£2.9m is to be spent on improving Scotland’s national parks.

First Minister Alex Salmond told Parliament during First Minister’s Questions that the funding will improve Scotland’s parks as tourist destinations.

The First Minister said: "Scotland’s National Parks - while vital to the protection of important habitats - are also hugely important to our rural economy. This extra cash – for shovel ready projects to enhance visitor facilities and support green tourism – will also create new employment opportunities, delivering a fresh stimulus to the local economy."

The news comes at the beginning of the Year of Natural Scotland.

Cairngorms has received an additional £2.31m while Loch Lomond and Trossachs has been given £580,000.

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The funding is part of the £205m capital investment package announced in December by Finance Secretary John Swinney.

Cairngorms National Park Convener Duncan Bryden said: "We are delighted to have secured this money for 'shovel ready' projects across the Cairngorms National Park, which will bring about many benefits for communities and visitors alike. This news is all the more welcome as we approach our 10th anniversary and we reflect on what has been achieved in the last decade and what we still aim to do.

"Better recreational opportunities, better community facilities and projects that will preserve and enhance our cultural heritage are the winners this time round and I look forward to seeing these coming to fruition in 2013 and 2014, thanks to this additional funding."

Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority CEO Fiona Logan said: "This extra money will support new investment in visitor sites across the Trossachs and there will be further investment to public places and visitor signage in our towns and villages such as Callander. Funding will also be directed towards our improvement programme in 2013 for the West Highland Way and other strategic paths which attract thousands of people, including many international visitors to Scotland, each year."

(IT)