ENVIRONMENTALISTS say they are shocked by the damage caused by unregulated hill tracks across landscapes and claim the worst examples amount to little more than vandalism.

The tracks have long been put in by sporting estates to help shooting parties while others have been created by farming and forestry interests, but they do not come under the planning system.

Nine organisations are now working together under Scottish Environment LINK and have invited Planning Minister Derek Mackay to join writer and broadcaster Cameron McNeish to inspect the damage they can cause.

Helen Todd, of Ramblers Scotland and co-convener of the campaign group, said: "Currently tracks can simply be bulldozed across the countryside almost anywhere in Scotland, and have caused huge visual and environmental damage in some of Scotland's finest landscapes."

Ms Todd said the Scottish Government recently dropped a proposal to bring hill tracks with purported "agricultural or forestry purposes" into the planning system.

Beryl Leatherland, of the Scottish Wild Land Group and co-convener of the campaign group, said some tracks amounted to little more than "vandalism".

"We have seen evidence of tracks being bulldozed across some of the country's most iconic landscapes without any care for their design or impact," she said.

But Douglas McAdam, CEO of Scottish Land & Estates which represents 2500 landowners and managers, said the issue of hill tracks had been the subject the subject of a full consultation by the Scottish Government less than a year ago.

Mr McAdam said the hill tracks provide the likes of farmers, gamekeepers, deer managers and other land managers vital access for their work.

A Scottish Government spokeswoman said Mr Mackay was considering the invitation to meet Mr McNeish.