Campaigners say they have been "let down again" after the Scottish government announced it would be abandoning plans to create the nation's third national park.
Proposals for a park in Galloway, Southwestern Scotland, were scrapped after they received a mixed reaction in a public consultation.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said the Scottish government came to a decision after considering both sides of the argument, and wants to continue supporting Scotland's two existing national parks.
"The Scottish Government remains committed to our existing National Parks and the vital leadership role that they play in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises, promoting sustainable land management and supporting the economic and social development of local communities," reads a statement.
Galloway would have joined the Cairngorms, and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs as the nation's only national parks. The expansive Galloway wilderness would have received protected status to preserve its idyllic Scottish wildlife from future construction.
"This is a big loss for our countryside and wildlife, for everyone living in the region and for our entire country," Rob Lucas, chair of the Galloway National Park Association (GNPA), said in a statement.
“Our disappointment is not just for the loss of a National Park, but for the whole future of Galloway, which has been badly let down once again.
“Galloway and its fragile environment, communities, and economy face huge challenges that must be overcome."
Without the protected status of a National Park, the GNPA fears the area will be 'smothered' by wind turbines and other infrastructure projects.
“It is now absolutely clear that big business has set itself against the communities, the wildlife, and the future of our region," Lucas said in an earlier statement.
“We have already done far more than our fair share of the heavy lifting when it comes to accommodating windfarms – but these companies want to fill their wallets by smothering our countryside in ever bigger turbines."
Talking to the BBC's Good Morning Scotland, Scottish Renewables CEO Claire Mack described the area as "strategically significant for onshore wind," although any investment "could very well go elsewhere."
The proposals ignited a tense local debate in Galloway, with advocates on either side attending marches and demonstrations.
Liz Hitschmann of the No Galloway National Park campaign group told the BBC that the park would have cost millions "on another layer of bureaucracy which could override local wishes, and the many government-funded organisations in the area need to deliver that investment".
Galloway is home to hundreds of miles of outstanding wilderness, including the expansive Galloway Forest Park, which is visited by around 800,00 people each year.
Visitors come year-round to hike, run, swim, and camp among the 300 square miles (777km2) of unspoilt forest.
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