Scotland’s political leaders have been criticised for failing to set out their position on protecting Scotland’s wild land.
The Perth-based Mountaineering Council of Scotland (MCofS) wrote to 10 politicians in March.
The organisation which represents Scottish mountain lovers, hillwalkers and climbers asked them to set out where they stand on protecting wild landscapes from development in the form of industrial-scale windfarms and intrusive hill tracks.
However, the organisation says only Nicola Sturgeon and Ruth Davidson responded, and of the pair, only the Scottish Conservative leader answered the questions directly.
A public petition on the same subject has already exceeded 10,000 signatures.
MCofS chief officer David Gibson said: “To say we are disappointed about this clear disconnect between the voting public and our political representatives and leaders is an understatement.
“In the run-up to the general election we were keen to give our members and supporters a clear insight into how the different parties prioritise the protection of Scotland’s wild land, as it has been notably absent from the debates, pamphlets and party broadcasts.”
He continued: “With just a week to go, we would still like to know where Labour, the Green Party, Ukip and the Liberal Democrats stand on these issues and urge all the party leaders to respond. We are committed to publishing their responses right up to polling day.
“These landscapes are not a luxury local people’s jobs depend on them and we want to be sure our political leaders and future UK parliamentary representatives understand and prioritise these matters as essential to Scotland’s economic and social sustainability.”
Wild land the proportion of the country from which built development cannot be seen has dropped by 40% in 11 years, to less than one third in 2013.