Storm Isha: Rural workers stage protest against Scottish Government policies after cancelled Humza Yousaf visit

The government trip to announce future plans for the Cairngorms National Park was cancelled due to the weather.

Rural workers have staged a protest against policies they view as Green-led for the Cairngorms National Park as a planned visit by First Minister Humza Yousaf and Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater to announce a future vision for the park was cancelled.

Organisers of the demonstration said the protest was arranged to push back on Scottish Government proposals, which they claim are putting their livelihoods at risk and leading to the erosion of their culture and heritage.

These include new licensing plans for grouse shooting and muirburn, certain species reintroductions, and other rewilding initiatives such as tree planting projects.

Rural workers hold demonstration in Ballater where First Minister Humza Yousaf was expected to attend to announce details of a new Cairngorms National Park project.

The demonstration was held in Ballater on Monday morning outside Albert Memorial Hall where the two party leaders were expected to announce details of a significant funding package to support the delivery of “Cairngorms 2030” – a project worth £37 million funded by Heritage Lottery Fund.

The hall is home to one of the branch offices of the Cairngorms National Park Authority (CNPA), which delivers the policy ambitions of the Scottish Government.

However, the government trip was cancelled due to storm Isha.

Despite the cancellation, rural workers from gamekeepers to farmers still took to the streets of Ballater to make their voices heard. A procession of tractors, Land Rovers and farmers, crofters and gamekeepers carrying placards made their way from the car park at Ballater station to the hall.

Some of the signs read “rural workers make the park”, “don’t greenwash away rural workers’ jobs”, “this is not the park we were promised” and “stop slaughtering our iconic deer”.

One demonstrator who took part told The Scotsman that, as with their day-to-day jobs, rural workers will make it outdoors “whatever the weather” and said they were disappointed by the cancelled visit.

In a document showing the indicative costs that make up the £37m fund, seen by The Scotsman, the CNPA plans to spend £16m on woodland and peatland restoration, and £7m on “active travel communities”.

Deirdre Falconer, regional co-ordinator from the Grampian Moorland Group, said the project would do “nothing for locals, their heritage and way of life”.

She said estates were being driven towards “a green agenda”, with the Scottish Government trying to “drive them away from shooting”.

She said a string of legislation, including the Wildlife Management and Muirburn Bill, the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and the Deer Bill, would all have a major impact and “have a stranglehold” on how traditional land management is conducted in Scotland.

The CNPA, who organised the political visit, said the event was cancelled due to the stormy weather and would be rescheduled “in the next couple of weeks”.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said the event was called off as there had been widespread advice to avoid travel due to the storm.

The demonstration comes days after some 70 farmers led a protest at a CNPA meeting last week following the reintroduction of beavers into the park in December.

While some of those taking part in the protest are not against beavers, they told The Scotsman the reintroduction plan was imposed without adequate consultation with local farmers.