A petition has been lodged against an Aberdeenshire development amid fears it could impact one of the region’s most iconic hills.
Plans have been lodged by Aberdeen Northern Marts (ANM) Group for the Thainstone Business Park on farmland near Inverurie.
Under the plans, a number of modern office and warehouse buildings would be built.
However the Keep the Lower Don Valley Beautiful Group has launched a petition, as members believe the development would “destroy the landscape” around Bennachie.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (Sepa) has also objected due to lack of information on groundwater abstractions, although has said it is broadly “supportive” of the scheme.
And number of local residents from Kintore and Inverurie have also objected to the proposals, citing traffic, drainage and noise and light pollution concerns.
A spokeswoman from Keep the Lower Don Valley Beautiful Group said: “This beautiful landscape is at risk due to a proposal to change 50-plus acres of farmland to commercial use on a very prominent hillside which is visible for many miles around, this equates to about 32 football pitches which is a considerable amount of land.
“When looking across the valley the land in question lies directly below the top of Bennachie.
“It will destroy the landscape and be visible for miles around. The loss of amenity for the many members of the public that use the area for walking.”
John Halliday, chief executive of Halliday Fraser Munro – who are the architects and planning consultants for the project – said: “We have worked very closely with our client and adhering strictly to the local planning guidelines to create a business park that is both practical in its function and appealing in design.”