Book Reviews: A guide to managing coastal erosion in beach/dune systems

This excellent guide, published by Scottish Natural Heritage, relates specifically to Scotland’s coastline but the content is applicable to all similar locations in the British Isles. I quote from the Preface:

"Sandy beaches and dunes are an attractive and valuable element of Scotland’s (and the UK’s) natural heritage. They are important for informal recreation and amenity, for nature conservation and, of course as the basis of the country’s renowned golf links. They are highly dynamic land-forms, susceptible to erosion and change which may threaten those developments and land uses sited nearest the sea.

The Guide does not offer ‘solutions’ to coastal erosion but reviews the options available for managing erosion, from intervention through to construction of revetments and seawalls, and offers guidance on how to select or design the most appropriate response to a particular situation. Critically, it describes and illustrates how each technique might best be designed so as to minimise damage to the natural heritage and reduce the prospects of altering the shoreline evolution elsewhere."

The Guide summarises the natural processes that build and erode dunes and discusses the impact of human activities. Throughout there is an underlying assumption that natural erosion of dunes is not a problem in itself, and that erosion normally only needs to be controlled to protect human assets at risk. It is well written and beautifully illustrated and an essential reference to any Club with golf links bordering our coastline and estuaries.

Copies are available, price £10.99 inc p&p from Scottish Natural Heritage, Publications Section, Battleby, Redgorton, Perth PH1 3EW.

mailto:pubs@redgore.demon.co.uk