The Scottish Borders Edexcel B Module 6 Jan08

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That's OK. I hope it's not pure BS!

You need to fit in brief case studies into the essays; just one or two sentences max. So I'd say, one for rural deprivation, counter-urbanisation, tourism, second homes maybe.

Reply 41

web_surfer17

Foreign tourist tend to spend more compared to UK tourist siince they stay longer. In order to attract foreign tourist scottish borders needs an easy access of transport. Most tourist arrives by air! [thats 4/5; 82% ] therefore they would need an airport.

UK visits are 65% by car - The scottish borders has no motorway links and is highly inaccessible.

The key issue for the Borders is to get connected so that the tourists no longer bypass it.

On a side note of having the wind turbines isnt such a bad idea. However scenic the place may look like it doesnt have a Natural Park conservation status therefore getting planning permission would be relatively easy. This would provide sustainable energy generation, create jobs in a clean high tech industry; however the number of jobs created is low. Considerable lanscape impacts is too high and this could potentially deter tourists.

***Still looking for the Geo Fact sheets. If anyone would be kind enough to forward them will be really appreciated.

Reply 42

Geogger

http://www.visitscotland.org/connect_thinking_executive_summary_april_2006.pdf This looks to be a good pdf file on sustainable tourism in the area!

Reply 43

web_surfer17

anyone done a SWOT analysis on the waverly rail link??

Reply 44

Geologyrocks8539

web_surfer17

I dissagree Edinburgh has an airport so why build one in the Borders????

Reply 45

Mokert23

The geofact sheet is number 222 BYPASSED BORDERS (www.curriculum-press.co.uk is the web adress at top) written by Cameron Dunn if that helps. I agree with Geology rocks, an airport would be unsustainable in the borders anyway. The answer lies in getting foreign tourits once in edinborough to visit the borders. If the Waverly train line is to be a success they would be a maximum of 1 hour away, though that distance is covered by car in almost the same time. Would they use the train line and explore the area, or drive upwards to the more attractive and better know higlands?

Does anyone else think that a question on the use of EU funding might come up on the paper?

Reply 46

Geologyrocks8539

How would i be able to find that??? ive looked on the website but i couldnt find it nd it looks like you have to pay for it.

im not sure about whether the EU funding will come up. i think you may be able to use it in another question but i doubt there will be a whole question on it as its a bit BS focussed..

Reply 47

Mokert23

Yeah - tbh find this exam a bit of a joke, ah well 2 hours is a long time to write about three things compared to most geography exams being a mark a minute. Think the sustainabilty of the rail line will be imporant and or tourism!

Reply 48

EatingOnlyApples

I think the tourist board will want to particularly lure in overseas tourists since, according to the resource, they stay an average of 9.3 nights = more spending that UK tourists. Therefore building the railway would make sense for this purpose. Its link to Edinburgh (where the airport is) would mean easy access to the region via public transport.

I notice it snows a fair bit in the Scottish Borders during the winter months (Figure 7); not sure but there could be the potential for developing skiing which would help create tourism all year round, not just in the summer months?

Reply 49

Mokert23

True eatingonlyapples, though is the snow days comparable to places such as France and Austria. Also i noted the date (1950-1980? dont have the resources on me) I have put a note to mention recent changes in weather patterns in England and Scotland . ie hottest summer for decades type information and put that with these vairations the danger is two fold. One the amount of snow will not be enough to effectively be economically sustainable to build a ski resort or something similar (also look at the high above sea level, not very high so probably lacking good ski slopes) and secondly competition from year round ski resorts that are more established.

I suppose you could argue either way, depends what figures you use and don't use i guess.

Reply 50

Mokert23

also with reference to above look at the population strucutres. The elderly are more suited to rambling walks rather than ski slopes :smile:

Reply 51

EatingOnlyApples

Mokert23

also with reference to above look at the population strucutres. The elderly are more suited to rambling walks rather than ski slopes :smile:

Haha yes, I just thought it might attract younger people in.
Also the point you made about the date of the climate chart; I didn't even notice that, thanks! I'm guessing the out of date chart is there for a reason, as you say, it probably alludes to climate change issues.

Reply 52

Geologyrocks8539

i really doubt you could ski in the area!!! its not cold enough for long enough.. and the "hills" are spread out nd only a few over 400m which is nothing seeing as when you go skiing in France you ski at about 750m well 2000ft+

Reply 53

clo123

On another site someone said that they thought something to do with fieldwork investigations/techniques might come up? perhaps to do with objective 2 funding in the future or the development of Galashiels...was wondering if anyone had any idea what the question would be like if that was the case?

Reply 54

melthemelrus

Hey, does ANYONE have the geo factsheet written by the examiner they could send me?! I am reaching the point of desperation!

Reply 55

lauren89

oh dear im starting to panick a little as i really don't know half of this, your right, teaching it yoursefl isnt easy! Anyone got any quick last minute facts/figures? would b really helpfull x

Reply 56

Hundingsbane

Ok I've got the scanned copies of the Geo factsheets. Unfortunately they're a bit too big (Pdf files) to upload here, but I'll provide a download link soon.

5 pages, about 14mb, so should take about 10 minutes to download on a 1mb connection.

You'll also need Winrar (http://www.rarlab.com/download.htm) to unpack them if you don't already have it.

Reply 57

Hundingsbane

Ok here we are. Rapidshare sucks but it should do the job hopefully.

http://rapidshare.com/files/87899155/Geofact.rar.html

Just scroll down to where it says 'free', then after that just wait for the timer.

Reply 58

georuss

Criteria for assessing sustainability - these might be useful

a. Social criteria

* extends range of benefits to the greatest possible number of people
* includes provision for affordable land, housing, rents which are within reach of everyone and which contribute to a high quality of life for all
* social benefits are long- as well as short-term
* cultural identities are neither lost nor blurred; there is no development of a socio-economic underclass
* takes as its premise that people have a contribution to make to planning, and that they know their area and its resources well

b. Economic criteria

* extends range of economic benefits to the greatest possible number of people at all scales – local, regional, national, international and global – and at all levels of society
* Likely to make people better off in the medium- to long-term, as well as short-term
* focuses upon infrastructural changes that bring economic benefits to people through social welfare improvements – e.g. sees education and health care as part of infrastructural change that will bring benefit to society as well as to individuals

c. Environmental criteria

* no impacts create short-, medium-, or long-term environmental damage
* No pollution is involved, whether directly (e.g. through the generation of pollutants on site) or indirectly (e.g. through the use of materials which pollute elsewhere)
* uses resource stocks at a rate which can be renewed at the same rate as consumption, or, where this is impossible, makes the best possible use of finite resources, whilst researching into viable alternatives before extinction is achieved
* looks for long-term environmental benefits and, where necessary, protects ‘special’ environments
* maintains species in ways that promote biodiversity
* promotes energy- or resource-conservation and re-use as well as consumption

d. Combined criteria

e.g. social and environmental

* allowing people an environment which takes account of leisure (e.g. provision of parks and leisure) as well as living space
* mixes land uses in order to promote proximity of work and housing – thus avoiding high energy-consuming commutes with human costs

e.g. environmental and economic

* promotes economic growth through environmental policies – sees huge economic potential in recycling or renewability of resources, or in employment of people in environmental projects and biodiversity (e.g. organic farming)

Reply 59

lauren89

thanks thats really helped. my teacher thinks social, economic and environmental factors of the railway and galasheils housing as wel as the sustainability of these proijects is likely to come up so im trying to focus on that but is there much more that could come up? i mean theyr the main topics arent they? x