FARMERS and landowners across South-west Scotland have given a cautious welcome to plans for an access strategy being prepared in Dumfries and Galloway.

The draft proposals will be published by the end of June.

A series of workshops attended by more than 200 farmers, landowners, individuals and organisations has already been completed and questionnaires are being studied.

But the creation of a leisure facility as a means of increasing tourist numbers could lead to problems, warned former Dumfries and Stewartry Area NFU president Donald Biggar.

Biggar of Grange, Haugh of Urr, said that most local people understood the countryside and had a fair idea of when it was dangerous to go there.

''I think we are happy to provide access for the local inhabitants, most of whom probably come now anyway. But when it gets to the stage of creating a tourist facility I think we might be importing problems,'' he said.

Marian Silvester, of Solway Heritage, told a meeting of the NFUS's Stewartry branch that the places most people want to use were ones which were close to where they lived.

''That is walks around towns and villages, such as short circular walks, many of which already exist. Another important area is forest and woodland walks, and already Forest Enterprise has a large number of trails.''

In answer to a question from Jeremy Sainsbury, of Forest Estate, Dalry, about the extent the strategy would form part of or be influenced by the Government's Land Reform proposals, Silvester said Dumfries and Galloway appeared to be in quite a good position, with a very high level of consultation compared with other parts of the country.

Sainsbury warned of the problems which could face cyclists or walkers when afforested areas were being harvested. He said that it should be possible to have tracks open 11 months of the year and closed for one.

''We have 25 miles of tracks on the estate where I work, all with very good access for mountain bikes and all sorts of recreational activities, but for one month when thinning is taking place you have 40-ton artics coming down shale roads with the resultant dangers.

''There does appear to be a public perception that where you establish a route people think that they then have a God-given right to go there regardless. That is where conflict comes in from our point of view.''

Andrew Campbell, of Cuil, Castle Douglas, who is also a Dumfries and Galloway councillor, said he believed a lot of the public wanted to be informed of the places they could use.

''I welcome this strategy because it seems to me that whether we like it or not, when the decisions are made in Edinburgh, at least we will be seen to be putting forward something constructive.

''We are going to debate national parks and the question of the right to roam and although a lot of these would affect the Highlands and Islands, the implications could affect the rest of Scotland. I welcome the fact that Dumfries and Galloway is trying to get a strategy up and running.''