John Swinney opposes GM trials

Mr Swinney intended his visit to the site to put pressure on the Environment Minister Ross Finnie.

Mr Finnie's own Liberal Democrat party believes the crops could be dangerous to local people.

But the minister has already dismissed the idea of destroying the crops.

He believes such a move would be illegal under European law.

Lib Dems' line

At his party's conference last month, Lib Dem delegates voted two-to-one against the trial continuing.

Following the latest arrests, Dr Eleanor Scott, of the Scottish Green Party, said many people had devoted a large part of the past year to keeping the Highlands GM-free.

If the executive continued to ignore them, she said, more direct action was inevitable.

Five demonstrators appeared in the same court on Monday and admitted destroying oilseed rape GM crops at the farm.

The attack on the oilseed rape at a farm near Inverness on 26 April was the second such incident in less than a week.