Lambs at risk
As spring approaches and lambing season begins there has been a warning not to disturb lambs, pregnant ewes and other livestock.
The national park’s director of visitor operations Simon Jones said: “While we always want to see people enjoying the fantastic surroundings, this is an important time for farmers.
“Pregnant ewes and newborn lambs are extremely vulnerable.
“Dogs running loose can cause a great deal of distress which can cause miscarriages, injuries or separating lambs from their mothers putting them at risk of starvation or exposure.
“Even well-behaved dogs on leads can be disturbing to ewes and lambs so we would urge dog owners to take extra care to avoid fields with sheep in them during this time.”
NFU Scotland president Andrew McCornick said: “Instances of livestock worrying have increased year on year and hit a record high in 2016.
“This is disappointing and we really need the public’s support to buck the trend.
“We would ask the public to ensure they are familiar with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and, where they do access fields with livestock, to ensure dogs are under close control and on a short lead.
“They are encouraged to take an alternative route to avoid livestock altogether.
“Farmers are well within their rights to shoot a dog in the event they witness it worrying livestock.
“Whilst we urge our farmers to use this as a last resort, unfortunately there have been a number of instances recently where this has been the only practicable solution to ending an attack.”
The guidance in the access code is to avoid taking a dog into fields where there are lambs, calves or other young farm animals. See www. outdoor-access.co.uk