 The park's boundaries have caused anger |
The largest national park in the UK has been formally opened in the Cairngorms as protesters staged an alternative ceremony. The boundaries for the park - which contains 17,000 people and four of Scotland's five tallest peaks - have long been a source of contention.
The official opening ceremony was performed by the great-great-granddaughter of John Muir, the founder of the national park movement.
But campaigners held their own event in Highland Perthshire, which they say should have formed part of the park.
Scottish National Party leader and North Tayside MSP John Swinney has called on ministers to re-examine the decision not to include the area. "The government have completely botched up the boundaries of the park," he said.
"That has caused a tremendous irritation in this part of the community and an early legislative opportunity should be found to include the Highland Perthshire area into the national park."
But Allan Wilson, the deputy minister for rural development, insisted that the inclusion of the area would have reduced the identity and focus of the park authority.
Mr Wilson told BBC Scotland: "The park as designated should result in the better management and more efficient use of available resources than would have been the case had a more extensive area been designated."
Natural heritage
The Cairngorms National Park spans almost 4,000 square kilometres, stretching from Grantown-on-Spey in the north to the Angus Glens and the Drumochter hills.
It includes what has been described as the country's most important area for mountain wildlife.
The aims of the national park include the conservation of the area's natural and cultural heritage and the promotion of the area's sustainable economic and social development.
 |  There is no logical or environmental sense in the current boundary set-up  |
However, conservationists are worried that nature and wildlife will not get the protection they need because the park authority does not have full planning powers. Most planning decisions will remain with the four local councils which cover the area.
The park was opened by John Muir's descendent Liz Hanna and Mr Wilson in the Ptarmigan Restaurant on Cairn Gorm Mountain.
"Although the park authority has been established for some months, today is an important landmark as the authority takes on its full operational powers," said Mr Wilson.
"I am sure that it will exercise these powers sensitively and creatively, taking fully into account the views and aspirations of the park's communities."
 Liz Hanna welcomed the protesters' motives |
Ms Hanna said she was delighted that people were demanding to be part of the park. "I think if you ever have opposition and it's opposition because you want to be included, that's the best type of opposition that you could have," she said.
Some environmentalists boycotted the event because it was being held at the top of the funicular railway - a development they opposed.
They held an alternative event as part of a long-running campaign to persuade the executive to overturn the decision to exclude Highland Perthshire from the park.
Green MSPs Robin Harper and Mark Ruskell were among those who climbed the 3,200ft mountain Carn Liath near Blair Atholl as part of the protest.
They joined the Perthshire Alliance for the Real Cairngorms (Parc) and other campaigners.
 Politicians and campaigners joined a rival event |
Mr Harper said: "There is no logical or environmental sense in the current boundary set-up. "I have advocated the inclusion of Highland Perthshire since the proposal was first considered by the transport and environment committee in 1999. This battle must be won."
Parc's Bill Wright branded the boundary choice inexplicable.
"It follows a political rather than a natural line and we would like to see communities like those here in Blair Atholl actually included in the park boundary," he said.
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