters.
Our thanks go out to our Scottish Canoe Association Colleagues, in particular Mike Dales, Eddie Palmer and Mary C, who made the day so informative and interesting.