Scottish tourism could suffer from a decision to abandon an internationally-recognised awards scheme for beaches, says a coastline expert.
Keep Scotland Beautiful, the organisation which co-ordinates the country’s Blue Flag bids, has revealed it is not making any applications to the scheme this year in favour of home-grown awards.
The dumping of the Copenhagen-based scheme, which is seen as the gold standard and recognised by millions of people across the world, has been blamed on cuts to public services.
Dr David Green, from the Aberdeen Institute for Coastal Science, said moving away from the Blue Flag is disappointing and could have negative repercussions for Scottish tourism.
“We have a lot of very beautiful beaches in Scotland and it’s a great shame the Blue Flag has not been prioritised and given the support it deserves from government level, which then filters down to local authorities,” he told The Courier.
“I do not think that cutbacks are really a good enough excuse to do this.”
He said Blue Flag applications had “died a death” as councils decide against spending time and money on the applications.
Dr Green, who is on the Blue Flag scheme’s international jury, said council chiefs were opting for “cheaper, less demanding” award schemes instead, which had diluted standards for environmental protection and the promotion of education.
He added: “I think it could impact on tourism. People know and recognise the Blue Flag system and it is very rigorous in water quality standards, as well as things like disabled access, things that people value.”
Andy Wightman MSP, for the Scottish Greens, was surprised by the move adding: “Clean, well-maintained beaches can be a major driver for rural economies so I’d be concerned if communities were being denied an option to showcase their natural assets.”
There are currently no beaches in Scotland that hold Blue Flag status, according to the scheme’s official website.
The last to hold one was Elie Woodhaven in Ruby Bay, Fife. Keep Scotland Beautiful, which is a charity, is listed on that website as Scotland’s only national operator for the scheme.
A spokeswoman for Keep Scotland Beautiful said they have introduced Scotland’s Beach Award instead, which it says offers an “efficient and cost effective” way of measuring the quality of the nation’s beaches.
She said those awards are more suited to the “specific nature of Scotland’s beaches”.
“In 2016, Keep Scotland Beautiful decided, in partnership with beach managers, not to offer the international Blue Flag, but to concentrate on celebrating success with Scotland’s Beach Award,” the spokeswoman added.
“Focusing on local environmental quality, the Beach Award is designed to complement the work currently undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency on bathing water quality and the RNLI on beach safety.”
Dr Laura Foster, from the Marine Conservation Society, said the new award ignores water quality.
“We have concerns that the water quality aspect is no longer included, and while the awards help to recognise some of the amazing rural beaches in Scotland, it may give the impression to the public that the water quality is tested and is of excellent quality,” she said.
Jim Clarkson, from VisitScotland, said: “We are sure, thanks to the work of Keep Scotland Beautiful on Scotland’s Beach Award, that the country’s celebrated beaches will continue to be a big draw for visitors from across the globe this summer and beyond.”