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Volcanic Geotourism in West Coast Scotland 267

were the essential elements of its subsequent • continuing geological research and publication
redefinition: (if the creation of a ‘legacy geology’ is to be
avoided);
The provision of interpretative facilities and services to • identifying, protecting, conserving and
promote the value and societal benefit of geological and monitoring (that is ‘geoconservation’) of
geomorphological sites and their materials, and to geosites and geocollections;
ensure their conservation, for the use of students, • a knowledge and understanding of geotourists
tourists and other casual recreationalists. (that is ‘visitor studies’); and
(Hose, 2003)
• the development and promotion of competent
It is a form of ‘special interest’ or ‘niche’ (Hose, interpretative provision (See Hose, 1998; Hose,
2005) tourism whose participants are motivated by 2006).
specific interests for which they express some
dedication. Geotourism is a geology-focused, and Further, two major categories of geotourist with
visitor-centred sustainable development of different needs can be recognized:
‘environmental interpretation’; ‘a range of activities
carried out by managers of countryside and heritage • ‘Dedicated geotourists’ who purposefully
sites. It can be defined as: “the art of explaining the select to visit geosites for the purpose of
meaning and significance of sites visited by the personal educational or intellectual
public”’ (Badman, 1994, p429) that evolved from improvement and enjoyment; and
developments in the USA where, from the 1920s, • ‘Casual geotourists’ who occasionally visit
sport-based wildlife recreation and interpretation geosites mainly for recreation, pleasure and
was much promoted by the national parks service. some limited intellectual stimulation.
Modern UK environmental interpretation
dates from the mid-1960s (Barrow, 1993). The first Provision for the former as field-guides and
temporary nature trails were established in 1964 journal papers is longstanding. Provision for the
during ‘National Nature Week’; the first permanent latter as populist guides, trails and visitor centres is
nature trail was only established in 1966 in the relatively recent. The locations visited by the two
Forestry Commission’s Grizedale in the Lake categories can overlap, although their usages and
District. During the 1980s the United Kingdom understandings are often very different. Two major
saw a considerable increase in the number and geosite categories can be recognized:
range of heritage sites and products; the boom’s
antecedents were in the transport and associated • ‘Primary geosites’ with geological and/or
industrial preservation movement of the early geomorphological features, either natural or
1960s resulting from attempts to save the rapidly artificial and generally permanently exposed,
disappearing railway branch lines following within a delimited area and of some significance
rationalization of the British Railway network. By for their scientific, educational or interpretative
the beginning of the 1990s, there were some 500 value. They range from quarries and natural
museums with industrial history collections, and cliffs to mines and caves requiring husbandry
that figure excludes the various industrial heritage rather than strict preservation for much of
attractions based on mining and quarrying, with their value lies in the access they provide to
approximately one-third established since 1970. in-situ rocks and their fossils and minerals.
The development of many of these attractions was • ‘Secondary geosites’ with some feature(s) and/
a consequence of the decline in employment in or item(s), inside or on a structure or delimited
traditional heavy industries and mining and the area, of at least local significance to the history,
subsequent need to find new employment development, presentation or interpretation of
opportunities, coupled with the economic geology or geomorphology. Museum and library
repositioning of many ex-industrial areas; some of collections, heritage/visitor centres, geologists’
these had geotourism potential the realization of residences, memorials along with commemorative
which requires: plaques and monuments can be included.

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