Perhaps not Hatton at its most beautiful!   Three things came together today. First I visited  the car park beside the Hatton Hall, looking for the ideal spot to take a picture of the earthworks in progress for the temporary road bridge which will reunite Hatton.  In the end the best picture was take paparazzi style, holding my camera at full stretch above my head to reach over the fence.  The work does seem to be progressing well.

But back to the car park. While I was there I spotted how much litter was lying around.  Worse than usual, I feel.  That on the day when Richard Lochhead MSP, the Scottish Environment Secretary indicated that the Scottish Government is considering raising the £50 fix penalty notices for dropping litter. This is one of the ideas under consideration for Scotland’s first national litter strategy with proposals due for consultation in the summer.  He drew attention to how much local authorities transport providers and other businesses have to pay to clean up all the rubbish that is left lying around.   The Hatton car park should not be a place for litter.   There are bins right there.  But it needs a change in mindset:  put your litter in a bin, or take it home.

The third thing that happened today was that someone posted on the HARA Facebook Page asking about the annual clean up.  She wrote: “Is there a date yet for the Hatton Litterpick? Looking forward to it, as we thoroughly enjoyed it last time.”   The HARA page on Facebook  I read in the Spring Hara Newsletter that the date will be 13th April – and not before time.  Well done HARA for organising this annual clean up.

But it is not just Hatton.  When I was out and about photographing the bridges over the Water of Cruden I climbed down the bank from the lay-by on the Mintlaw Road to take a picture of the bridge. I was really quite shocked at the amount of rubbish scattered all along the bank – and you can see there is a green bin there, ready and waiting.

The Scottish Government will do its part;  community groups like HARA will do their part;  but the answer must surely be in personal responsibility.  I will not walk past the discarded drinks can again.   I will pick it up.  I hope others will do the same.