Volunteers tackle A82 litter blight

DISCARDED food packaging, fast-food wrappers, piles of broken glass and even an old fridge are among the items of rubbish dumped along the verges of the A82 at North Ballachulish recently.

Nether Lochaber Community Association is in the process of working with the local Gleaner filling station to create a viewpoint and picnic area and, on Sunday, members cleared up more of the litter constantly being left behind.

The fridge was uplifted as well as bags of broken glass that was raked up after the bottle banks were shifted to a new concrete stand near to the filling station.

Iain Jenner, chairman of Nether Lochaber Community Council, was one of the volunteers involved in Sunday’s clean-up and says with the boom in tourist numbers to the Highlands expected to produce the busiest season ever this year, there is a real need for more education when it comes to litter.

‘Litter isn’t just a North Ballachulish problem – it seems to be an A82 problem,’ said Mr Jenner.

‘The fridge had been chucked off the cliff and just epitomised the problem. What is needed is more education. Litter along the A82 verges is definitely getting worse year on year and I think it is a combination of austerity cutbacks to council services, combined with the growth in fast-food outlets and the massive numbers of tourists and visitors we now get.

‘We’re fast approaching what could be the busiest-ever tourist season in the Highlands and the message needs to get out not to throw litter and other rubbish into the countryside.’