Perth and Kinross Council has ­refused permission for the mast on a remote piece of land north west of Loch Rannoch but an appeal has been lodged on behalf of Vodafone. Campaigners are warning that if it is upheld, it will pave the way to scores more in scenic areas where they are not needed. Funded by Westminster to the tune of £500 million, the project is aimed at tackling so-called “Total Not Spots” where there is no telecommunications coverage.

Protesters argue the money should be spent on improving ­reception where people live, rather than ­erecting unsightly structures on ­uninhabited beauty spots. The impact of the controversial rollout of digital masts on Scotland’s wild land was laid out in the Sunday National after retired engineer Dave Craig managed to map them ­following a series of Freedom of Information ­requests to the authorities. The cost of each mast is an ­estimated £1m.

Announcing the ­project in 2019, the then prime ­minister Boris Johnson said it would be completed by 2025. READ MORE: Rhoda Meek: Those attacking CalMac now act surprised confidence is being lost Perth and Kinross rejected the bid for a 20-metre mast, north west of Loch Rannoch, on the grounds that the structure could ruin the “sense of awe and sanctuary”. It said it would create an “incongruous, ­eye-catching, man-made feature which would be visible for around five kilometres within an upland valley”.

Cornerstone, which submitted the plans on behalf of Vodafone, .