The mountaineer Cameron McNeish has quit the SNP after almost ten years of membership claiming the party has done 'zilch' on environmental issues and land reform.
According to a Sunday Times report, the author and TV personality also singled out the party's poor treatment of women including the MP Joanna Cherry for their stance on women's rights.
Cherry was sacked in February as the party's justice and home affairs spokeswoman after a series of disagreements on issues including transgender rights.
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Mr McNeish, who is Scottish Walks editor at The Herald, was also critical of the SNP's lack of progress over independence.
He said: "It's been coming for a while.
"The party has done absolutely zilch on land reform and the environment since Nicola Sturgeon came to power and I have a deep frustration over issues like raptor persecution, grouse moors all over Scotland, and what muirburning is doing to the environment.”
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He said there was “no real interest” in the SNP on these issues and described Ms Cherry’s treatment as “chilling”.
He said: While I don’t understand all the complexities over gender recognition, she should be applauded for her stance defending women’s rights.”
He described the “posturing and whingeing” of the party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford as “embarrassing” and said many in the party appeared to “spend their time trying to rubbish other pro-Indy parties.”
According to the report he has not joined another party although he gave his second vote to Alex Salmond’s Alba Party at the Scottish elections in May.
An SNP spokesman said: "We would like to thank Cameron McNeish for his contribution to the party and we are sorry to see him resign and hope he reconsiders in the future."
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