Meeting of the Parliament 11 February 2026 [Draft]
Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. By popular demand, I rise to advocate for the vital and exciting habitat of road verges—vital because they provide refuge for all manner of plants, animals, fungi and insect species, and exciting because, taken together, road verges cover almost 200km2, which is an area the size of the city of Aberdeen. That offers a huge opportunity for species restoration.
Damaging changes to land management in the course of the 20th century have meant that roadside verges have become a last refuge for some of Scotland’s most threatened plant and insect species—ones that are being driven to extinction at a faster rate than higher-profile mammal and bird species. I am therefore proud to advocate for that habitat. It matters because it will have a significant impact on pollinators and food chains. Lower crop yields, poorer quality, higher prices, fewer producers and greater food insecurity affect us all. However, properly managing road verges can help to address some of the imminent threats that our species and ecosystems face. Targeted actions that support species and habitats can have a positive chain reaction, restoring species, strengthening habitat health and improving our environment for the benefit of us all.
With that, I strongly encourage everybody to visit their local road verges.