FOR decades, the merry-go-rounds in the funfairs of Scotland's coastal towns had virtually stopped turning, the paint on their plastic horses peeling and faded by the sun of bustling summers past.
The holidaymakers had moved on, the allure of a trip to a chilly seaside resort far outshone by a package deal to the Costa del Sol, leaving behind ghost towns where the smell of candy floss still lingered on the salty breeze.
But in the last few
years, a wind of change has been growing, gradually whipping into a hurricane of redevelopment.
The potential is endless - from the vast swathes of executive developments cutting through the Shore in Leith, to Donald Trump's "best golf course in the world" in Aberdeenshire - but environmentalists are warning that it must be mined in such a way as to preserve the sea.
One of the aims of The Scotsman's Save Our Seas campaign is to introduce a planning system to allow people to exploit the sea in a sustainable way.
Mike Donaghy, the freshwater policy officer at the charity WWF, said it was important that those who moved out to the coast worked hard to maintain the environment which had attracted them.
He said: "You have to look at what you are producing there and what goes out to sea. You do not want to go there and cause problems. You have to allow for the fact people have their livelihoods there and there are lots and lots of creatures living there.
"What we want to do is aim for as much sustainability as we can. We want properties to be sustainable. We want them to be safe. We want them to have as low an impact on the environment as possible."
He cited problems of over- development, or poor planning, including waste-water pollution or preventing the sea flowing to places.
"Scotland's coastline is scientifically significant, so we don't want to do anything that affects that," he added. "It's about being environmentally sensitive, taking a sustainable approach and keeping our carbon footprint as low as possible."
In Girvan, the Ayrshire town brought almost to its knees by the advent of cheap foreign holidays, the focus is on using the natural allure of the marine habitat to create jobs and attract visitors. There are plans for a centre in the harbour in which visitors can watch gannets, guillemots and puffins nesting on the nearby well-known island Ailsa Craig.
There is also talk of a 70-berth yacht marina, part of a ripple-spread of wealth boosted by the M77 extension to Ayr, but the traditional seaside favourites remain - fish and chips can be eaten in the shadow of the amusement arcade.
A sense of optimism has been bubbling in the town for the past few years, akin to the heady summers of the 1960s, when every room was full during Glasgow Fair, and the property prices have been rising along with the mood.
Last year, it enjoyed the highest house price growth of any UK seaside spot. The average cost of a home in Girvan soared 41 per cent to £131,512 in the year to March 2007.
John MacDowall, a local councillor, said: "Girvan had declined as a tourist destination over the years from the heydays of the Sixties and early Seventies like most other coastal resorts, but I think really the primary selling point is it's a safe, attractive place to live.
"A big factor in people wanting to live in the area is the very attractive coastline. Ailsa Craig is a very important bird nesting site and it's really beautiful, and we have some of the most attractive coastlines in the country."
He said there were major development projects ongoing in the town, including supermarkets, new homes and commercial projects.
But he insisted these had to be done in an eco-friendly way with an emphasis on protecting the important marine environment. "It is very important to prioritise that," he said. "We would not wish to repeat the mistakes of the past."
Other coastal towns performing well in the house price stakes, according to the Bank of Scotland, are Arbroath, up 30 per cent to £116,362, and Ardrossan, up 28 per cent to £103,184.
Though prices still lag behind hotspots such as Edinburgh, growth in coastal towns reflects renewed interest in Scotland's seaside heritage.
More than three-quarters of Scottish seaside towns saw a rise of at least 10 per cent in the average house price in the past year. According to Tim Crawford, group economist at Bank of Scotland, Scottish seaside towns now attract a multitude of buyers, including those looking for a change, buy-to-let investors and second-home buyers.
MESSAGES OF SUPPORTI most definitely support your campaign. Our seas are not really over-fished by Scottish fishermen, they are pretty good at regulating themselves (most of the time), but "bycatches" being thrown back are a total disgrace. The government must address this problem. Good luck to all of us in this endeavour.
Max Small
Please record my support for any campaign to make sensible use of the marine environment around our shores. I always remember a saying attributed to a Native American: "Only when it is too late will the white man learn that you cannot eat money". How true!
John Fleming, Bathgate
I am chairman of Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast European Marine Site partnership and strongly support legislation to protect underwater ecosystems
John Bruce Elliot, Duns
I wish to add my support to the ideas behind the Save Our Seas campaign. In many ways, despite having such a vast coastline, the sea has to look after itself. It therefore suffers from the many ills and threats highlighted and there is need to do something about this before it is too late.
While marine national parks are useful we need protection and care for all our coastal waters.
Mary Legg, Senior Countryside Ranger, Highland Council Planning and Development
As a diver I have witnessed first hand the stark contrast between an area that has some protection and one that does not.
No-one is suggesting we ban it completely but let's get some sensible controls in place on certain types of fishing.
Ronnie Mackenzie, Edinburgh
I would like to add my name to your campaign to protect our precious marine environment.
Pete Cunningham, Kettlebridge, Fife
The full article contains 1072 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
