NFU Scotland (NFUS) has produced a poster urging walkers to take care when visiting farms and crofts for exercise during the Covid-19 lockdown.
The union is encouraging farmers and crofters to download and print the poster for use on their holdings.
It follows a growing number of calls from NFUS members about problems with public access.
This includes people walking through fields with cows and calves or ewes with lambs, people accessing farm buildings, cars being abandoned in farm gateways and instances of littering and bags of dog faeces being thrown into fields of growing crops.
Gemma Cooper, who heads up the NFUS policy team, said the poster was designed to guide people on how to access the countryside responsibly and safely.
“To fulfil our pledge to keep Scotland’s plates and glasses full throughout this crisis, we need farmers, crofters, their families and staff to stay safe, healthy and able to get on with the job of producing food and drink,” added Ms Cooper.
“We respectfully ask that people please follow these simple guidelines in the poster. It will assist the many people taking access in the countryside and receive the thanks of all living and working in the countryside at this challenging time.”
The NFUS has also created an online survey for farmers to log any issues they are facing as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
The union’s president, Andrew McCornick, said: “These are extremely challenging times for farmers and crofters who are having to get on with the day-to-day running of their businesses while the national situation is changing at a daily pace.
“That is why it is so important that NFU Scotland members take advantage of this survey provided and let us know the issues they are facing so that we can assist them and others who might be experiencing the same issues.”
The survey can be accessed here and the poster is available to download on the NFUS website here.