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Both geosite types have tourism development They must provide educational facilities and
potential with appropriate interpretative and promote research, meeting the needs of both
informational provision to explain their meaning geotourist types. They must also actively participate
and significance. The development of geoparks in the economic development of their own and
within Europe has seen these requirements come adjacent territory by working with locally based
under considerable scrutiny. While UNESCO small- and medium-sized enterprises to develop
recognition has been available for globally and promote new products and services, ranging
significant geosites since 1972, the most significant from interpretative provision to souvenir
being world heritage list citation, not all manufacture; equally, more general leisure, rather
significant geosites can meet the ‘outstanding than purely education, related activities should be
universal value’ criterion required by the World encouraged so that the geopark’s inhabitants
Heritage Convention. An alternative recognition recognize and appreciate their geoheritage and are
was clearly required and the 1990 UNESCO actively involved in its cultural and economic
geoparks programme was developed to promote regeneration. The Lochaber Geopark exemplifies
landscapes on a holistic rather than purely these various issues.
geological basis. Ideally, the geological interest is
allied with archaeological, cultural, historical or The Lochaber Geopark
ecological interests. A UNESCO geopark is The Lochaber Geopark stretches from Rannoch
territory with: Moor in the south to Glen Garry in the north,
and from Loch Laggan in the east to the Small
well-defined limits that has a large enough surface Isles of Eigg, Muck, Rum and Canna in the west.
area for it to serve local economic development. The Its inception was in a public meeting, held in Fort
Geopark comprises a number of geological heritage William in January 2004, at which representatives
sites of special scientific importance, rarity or beauty; of the European Geoparks Network gave a
it may not be solely of geological significance but also presentation outlining the requirements for
of archaeological, ecological, historical or cultural European geopark status and a local geologist gave
value. an account of the area’s geodiversity. Subsequently,
(UNESCO, 2000, p43)
a working group was established to undertake the
European geoparks are territories that combine task of preparing the application. The initial
geoconservation and geoheritage promotion application in 2005 narrowly failed because it
with sustainable local development underpinned lacked sufficient evidence of a formal management
by: structure and a project officer to promote the
geopark; subsequently, a community based
• geodiversity sufficient to provide enough company, Lochaber Geopark Association (LGA),
geosites of sufficient quality (in terms of their was established in February 2006 to drive the
science, rarity, aesthetics and educational value) process forward and a project officer was appointed
to generate tourism interest; in October 2006. In April 2007 Lochaber was
• a formal agreement between the relevant local awarded European and global geopark status, the
authorities on a sound economically second such in Scotland after the North West
underpinned promotion and management Highlands Geopark was designated in October
strategy with clearly defined boundaries 2004.
establishing an area large enough to be The geopark’s geodiversity includes Ben
economically viable and with access to some Nevis, Britain’s highest mountain and ‘The Parallel
European Union financial support; and Roads of Glen Roy’ created by the staged draining
• linkage to the geoparks network and benefiting of a glacially dammed lake in the last Ice Age, as
from protection and management measures well as the volcanic centres of Ardnamurchan and
that oblige and enforce geoconservation – Rum. The geopark is unique among European
consequently, the sale of geological materials geoparks because its geological record includes
from within or without them is banned. not only the creation of a huge mountain chain

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