AITO: The Association of Independent Tour Operators

Menu

Quality
Expertise
Protection

Wilderness Scotland Sustainability

Sustainable Tourism Projects from Wilderness Scotland

Plastic Oceans

We love Scotland’s unique marine areas and rugged coastlines and so do our customers. These areas are not only of global importance for a vast range of species and natural habitats; they also provide a wealth of benefits to Scotland’s coastal communities. Unfortunately, the constant pressure and demands from modern society are leading to a decline in the health of Scotland’s seas. With an estimated 12.7 million tonnes of plastic ending up in our oceans each year, plastic is now turning up in every corner of our planet, including previously pristine Scottish beaches and harbours.

In 2019 Wilderness Scotland pledge to use any additional funds generated from our Customer Conservation Contribution Scheme to purchase and install a Seabin in an area of Scotland frequently visited by our clients. A Seabin is a relatively new technology. It is a floating rubbish bin that filters and removes waste, including floating debris, macro and micro plastics and micro fibres, from the water in busy areas such as marinas and harbours.

Alongside our continued support of the John Muir Trust, we plan to purchase and install one Seabin in 2019, engaging the local community and devising a management strategy for its daily emptying and maintenance.

Together with our customers, we will be investing in the future of Scotland’s oceans and helping to ensure that future generations can also experience these incredible coastal habitats.

Creating a “Wilderness Future Fund”

We love Scotland’s wild places and so do our customers. At Wilderness Scotland we understand the powerful sense of exhilaration and awe that these places can evoke. We also recognise the environmental sensitivity of these places and strive to do everything we can to preserve them for future generations.
In 2017, we plan to build on the success of our past Customer Contribution Scheme and create a “Wilderness Future Fund”. This will be an annual fund created by increasing the voluntary contribution from £5 to £10 per person.
Rather than simply donating the money to a conservation charity and letting them choose how the money is spent Wilderness Scotland want to direct the fund towards specific local environmental and community projects, ensuring that we are closely involved in how, and where, the money is spent.
We pledge to support two projects each year, one environmental and one social. We predict that £6,000 of donations will be available in the first year with increases predicted in following years. Every customer who contributes to the fund in 2017 will therefore be directly helping us to fulfil this pledge.
We plan to support different projects each year and to grow our fund so that over time we can help a variety of projects. Together with our customers, we will be investing in the future of Scotland’s wild places and helping to ensure that future generations can also experience these incredible wild lands.

  • Protecting Scotland's wilderness for future generations.
  • Increasing our voluntary contribution to £10 per person.
  • Creating a fund that can be directed to specific projects.
  • Taking control over how funds are allocated.