The Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority is preparing a new five-year development plan which will inform decisions in relation to land use and development. It attracted 900 people to a series of community planning for real events throughout the Park to gauge local opinions on issues of land use change. Complementing this series, the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute developed protocols and materials designed to engage hard to reach audiences of young people, by contributing to the school geography curriculum. These events featured the Virtual Landscape Theatre, in which pupils could work with computerised 3D models of the landscapes around the Park.

147 children, aged 6 to 17, from primary and secondary schools, and community youth groups, from in and around the Park participated at two venues, Gartocharn and Killin. They were run as one-hour sessions comprising familiarisation with the Park and local surroundings using aerial photographs; an introduction to the purpose of the event; a tour of the Park in the Virtual Landscape Theatre to describe the geography, land use and boundary of the Park; and a detailed look at the area local to the two venues (Photo 1). An electronic voting system recorded the views of participants on options for current and future land uses in the Park (Photo 2).

The results suggest that wind turbine development in and around the Park should be for local needs only; there should be limited expansion of housing supply, avoiding areas of flood risk, and with a building design consistent with the character of the villages in the Park; and, there are generally sufficient woodlands, too much commercial plantations, and a desire for small-scale local woodlands for recreation.

In the south of the Park, there was some disagreement between those living in the Park, who reported a lack of clothes, sports and convenience food shops, and those from outside who argued a sufficient range of shops close by. In the north-east, the lack of the same types of shops was reported.

Participation in identifying priority issues included group feedback on the desirability of subjects (e.g. skateboard facility) and their general location, with modifications made towards group preferences accordingly.

Test of electronic votes showed 87% response by participants to all votes, and 81% voting consistently on test questions. 94% reported enjoying the event. Follow-up surveys are being undertaken of teachers and pupils on the longer-term impact.

Dissemination events have feedback on the protocols, tools and application to stakeholders with a remit to facilitate planning (e.g. Planning Aid Scotland), commercial companies and public bodies through the good practice workshop series run by Scottish Natural Heritage, and the Scottish Government, via an exhibition at its Victoria Quay headquarters in Edinburgh. )