A GROUP pushing to create a new National Park in the south of Scotland has dissolved after a recent failed bid.
Plans for the new park which would have incorporated parts of East and South Ayrshire, as well as Dumfries and Galloway, were rejected last year following "significant opposition".
It was confirmed that public opposition to the nomination, and recommendations from the Scottish Government's reporter, meant that the region in southwest Scotland would not join the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs as a national park.
Now, almost a year on from the decision, the Galloway National Park Association (GNPA) has been dissolved.
The group said the decision has been taken due to the fact there is no prospect of a new park moving forward in the short to medium term.
Announcing the decision, Rob Lucas, former GNPA chair, said: “The former trustees of GNPA are proud to have fought for a National Park to underpin a better future for the area, providing a rare opportunity to put Galloway in the spotlight.
“We are grateful to all our members and supporters and those who supported a National Park in the consultations, including those who looked beyond their own interests and gave thought to Galloway as a whole.
“Those councillors who provided steadfast support throughout are worthy of our special thanks.
“It is frustrating that a genuine discussion on the merits, or otherwise, of a National Park for Galloway never really took place. Facts and details were harder to come by than they should have been, and it was even harder to agree on their interpretation.
“It is regrettable that the process pitched sectors and individuals against each other whilst Scottish Government and its various agencies retreated to the fence.
“It was puzzling at the time but it is now clear that its commitment to creating a National Park had been quietly dropped. Perhaps that was the key piece of information that might have unlocked a more civilised conversation.
“Some who opposed a park may now be regretting their position as inappropriate wind farms and forestry schemes encroach on their communities.”
At the time, rural affairs secretary Mairi Gougeon said: "We will continue to strongly support our existing national parks and we remain open to proposals for new national parks in the future."
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