IT'S been a haven for families, walkers, cyclists and anglers for 30 years, and now the Pentland Hills Regional Park could be doubled in size.

A campaign has begun to extend the park, which currently starts just south of Edinburgh and covers parts of Midlothian and West Lothian, doubling its reach and spreading it into Lanarkshire.

The plan could benefit homeowners and businesses, but could lead to development restrictions.

It has been put forward by campaigners led by South of Scotland SNP MSP Christine Grahame.

Ms Grahame is trying to get the views of interested parties on whether a proposed extension should cover the whole range of the Pentland Hills.

She claimed it is in the long-term interests of the hills to be a designated park area.

If she receives enough backing, Mrs Grahame is planning to pilot a Private Member's Bill through the Scottish Parliament.

The main problem for the plan could prove to be funding.

The park is governed by several local councils which are under pressure to cut budgets due to the council-tax freeze and general economic downturn.

But Mrs Grahame says there is scope to consider moving away from the current system and instead have a separate independent body responsible for the park.

She believes this would be better positioned to access funds from more sources.

It could follow the example of the Abbotsford Trust, which is restoring the former home of Sir Walter Scott in Melrose in the Borders.

The charity is well on the way to its £10 million target, having raised more than £4.6m cover the costs of a major refurbishment of the property, which is open to the public.

Bob Barr of the National Farmers' Union said when the Pentlands park was set up there had been promises from the authorities that there would always be enough funding available to manage it, but the reality was that the funding had dwindled.

Mr Barr believes farmers have been left to take on much of the work, and act as unpaid caretakers. He said there should be a mechanism to recognise their contribution, and it was unclear how any extension could be funded.

When the regional park was established, landowning and farming interest in the Scottish Borders and Lanarkshire voted against it - and Mr Barr said unless new money was available an agreement to extend was unlikely.

The Friends of the Pentlands, charity welcomed the proposal. It pointed out that when the Pentland Hills Regional Park was first proposed, about 30 years ago, it was suggested that it should be much bigger.

An idea was mooted that the regional park would cover the whole of the Pentland Hills range, extending further into West Lothian and then into South Lanarkshire, down the A70 towards Carnwath, and down the A702 into Scottish Borders past Dolphinton.

However, after meetings with landowners, the southern part of the range was excluded and the current boundary is the one which was designated in 1986. A spokesman for the Friends group said: "We have a regional park that comprises approximately 45% of the Pentland Hills. The extension to the boundary could ensure better protection of the area, provided adequate funding was made available.

"The south-west Pentlands has landscape that is completely different from the north in that it is more open moorland, almost wild land. We would not wish to see this change."

The park includes attractions such as the unique sculpture garden of Ian Hamilton Finlay at Little Sparta, Dunsyre.