Campaigners have stepped up their fight to secure public access to leisure facilities in Aviemore.

The move follows the Macdonald Resort's controversial decision to end participation in Highland Council's High Life scheme, which gives discounts on leisure facilities to local residents, next month.

On Monday, campaigners staged a protest at the Aviemore resort, which includes the town's only publicly accessible swimming pool, to urge the complex's owners to reconsider.

Campaign leader Mike Langran said: “Unfortunately the public ,who have at the end of the day provided all the money to support the building of this swimming pool, have been kept in the dark. We only found out a month or so ago that the decision had been made way back last year.”

A petition has now gathered more than 1500 signatures, as well as support from double Olympian and Commonwealth swimming gold medallist Ian Cook.

Pool user Kath Craig said: “My kids all love swimming and the wee one, she is only a year old now, we’re just trying to get her swimming now. We can’t go anywhere else it just wouldn’t work with the distance.”

A spokesman for the resort said that since it was never approached by either Highland Council or High Life Highland until late December it naturally assumed alternative arrangements had been made.

The issue has been taken up by local MSPs ahead of planned negotiations with the company when Macdonald Hotels will hold talks with Highland Council and High Life Highland.

Dave Thompson, Skye Lochaber and Badenoch MSP, said: “It’s essential really that they have the pool combined with the High Life scheme because the High Life scheme also allows access to gym facilities and other things that are going to be in the new primary school.”