Local heroes? Activism against North Sea oil developments and the conceptual ambiguity of the term 'environment' in Scotland, 1973-4.

Authors

Maya Ström

Published in

Modern British history (Oxford, England). Volume 37. Issue 1. Jan 08, 2026.

Abstract

Described as the 'cause célèbre' of North Sea oil developments, this article focuses on the unexpected alliance provoked by a proposal for a concrete platform construction yard at Drumbuie, Wester Ross, on the Scottish northwest coast. This land was owned inalienably by the National Trust for Scotland, which teamed up with a local action group to argue against the development proposals primarily on the basis of perceived damage to the social fabric of the community. Previous descriptions of the Drumbuie Inquiry have been fleeting and have missed the centrality of the social to the objectors, assuming it to be a straightforward 'environmentalist' case. This article details the arguments against the development and the consequences this had on larger Scottish planning issues, such as creating the first National Planning Guidelines. It also discusses how the 'environment' as a concept was used during the inquiry, arguing that this lacked conceptual coherence other than being used as a synonym for 'amenity'.

PMID:
42484627
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Jul 2026.

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