The Ramblers' Association will not be appealing against a landmark ruling forbidding walkers the right to roam on the estate of businesswoman Ann Gloag.

The Ramblers' Association will not be appealing against a landmark ruling forbidding walkers the right to roam on the estate of businesswoman Ann Gloag.

The Stagecoach tycoon recently won a legal battle to ban ramblers from entering a large section of her estate in Perthshire.

Mrs Gloag, who is worth an estimated £400m, became the first individual in Scotland to exempt her land - around Kinfauns Castle, near Perth - from the right-to-roam legislation.

The Ramblers' Association had been expected to appeal the decision of Sheriff Michael Fletcher, who ruled that the "nature of the building and its prominence" meant a larger section of surrounding land was required by Mrs Gloag to ensure her privacy and enjoyment of the house.

Yesterday, however, Alison Mitchell, convener of Ramblers Scotland, issued a statement confirming that the organisation would not challenge the ruling.

She said: "The Scottish executive committee of the Ramblers has given very careful consideration to the judg-ment in this case and its wider implications for implementation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003.

"We have decided not to appeal the judgment but to focus our efforts on bringing some of the issues raised by this court case and others to the attention of members of the Scottish Parliament and others.

"We think this will be to the overall benefit of all who value the land reform programme in Scotland. We thank all those who have given the Ramblers their strong support."

The statement came as a surprise because, only a fortnight ago, the president of the Ramblers' Association had attacked the court decision to limit access to the countryside near Ann Gloag's home.

Chris Smith, a former cabinet minister and an experienced climber and hillwalker, had called for a campaign to reverse the decision. He said: "It's not as if this is just about personal privacy and keeping prying eyes away from your windows.

"That would be understandable. But this is about keeping people hundreds of yards from anywhere near the castle. Much of the land Mrs Gloag wants to fence off can't even be seen from the castle. This is more about privilege than it is about privacy."

Speaking to The Herald, he had argued: "It is a judgment that many people believe is deeply flawed and it runs counter to the whole intention of the Scottish Land Reform Act.

"Even more disturbing is the reason Sheriff Fletcher gave for his decision. He said it was because Mrs Gloag was wealthy and had a high profile that she was entitled to a higher degree of protection.

"This sounds to me very like one law for the rich and another for the poor; this cannot be right."