THEY were the brainchild of Scotland’s most famous naturalist and conservationist, John Muir.

Now work is underway to establish more National Parks in his homeland, with a key conference taking place to discuss the progress made in the effort to bring them into being.

Muir, who was born in Dunbar, moved with his family to a Wisconsin farm in 1849 and became known as the “Father of the National Parks,” in the United States, where he is regarded as being almost singlehandedly responsible for the safeguarding of such stunning habitats as Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks.

At present in Scotland, there are two national parks - Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, which was created in 2002, and the Cairngorms National Park, which was formed in 2003.

John Muir: Father of ecology whose love of great outdoors was formed in Dunbar

Unlike those of other countries, the Scottish parks are not uninhabited state-owned land, with much of the land in fact in private ownership, with people continuing to live and work on it and so, the areas are managed landscapes which are protected and conserved via their designated status.

Now The Scottish Campaign for National Parks (SCNP) is gearing up for a conference to be held in Stirling on Friday, April 20, being held to discuss progress in the establishment of more parks and to “learn lessons” from the present parks.

Strong community-led proposals have emerged for two new National Parks in the South of Scotland, and the possibility of a new Argyll and Islands National Park has been proposed by Argyll & Bute Council as part of a recent local development plan consultation exercise.

Speakers at the conference will include Dame Barbara Kelly, President of the Galloway National Park Association and Jane Bower from the Campaign for a Scottish Borders National Park, who will both outline the cases for new National Parks in the South of Scotland.

John Muir: Father of ecology whose love of great outdoors was formed in Dunbar

Grant Moir, Chief Executive of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, will also give a presentation on the work of the existing two National Parks and highlight some lessons for prospective new National Parks.

Ross Anderson, Chairman of the SCNP, said: ‘’I am greatly encouraged by the momentum that is gathering pace at grassroots level to grow the family of National Parks in Scotland, to ensure the natural beauty of landscapes in more parts of the country receive the international recognition and protection they richly deserve while providing a much needed economic boost to fragile rural economies.’

’’Sadly, Scotland is still near the bottom of the world league when it comes to recognising its special natural heritage qualities through the designation of National Parks, yet consumer research confirms we have some of the best wild scenery on the planet.’’

He added:’’Scotland would do well to follow the refreshing lead of the of Chilean Government, which recently designated five new National Parks, providing a massive boost to the country’s economy and conservation efforts. This demonstrates that the modest costs involved in designating more National Parks in Scotland would pay rich dividends and position the country much more strongly on the world stage.’’

Born in 1838, Muir's love of nature began in his homeland and developed in the States, where he emigrated with his family. In adulthood, he began convincing the US government to adopt a forest conservation policy.

John Muir: Father of ecology whose love of great outdoors was formed in Dunbar

In 1903, he took a famed three-day camping trip with President Teddy Roosevelt in Yosemite Valley, where he argued that it would be an incalculable loss if such "temples of nature" were to be lost to hunting, mining and logging. The President returned to Washington and began to argue that America's wilderness must belong to the public and be staunchly protected by the laws of the land.

The SCNP event is to be held in the Smith Art Gallery & Museum, Dumbarton Road, Stirling between 10.00am and 4.00pm on Friday 20 April.