Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort are hosting the Institute of Animal Technology (IAT) Congress 2008, but campaigners have accused the IAT of being involved in vivi-section, and called for people to lodge their protest with the hotel group and boycott their premises across the country.

It is understood that the event organisers had been keen to keep details of the three-day gathering under wraps, but their hopes were dashed when the animal rights supporters launched their web campaign.

There was a high-profile police presence in the centre of Aviemore as the first day of the conference for UK animal technologists got underway yesterday (Tuesday) – despite only a handful of animal rights campaigners mustering to protest as the 'Strathy' went to press.

A police CCTV surveillance unit was on patrol between the holiday complex and the village's railway station, and officers armed with long-lens cameras were taking photographs of those who had gathered as part of a small demonstration.

One of the campaigners, Helena Forsyth, a member of "Edinburgh-the Fur Free City', said: "We don't agree with violence towards anyone, and we don't condone it in our cause.

"The bottom line is that experiments on animals are cruel, unreliable and unnecessary."

The group were giving away leaflets to passers-by, including '33 facts to consider – Does animal testing help human medicine?'

Fliers were also being handed out showing well-known products such as washing powders and cosmetics and a small animal having its eye injected with a fluid, stating: "You're paying for this if you buy these!"

The IAT, a hybrid of a trade union and academic body, was founded in the early 1950s and numbers around 8,000 members – many corporate and mainly belonging to university research labratories – who look after animals being used for research purposes mainly in the medical field.

Karen Gardiner, an IAT member, said: "What has been written are spurious allegations of the sort being printed five years ago."

The last annual IAT congress was held in Manchester a year ago, and there were no problems with animal welfare campaigners in the city, she said.

"We would not expect there to be any problems in Aviemore, as we are a legal organisation of significant scientific repute which is internationally renowned for the standard of work which our members carry out," said Ms Gardiner.

"We would refute in the strongest terms any allegations of ill treatment by any of our members."

Commenting on the topics up for discussion at the conference, she said: "To put it into plain English, we are going to talk to each other about what we have found out about mice, rats, dogs, zebra fish and so on.

"We will discuss how better to look after them in research facilities; how to keep them more content and ensure that the way we care for them allows the animals to behave in accordance with their natural instincts."

Ms Gardiner said that many of those gathering in Aviemore would be involved in ground-breaking work for the treatment of diseases such as cancer, diabetes and Parkinson's Disease.

They would also be pioneering new surgical methods, improving care for premature babies and other medical progress.

"It is crucial to practise safe and effective medicine, which is not possible without research using animals, and it is also a legal requirement to get a licence for medicines," explained the IAT member.

On their Indymedia Scotland website, the animal welfare protesters had called for support, urging: "Make your voices heard against the vivisectors in the UK."

With their logo of a small beagle puppy alongside the acronym SHAC – Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty – they state: "This hotel company has a right to know about the cruelty inflicted by members of IAT and what is going on inside HLS (Huntingdon Life Sciences) by members of IAT, which is where you come in.

"Contact Macdonald Aviemore Highland Resort urgently and tell them you will boycott them while they support animal cruelty. Let them know about IAT and Huntingdon's appalling track record for animal cruelty!

"Organise leafletting or peaceful demos at your local Macdonald hotel and at the congress itself. They have around 70 other sites in the UK and abroad."

SHAC offered advice on obtaining leaflets, and asked supporters to write to the hotel group, providing them with a sample letter which they should copy.

One local animal rights campaigner, Mr Andrew Kirk, visited the resort last week to register his protest. He asked to speak to the managing director or chief executive officer, but was told they were unavailable.

He said: "However, I did see the conference manager, who quite understandably wouldn't discuss the forthcoming international vivisectors' conference therein. I did request to know if they knew that the conference booked for March 4-6, 2008, was a vivisectors' conference, and requested that they considered terminating the event.

"I also explained that I was endeavouring to get this conference stopped before it even started, thereby safeguarding the reputation of Macdonald Hotels and the tranquillity of the village.

"I also advised that the vivisection information network, like Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC), was now global and they could face an international boycott of the Macdonald resorts in Aviemore and even across the Highlands."

A spokeswoman for MAHR responded: "It is not company policy to comment on any of our leisure or business clients without prior consent."

Speaking ahead of the congress, Northern Constabulary Chief Inspector Andy Walker said that they had been informed of the event. "We are aware of the interest and obviously know that there are going to be demonstrations. There will certainly be a police presence there.

"What we are looking for is a trouble-free conference, but people will still be entitled to make their thoughts known and to demonstrate within the law."

A local source said: "They do not appear to be local police officers who are involved in the operation, which is very visible."

Local SNP MSP Fergus Ewing said the IAT delegates should be welcomed at Aviemore the same as any other visitors, and he believed the boycotting campaign would not be taken seriously.

He said: "I think all of us are concerned about animal welfare – particularly, in my view, farmers, gamekeepers and others whose love of animals is born out of their working experience.

"There are stringent laws covering animal research, and without such research in the past we would not have seen major advances in medicine.

"The scientists who are coming to Aviemore should, in my opinion, be made welcome – just like all other visitors. Those who take a contrary view should pursue their campaigns through democratic, peaceful means and campaign to change the law. Calls to boycott Aviemore will not be taken seriously."

l.ford@spp-group.com

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