Farmers in Scotland are set to meet tomorrow to discuss mounting concerns surrounding the creation of new national parks in the country.
Following a meeting of over 100 farmers on the Isle of Skye, NFU Scotland will tomorrow (5 February) host a national webinar looking at the issue.
It has been 20 years since a national park was established in Scotland, and the nomination process to find a new national park is now open.
However, farming industry groups have repeatedly highlighted their opposition to such a move.
Potential contenders include Ben Nevis/Glen Coe/Black Mount, the Cheviots and Border Hills, Galloway, a Coastal and Marine Park, Glen Affric, Wester Ross and the Isle of Harris.
But industry fears centre on an increase in bureaucracy which could in turn stifle development, as well as a potential rise in access-related issues.
There are also concerns that a new national park would prioritise tourism and visitor access over local farming businesses to the detriment of the rural economy.
These issues are based on the experience of farmers in either the Cairngorms National Park or the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Scotland's only national parks.
Earlier this week, NFU Scotland chaired a meeting on national park proposals on Skye, attended by 110 farmers, crofters and other local stakeholders.
According to the union, all attendees indicated that they did not support the creation of a national park in their area.
In its recent consultation with farmers, responses indicated that existing parks had failed to make a positive contribution to farming and crofting.
NFU Scotland vice president, Alasdair Macnab said that the nomination process for new national parks was causing 'a lot of concern and confusion' for farmers.
He said that wider community views must be considered when bids go in for the creation of new parks.
"Feedback from members in existing national parks is that there has not been enough focus on local views and where community involvement was present, it was tokenistic. That must not happen this time round.
"Farming and food production are highly important to Scotland’s rural economy, this must be a major consideration when assessing nominations for new national parks.
“Meaningful involvement of the local community at each stage in the nomination process is key but that is not being delivered by many of the proposed bids," Mr Macnab said.
"This is necessary to avoid polarised views within a community leading to groups feeling disenfranchised and that a national park is imposed on them."
NFU Scotland is holding the webinar on Monday (5 February) at 6.30pm.
