Further criticism has been aimed at the Scottish Wildlife Trust (SWT) after it ended its direct involvement with a fund-raising project.
The charity has confirmed it is no longer in a position to be attached to a fan-made book paying tribute to Lady the osprey.
In-house printing has stopped and the bloggers who produced the publication will now be forced to make their own arrangements.
Many reacted with dismay when they learned the SWT would no longer print it and claimed they only found out “by chance” when a person visited the Loch of the Lowes reserve to inquire about it.
One blogger wrote, “I want to say ‘words fail me’ because, like everyone here, I fail to understand why SWT stopped any further production of it.
“Once again, one wonders what has gone on behind the scenes and I think there must be more to it than meets the eye.
“This isn’t just any other book it is the expression of feelings so deeply felt by many dedicated osprey lovers, a treasury of poetry and prose and beautiful pictures for those of us very fortunate bloggers who did receive a copy, to visit and revisit, living once more that unique and dramatic season in the lives of our osprey family.”
Another added, “I am amazed as they were getting funds from the sale.”
The SWT helped make the book possible by stepping in to publish it last year, following an appeal for help in The Courier.’Financial risk’A total of 150 copies were sold over three months and just under £2000 was raised, with around half the proceeds going to the wildlife charity.
However, due to the “financial risk” of being so closely linked to the book, titled The Lady of the Loch, the organisation has taken a step back from the project.
A spokesman said, “Under normal circumstances, many charities would have the same approach and wouldn’t get involved with something that means taking a financial risk and taking orders themselves.
“What’s going to happen now is that we are going to give the bloggers the contact details of the printers, who are based in Peterborough.
“That means they can liaise directly with them and the production of the book will be managed by the fund-raisers, which is an ideal way forward for everybody.”
The bloggers claim this change in direction could pose problems for their beloved book.
There are concerns they may have to pay up front for the publication, meaning they will have to secure both funding and orders before requesting a print run.Hopes for second bookSusan McVey said she and fellow fund-raisers were anxious about dealing with the printers directly in case this altered any of the conditions.
“We will contact them and find out what they can offer us,” she said.
“My only concern is that, because we are not SWT, they may want money up front and a certain amount of orders, which obviously I would have to talk to them about.
“I have been told by SWT that it cost £6.50 per book, so I am hoping this would still be the case and the printers won’t put the price up, but I wont know until I speak to them.”
She added, “Obviously they have everything set in place and it would only be a case of running off more copies, so it is not as if they would have to start from scratch.
“I think it would maybe be a case of collecting the money in first and them putting in an order, unless they would be willing to wait for the money.
“However, I don’t know as I have never had to do this before, so it is all new me.”
Once they overcome their printing dilemma, the bloggers hope to create a second book and are making attempts to gain permission to use images of the record-breaking osprey.