MORE than 70 crofters and farmers turned out to a meeting in the Cairngorms National Park with a "show of concern" tractor run.
The new group has formed to push for a voice when it comes to decisions in the park such as the recent introduction of beavers by the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA).
The group say the introduction came without proper consultation with the agricultural sector and land managers on “the impacts that could result to food-producing fields and farming livelihoods”.
A meeting was held on Monday night in Grantown to discuss how crofters, farmers and other rural workers can come together and work more closely.
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It comes after a meeting on January 4 in Kingussie - which was attended by over 50 people – where the CNPA agreed to appoint a steering group with a significant proportion of younger farmers and crofters to represent the future.
Before this week's meeting, farmers held a tractor run - a set route through a town where tractors are decorated - with placards bearing comments including “what does the park bring to the table … farmers bring food”, “you cannot eat trees”, “bring us on board”.
The Cairngorm Crofters and Farmers official group argue that the park has “a very strong conservation lobby” which does not align with promises made when the park was founded 20 years ago.
They have also said they deserve a larger voice when it comes to issues that affect their “cultural heritage” or "way of living" within the boundaries of the park.
Robert Macdonald, chair of Cairngorm Crofters and Farmers said: “The park has got a very strong conservation lobby within it which is totally focused on rewilding, basically clearing the shepherds and farmers off the land and that land comes rewilded which just goes against everything we think the park should stand for.”
Others have said the CNPA must visit crofts and farms to listen to those at the “grassroots of the land”.
Crofter Jennifer MacDonnell said: “We want to be involved in all of the discussion to do with our sector, and as those issues are changing, we need to be in it now if not we should have been in it sooner possible, to have our voice.
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“Yes, the group was founded because everyone has felt so strongly about the beavers, but it goes so much further than that. There are so many other issues that we can’t even foresee that are going to happen, and we need to have our say in that.”
NatureScot, the Government’s conservation agency, approved a licence application from the Cairngorms National Park Authority in December to release up to six beaver families in the upper River Spey catchment.
Grant Moir, a spokesperson for the CNPA, said: “If you look at the past six months on beavers alone, there was over 40 site visits with farmers, we’ve had multiple meetings with farmers around that issue as well – so I think there’s been lots of engagement and if you look at the projects, we’re doing work with goose management, on things like drystone dykes, and habitat management.
“We’re working with dozens of farmers across the park and we do that all the time so I think there’s been lots of engagement – but the more we can do the better.”
The meeting on Monday also highlighted that there had been no consultation with farmers and crofters on other local projects including the current Wildcat Release Programme or the current Park 5-year Plan.
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