In a world troubled by climate change and increasing eco concerns, it is hard to believe that creating a golf course in this area could be handled with anything less than great sensitivity, if it to be an economically attractive proposition.

There are other relatively recently created golf courses that show great sensitivity to their natural settings, e.g. Macrihanish Dunes is built in and around an Site of Special Scientific Interest.

I had thought that the planned course at Coul Links would have been very economically advantageous for the area.

I don’t believe operating a golf course and maintaining the ecology of the site are mutually incompatible. But, it does take hard work and proper management to ensure the compatibility.

We should be under no misapprehension that a community-led approach for planning is just a first step and that well-heeled financial partners committed to the ethos of ecological long-term management will be needed to bring this project to fruition.

John Hastings, Glasgow