Campaigners have launched a bid to stop Galloway and Southern Ayrshire from becoming the UK's next national park.

The region was selected from a five-area shortlist following a review that lasted for several months.

If given the official designation, it will be the first national park in the UK to be created in the last 15 years.

Scotland currently has two existing parks at the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, however campaigners are rallying against Galloway joining that list.

On August 6, the NO Galloway National Park (NGNP) was launched at the community centre in Gatehouse of Fleet.

More than 300 people crammed into the hall to listen to speakers, with over £1,000 collected in donations at the door.

The campaign started two weeks previously when an angry Denise Brownlee started the NO Galloway National Park page on Facebook.

Within a fortnight there were 1,000 members and that number is rapidly rising following the public meeting. 

A campaign group spokesperson said: "The meeting is just one of many being held right across the proposed park area as a means of raising awareness, getting involved and having opinions heard.

"Denise Brownlee, who had previously been a ranger in Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, described the horrors left by tourists every week and was fearful that this beautiful area would be treated the same way.

"At this point some local farmers interjected, stating they were already experiencing a rise in damage caused by wild campers and lanes being blocked by camper vans."

Liz Hitschmann, co-founder of NGNP, pointed out the disparity between Galloway National Park Association’s claim that their bid had a significant level of community support.

Colin Ferguson chaired the meeting, saying he feared the consultation process would be a "tick box process" and advocated for an independent body handling the report and a final referendum for the people of Galloway to make their views count.

The spokesperson added: "The views expressed by the audience ranged from the concern that another layer of bureaucracy on an already archaic planning outlook would further hinder the development of Galloway.

"More tourism would mean low wages for future generations, coupled with lack of housing as other national parks have shown the steep rise in property prices caused by second home owners, BnBs and holiday homes.

"This area should retain its natural rugged beauty and not the sanitisation of a national park was the overall view expressed."

The Scottish Government's rural affairs secretary, Mairi Gougeon, previously said: "The proposal is community led, has the backing of many local businesses and makes a strong case on the benefits that national park status will bring for people who live in the area, for the local economy and for the environment."