Scots farmers are reporting feeling unsafe during the coronavirus pandemic as "hundreds' of walkers" who they would not normally see are surrounding their land.
According to a report on Good Morning Scotland, "increasing numbers of people taking their walks through farmland is putting the health of farmers at risk."
The Scottish National Farmers Union has received more than 100 complaints with reports of people touching their gates and livestock.
Kerry Clark, who has a farm in Currie, Edinburgh told GMS: "The number of people has really, really increased over the last few weeks which is making us feel really vulnerable.
"There is a lot of gates that need to be opened and closed, even on the right of ways, so who knows who is touching them.
"We need to be accessing these gates and if we get ill, who is going to do the work for us, it's a massive concern."
Dave Sheppard, a farmer from Dunkeld, challenged a cyclist who was on his land and was met with an aggressive response.
He said: "I was making sure he was going to sanitise gates and things like that as he went forward
"He totally ignored me, if I hadn't stepped out of his way he would gone over the top of me.
"He had absolutely no intention of stopping and was shouting at me on his way past that he was using his right of access and was within an hour of home. "
The Scottish Government has updated the Scottish outdoor access code to say that people need to take additional precautions when accessing the countryside.
NFU Scotland’s Head of Policy Team, Gemma Cooper said: “The Scottish countryside remains open and an hour’s responsible exercise each day is a central plank of the recommendations from Government on how we get through this crisis.
“For many, accessing the countryside is a new experience and we want to help guide them on how to do that responsibly and safely, recognising the legitimate concerns of those who are farming and crofting in these unprecedented times.
“This is the busiest time of the year for farming – lambing, calving, ploughing, planting and more. 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.
“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.”
