People visiting Scotland’s beauty spots are being urged to be responsible and not damage, deface and defile their favourite wild places.

The message is part of a new campaign by the country’s biggest conservation charity after disturbing scenes of vandalism, toilet waste and littering were witnessed in some of the most renowned rural locations.

Fences and trees have been uprooted and used for firewood and land left charred by portable barbecues, while mountains of rubbish such as drinks bottles have been piling up.

Worse still, there has been an unprecedented rise in careless dumping of both human and animal waste.

Livestock and wildlife have been attacked and ‘worried’ by pet dogs running loose.

Bad parking has also been having a serious impact on sensitive habitats and local people.

Warnings over 'dirty' camping as influx of visitors trash Scottish beauty spots

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) is urging visitors to “love this place, leave no trace” as it seeks to encourage them and campers to minimise their impact on the landscape.

Glencoe is one of Scotland's most spectacular and popular wild landscapes but irresponsible visitors have been taking their toll on the local environment

Staff at the trust have reported a rise in anti-social behaviour which it says is endangering the environment, harming local communities and having a “devastating” effect on long-term conservation projects.

A series of graphic images has been released as part of the campaign, showing some of the destruction left behind by visitors.

Popular destinations that have been seriously affected over the past year include Glencoe National Nature Reserve and Glenfinnan Monument in the Highlands.

Emily Bryce, operations manager at the NTS reserve, said: “While the vast majority of visitors here in Glencoe and Glen Etive respect the landscape, unfortunately our ranger team spend a considerable proportion of their time dealing with those who don’t.

Plea to stamp out ‘dirty camping’ blight on Scotland’s beauty spots