Park status suggested for Ben Nevis and Lochaber

Lochaber is home to 1,345m-high Ben Nevis

National park status could be sought for Lochaber - home to the UK's highest mountain and deepest loch.

It has been 20 years since the creation of Scotland's last national park, the Cairngorms, and the Scottish government has committed to establishing at least one new site by 2026.

Lochaber National Park Working Group is consulting with communities on a potential bid.

The group said the area's impressive landscape, which includes 1,345m (4,413ft) high Ben Nevis and 310m (1,017ft) deep Loch Morar, was deserving of the designation.

Discussions are taking place about the benefits and challenges of park status for Lochaber

This week, almost 100 people attended the first community information evening hosted by the Lochaber National Park Working Group, whose members include a number of local organisations.

Mike Pescod, chairman of Nevis Landscape Partnership, said the group was seeking to stimulate discussion on the pros and cons of park status.

He said: "The response has been quite mixed. Everyone has got questions."

Mr Pescod said many of the queries were around planning and business development.

He added: "There is a housing crisis in Lochaber. It is very hard to build more housing and that is very high on the agenda."

Potential benefits already identified included nature restoration projects, Mr Pescod said.

Lochaber includes long stretches of coastline and fragments of ancient Atlantic rainforest.

The area's towns and communities include Fort William, Mallaig, Arisaig and Glenfinnan.

Frazer Coupland, chief executive of Lochaber Chamber of Commerce, said the information evening had been an excellent start to the local consultation.

Loch Morar drops to a depth of about 310m

Scotland currently has two national parks - the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

Cairngorms is the UK's largest national park and includes parts of the Highlands, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Perthshire and Angus.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs was set up in 2002.

In May, Biodiversity Minister Lorna Slater said: "I think it is time to have a new park, I think it is an exciting proposition when we have got climate and nature crisis ahead of us.

"The national parks play such an important role in tackling biodiversity and nature crisis and they are such great places for recreation to help us stay in touch with nature."