Rural Land Use on the Atlantic Periphery of Europe: Scotland and Ireland

Scotland and Ireland are close neigbours that share common features in their physical environments and evolutionary history. Both located on the Atlantic periphery of Europe, they share the struggles and opportunities this location confers. This book was published in 1994 when major changes in rural land use were put in place by the European Community, and marks a fruitful exchange of information. The investigations are reported in paired papers by a panel of Scottish and Irish contributors from geographical and ethnographic sciences. Irish and Scottish land is still used predominantly for agriculture, although its use for forestry, recreation and conservation is increasing. This study traces the interaction of various factors that have influenced present-day land use in the two countries, as well as identifying emerging trends that will assume greater economic and social importance in the years ahead.