An extended public consultation into whether Galloway should become Scotland's third national park reaches the halfway point.
Farmer Ian Cruickshanks says he has invested heavily in infrastructure but feels it could all be lost if the national park goes ahead
NatureScot is in charge of the consultation and will report back to the Scottish government with its findings in April. He said: "Stranraer has suffered one blow after another, especially when the ferries moved out and we lost so many visitors and so much trade. Denise Brownlee and Liz Hitschmann, who both live in Gatehouse of Fleet, started the campaign against having a national park in Galloway.They said the roads infrastructure needed to be upgraded first before encouraging more visitors.
Farms are a place of work, the home and the future for the next generation, making it a personal debate for many in the sector.Ian Cruickshanks is the fourth generation at his farm at Borgue near Kirkcudbright. "It's going to be a hindrance to my ability to invest and improve facilities," he said. "It's going to be an absolute destruction of what I hope for in my future."Catriona Forrest lives near Castle Douglas and said she initially thought a park sounded like a good idea but has since changed her mind.
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