The majority of staff are being moved to Inverness

The Scottish Executive has formally directed the agency to move its headquarters to Inverness despite concerns over costs and union claims that the majority of the 270 staff would resign.

But the executive has now confirmed that 50 posts will remain in Edinburgh, dropping to a maximum of 25 in the long term.

SNH has welcomed the decision to retain a presence in the capital.

The nature conservation body is expected to be relocated to the Highlands once the lease on its headquarters expires in 2005.

The executive remains committed to dispersing the substantial majority of those jobs now located in Edinburgh to Inverness Allan Wilson Deputy Environment Minister

Deputy Environment Minister Allan Wilson said ministers agreed to consider proposals put to them by SNH to retain some posts in Edinburgh.

Mr Wilson said: "In the longer term, the organisation can retain a maximum of 25 staff in the Edinburgh area where this makes sound operational or business sense.

"The executive remains committed to dispersing the substantial majority of those jobs now located in Edinburgh to Inverness.

"We have said repeatedly that this move will be made in as flexible a way as possible to minimise both business risks to SNH's service delivery and the costs of the move and the potential disruption to SNH staff and their families."

John Markland, chairman of SNH, welcomed the agreement.

"This will help us to maintain our close links with some of our partners, projects and customers in the central belt and south of Scotland," he said.

"SNH will also be able to build an important element of flexibility into our relocation proposals and continuity into our service delivery once it is clear which staff intend to relocate to Inverness."

Sarah Boyack: "Very angry"

However, Albie O'Neill of the PCS union said: "This makes absolutely no difference and does nothing to help the vast majority of staff who work with SNH.

"Of the 50 posts they are retaining, just 25 will stay in the long term, and I understand that the other 25 are where the current postholders are due to retire in the next few years.

"Despite ministers' reassurances that they didn't want to cause disruption to families, this move will leave many of them either without any income or being forced to move away from families and friends, and taking their children away from schools, disrupting their education."

Labour MSP and former environment minister Sarah Boyack said the move was a "partial climbdown".

The Edinburgh Central MSP said: "I think this suggests that the executive recognises it has not properly consulted staff and that considerable operational issues remain to be resolved as a result of their plans.