The two-year Upland Solutions project deliberately set out to understand the uplands through the eyes of those who live and work in them. We wanted to capture how those at ground-level see the opportunities and challenges that they face on a daily basis. We wanted to explore how they see those opportunities and challenges impacting on the future livelihood of their jobs, families, communities and surrounding landscapes. We wanted their views on where systems are working well and delivering secure and sustainable opportunities. At the same time, we wanted to understand where those at the sharp-end feel that their aspirations for the future are being frustrated by barriers, constraints or uncertainty.

An Interim Report from the project was published in December 2010. Since then, members of the Forum have given further consideration to the findings of the project and there has been additional feedback from the two Study Areas. These further thoughts have been included in this final version of the Report.

This Report is about what real people think. It provides a solid evidence base of ground-level experience and perspectives. It will help inform those who are devising or delivering policies and regulations that affect the future of the uplands and the people who live and work in them. It will also usefully complement and contrast with the more institutionalised and generic analysis that is often the principal source of information. These were amongst the reasons that prompted both Scottish Natural Heritage and Ministers to give their positive endorsement to the proposal that the Moorland Forum should undertake the Upland Solutions project.