Environmental groups have raised concerns about fresh plans for a golf course at a protected site. 

Developer C4C notified Highland Council it would soon submit a new planning application for the construction of an 18-hole golf course at Coul Links in Sutherland. It submitted a Proposal of Application Notice in June this year. 

The notice has sounded alarm bells for seven of Scotland's leading environmental organisations who labelled it "incredibly disappointing". 

It comes just over two years after the Scottish Government shot down plans for a golf course in the area. 

The National Trust for Scotland, RSPB Buglife, Butterfly Conservation, Plantlife, Marine Conservation Society and the Scottish Wildlife Trust spent over four years campaigning to prevent the development. 

READ MORE: Plans for golf links on Scottish wildlife site at Coul ‘would be blocked’ in England

Forming the Conservation Coalition, the groups fought against the plans that could put Scotland's wildlife "at-risk". 

The group has continued to communicate their concerns to C4C - including in spring 2021 and earlier this year. 

Bruce Wilson from the Scottish Wildlife Trust said developers should not be pursuing "environmentally damaging proposals" in midst of a nature and climate emergency. 

He said: "We are really concerned that the internationally protected Coul Links is once again under threat from a golf course.

"It’s incredibly disappointing to see that these new plans don’t appear to address the environmental concerns that were part of the previous refusal. 

"The Scottish Government refused the last proposal in February 2020 because of the significant impacts it would have had on the international and national conservation designations, adversely affecting wintering and breeding birds, invertebrates, and rare vegetation types – even after mitigation – due to disturbance and habitat loss.

"Since then, part of the dunes at Menie, where Donald Trump was allowed to build a golf course despite many concerns being raised, have lost their protected status due to the damage caused by another insensitive development."

The group are calling for people to raise concerns they have over the development. 

He added: "We are in a nature and climate emergency. Ensuring protected areas are respected is a critical part of tackling these crises.

"Developers shouldn’t be pursuing environmentally damaging proposals that put Scotland’s special places for wildlife at risk."