Third national park will go ahead, ministers vow

Five bids have been submitted to create a new national park in Scotland

The Scottish government has reaffirmed its commitment to creating a new national park by the end of this parliamentary session in 2026.

The move was part of the power-sharing deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens which recently collapsed.

However, a statement from the Scottish government said the selection process would continue as planned.

The Scottish Borders, Galloway, Lochaber, Loch Awe and Tay Forest have all submitted bids to secure the status.

Scotland currently has two national parks - the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs - but it is more than two decades since a new one was created.

A co-operation deal between the SNP and Scottish Greens in 2021 agreed to create "at least one" more over the next five years.

The deadline for bids passed earlier this year with five different parts of the country throwing their hats in the ring.

The power-sharing deal collapsed last month but a statement from the Scottish government confirmed it would continue the process to pick a winning location or locations.

"The Scottish government has committed to designating at least one new national park by 2026 to bring positive benefits for the environment and economy," it said.

“The five nominated areas are currently being appraised by the Scottish government against published criteria, before a decision is made on the proposed location in the summer."