We shouldn't be adapting beauty spots to cater for mass tourism

I am conflicted on many of these issues but, fundamentally, am against catering for tourists whose idea of a day out in the country is to drive from one car park to another, walking about half a mile at a time or from one country shop to another. Try cycling on the main road to Portree. It’s a nightmare.

One of the biggest disappointments in my life was going to Niagara Falls. Instead of hiking for a day you simply drove up something akin to the Blackpool beach front. I got up the next morning at 6am to try to get some solitude there. I am fully aware that many will call me elitist but let’s not go the way of Niagara.

Angus MacEachran, Aberdeen.

Covid testing should be kept

THE decision to stop routine Covid testing for patients entering and leaving Scotland's hospitals except when they are being transferred to care homes is rather worrying ("Routine Covid-19 testing in hospitals to end", The Herald, August 10).

Someone could go into hospital infected with Covid without knowing it and spread it to already-sick patients and similarly, someone could contract Covid in hospital and then spread it out into the community on discharge.

How does this make any sense? Surely, these tests are not that expensive.

It has to be remembered that there are many people both in hospital and in the community who are still vulnerable: those whose immune systems are compromised, those for whom vaccines are not as effective and those who are allergic to vaccine ingredients and are unprotected. Some people are, by necessity, still living restricted lives.

Surely, this simple precaution can continue to be taken. Who made this decision and on what grounds?

I note also that recently, scientists were advising that masks should still be used in hospitals and other healthcare settings for the same reasons and also to protect NHS staff.

What are the unions saying about all this? Who authorised this and why?

Money can be and is found for many unnecessary projects and wasted on many others by this Scottish Government yet this important health measure is scrapped.

Latest figures show that Covid figures, although still low compared to the past years, are on the increase and yet another variant has been found.

Does the health of our nation not come first at all times? It should.

Dorothy Connor, Glasgow.

Read more: Why is it the rich never have to worry about climate change?

Educating Greta

AN increasing number of enlightened businesses are following the policy originated in the United States of inviting employees to bring their children to work on a designated day to give them a glimpse into the working world exposing the older ones to future job possibilities and the value of education.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if it could be arranged for Greta Thunberg to spend a day at BP or Shell shadowing the CEO or Chief Finance Officer? It may give her an insight into their working practices and temper her somewhat one-dimensional approach to addressing climate change.

Without wishing to spoil it for her she will find a surprisingly high level of debate, a broad diversity of views and a sophisticated and robust decision-making process. She will be surprised to find that there are more areas of agreement between her and the businesses than she might think Profit is of course the prime motivator of all businesses, and it is right that the use to which these profits are put should attract close scrutiny and accountability but taking the issue of dividend payouts as one example, Ms Thunberg and others should note that her and our pension funds are amongst the biggest investors in BP and Shell (and others) and the income received will go a long way to ensuring she and we can have a happy retirement (always assuming that the Earth has not self-combusted by then).

So, it is too trite to simply and cheaply demonise the fossil fuel businesses as corrupt and uncaring without conceding some level of genuine integrity and awareness.

It does us all some good to walk a mile in the other man’s shoes.

Keith Swinley, Ayr.

• THE SNP may well force heat pumps on us in place of oil, but let us remember that all central heating systems depend on electricity to make them work, and that looks to be in short or intermittent supply as we increase our dependency on the weather to generate it.

Malcolm Parkin, Kinross.

Play it by the book

I NOTE that some 50 authors have signed an open letter to say they are going to follow Greta Thunberg and not accept invitations to the Edinburgh Book Festival next year unless the sponsor, Baillie Gifford, changes its ways. If they are serious about the issue, they should insist their books are only published on recycled paper. The books should be published in the country they are being sold in (to save on transport eco-killing miles). Also they should only promote their books in places they can travel to by walking, cycling, going by bus and/or using electric cars and trains.

I will no longer buy these authors' books (to join the three and half thousand I have) as I enjoy reading but not being preached at by people whose money is earned by making up stories. They should leave the preaching to the experts and get on with their day job of entertaining readers.

Elizabeth Hands, Armadale.

Words to swear by

I AM not averse to an occasional curse or two - I play golf after all - but admit to never having been a fan of the now-ubiquitous “f***" ("A tale of two ‘f***s’ . . . and why they are so different", The Herald, August 10), and Letters, August 10, 11 & 12). Other four-letter words which I dislike are wash, cook, iron and dust.

R Russell Smith, Largs.