The Highlands has continued to suffer from record-breaking temperatures this summer, with this having additional effects on the environment and surrounding communities. In addition, conditions at Loch Ness, as well as other lakes across the country have raised fears of a widespread drought affecting Scotland.
Wildfires continue to occur in the Highlands, exhausting fire services within the council. While none have covered an area as large as May’s fire in Cannich, a mile-long fire near Inverness has proved difficult to control. In addition, a fire was reported to have broken out in the Campsie Fells, 15 miles from Glasgow The continued prevalence of wildfires is a testament to the record high temperatures and low rainfall which have been present across the country since mid-May. However, the effect this has had on Scotland’s water supply is greater cause for concern, as the possibility of a drought increases.
Droughts have become fairly common across the south of England, where naturally higher temperatures and drier weather conditions mean less rainfall reaches the region. However, they are considerably rarer in Scotland, even in summer. Despite this, there have already been warnings that this summer could see record water scarcity across the country, particularly in the east. For example, Loch Ness recorded its lowest-ever water level since records began in 1990. In addition, other lakes such as Loch Esk in Dumfriesshire were rated by the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) as having a “moderate scarcity” of water.
Commenting on the risk of water scarcity, SEPA head of water and planning Nathan Critchlow-Watton said: “For the risk of water scarcity to have reached “significant” this early in the summer is extremely concerning and leaves no doubt that the next few months are going to be very challenging for all those who rely on the water environment to run their business”.
Such a drought would disproportionately affect rural areas, as Scottish agriculture would be heavily impacted by a lack of available water. However, the drought could rapidly expand to impact the majority of the country. Loch Katrine, which provides much of Glasgow’s drinking water is currently recording a water level at the very bottom of its “normal” range. Should this continue to decline then more serious measures would need to be taken to ensure water conservation across the Central Belt. In areas affected by drought, businesses may have to deal with the need to cut down on water usage. This could add further strain to a sector of the economy struggling to recover from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 lockdowns of 2020 and 2021.
Scotland is roughly a third of the way through summer, but already it is appearing to be breaking records for both wildfires and water scarcity. Despite this, polling shows that 40 per cent of the country believes drought will never be a problem for Scotland. It is vital that the possibility of drought is taken seriously and proper precautions are taken to mitigate it, if not for this year, then the future.