Scotland's outdoor education centres could close permanently if they are not offered greater financial support from the government, a cross-party group of MSPs has warned.
Almost three-quarter of the facilities used by schools and youth groups are run by charities who are now counting the costs of a summer season cancelled by lockdown.
Several third sector groups - including the Scouts, Girl Guides, and the Outward Bound Trust - said outdoor education offered huge physical and mental health benefits to young people and must be protected.
But they said financial support on offer from the Scottish and UK Governments did not go far enough to protect centres in the long-term, with many schools having postponed all trips until next year.
MSPs from Labour, the Lib Dems and Greens have now called for Holyrood ministers to step in.
Labour's Daniel Johnson said: “Learning in the outdoors is vital but without urgent action from the Scottish Government, we are facing a loss of centres and organisations that will be hugely damaging for young people in Scotland.
"Worse still is the missed opportunity given the ability of this sector to help the return to full time educations that these organisations could deliver.
"The bottom line is that this failure of the Scottish Government to act will see a permanent loss for young people to experience and learn about the outdoors that will have a lasting consequence."
Alex Cole-Hamilton of the Lib Dems said: “The generation of young people who have been through lockdown will need youth work and outdoor education more than any before.
"Youth work is the silver bullet, it can deal with trauma and mental ill health whilst building self-esteem and life skills. It is a vital tool to closing the educational attainment gap.
"To lose the opportunity that our youthwork organisations provide and the centres they use, would be devastating for this generation of young people and all those that follow them.”
The Scottish Government said it was working on guidance for schools on when pupils could safely return to such centres.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Outdoor learning is important in the delivery of Curriculum for Excellence and it can improve the physical and mental wellbeing of children and increase learner engagement.
"We understand the impact the pandemic is having on outdoor centres and we are working with them to ensure visitors can return as soon as it is safe to do so.
"As part of this, we are developing guidance for schools on visits and facilitating discussions between centres and councils to offer support.
“A number of education centres have accessed our £25m Third Sector Resilience Fund, and the 0% interest loans offered by Social Investment Scotland have also provided support.
"We would encourage eligible centres to access support through the UK Government’s Job Retention Scheme and are clear that these schemes must continue for businesses for as long as the public health advice says that they should remain closed.”
