OUR BEAUTY SPOT SHAME
Tourists’ litter turns Loch Lomond into eyesore
FOR centuries, their breathtaking views and unspoiled location have provided inspiration for countless artists, musicians and poets. Now the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond are at risk of becoming swamped with litter due to the sheer volume of visitors arriving there during the busy summer months.
An independent conservation group says it has to drum up bands of volunteers to pick up mountains of waste at the side of the road that runs along the western shore of the loch.
They also empty overflowing bins at tourism hotspots such as Luss, and Balmaha on the eastern shore.
The Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs say they frequently have to gather up dozens of bags of rubbish left strewn in lay-bys on the A82 because council chiefs provide neither bins nor a regular clean-up service.
The growing volume of visitors to popular stop-off points has left the local infrastructure unable to cope with the amount of litter generated by coach parties and motorists.
Ja m e s Fr a s e r, ch a i r m a n o f th e group, has warned that a littering and fly-tipping crisis along one of Scotland’s busiest tourism routes risks giving visitors the impression Scotland is one of the ‘dirtiest countries in the Western world’.
Mr Fraser has called for an urgent ‘litter summit’ to be held between his group, Argyll and Bute Council and Transport Scotland to address the problem.
He said: ‘For many visitors, the A82 alongside the loch is their first glimpse of what is to come as they cross the Highland fault line. But when they stop to admire the bonnie banks, there is litter and rubbish strewn in the foreground and it doesn’t look good.
‘At busy times, the bins in Luss and Balmaha will overflow because of the sheer numbers of tourists.
‘Part of the problem is that there are no bins in the lay-bys, so people just leave bags of rubbish by the roadside. There is also a fly-tipping problem, so you’ll find tyres and old car batteries on the shoreline.’
Mr Fraser added: ‘I understand that the council have budget pressures but it is my fear that they will make further cuts to litter and cleansing services.’
He said a lack of response from council and transport bosses had forced the group to take matters into its own hands and organise Make a Difference days to clear up the litter.
He added: ‘We have found that direct action of this nature is often far more productive than making fruitless representations to public agencies appealing with them to face up to their responsibilities and to address the situation in a co-ordinated basis.
‘It also undermines Scotland’s recent accolade as the most beautiful country in the world as voted by Rough Guide readers. How long before we are voted as one of the dirtiest countries in the Western world, which is a real possibility if we continue on the current trajectory?’
Last month, tourism chiefs on Skye drew up plans for a Park and Ride scheme for the island after cars, coaches and campervans created bottlenecks, while parking at unofficial sites marred the island’s famous views.
Tourism body VisitScotland recently said it was looking at ways to ‘ensure visitors go to different parts of the country’.
Its initiative is designed to alleviate congestion at locations such as Skye and Glenfinnan, Inverness-shire – the Glenfinnan Viaduct appears in Harry Potter films – after their popularity sparked gridlock this summer.
Earlier this year it emerged that 152,206 incidents of fly-tipping had been reported across
‘Tyres and old car batteries on shoreline’ ‘No bins in the lay-bys’
Scotland over only three years. Last year alone, council workers were asked to clear almost 58,000 illegal dump sites, an increase of more than a third on 2014.
A Transport Scotland spokesman said the body would be happy to discuss the problem with Mr Fraser, adding: ‘We work with our operating companies and Zero Waste Scotland to support Keep Scotland Beautiful’s roadside litter campaign, which encourages people to take rubbish home.
‘The Scottish Government is committed to the introduction of a deposit return scheme to increase recycling and reduce the amount of litter at our roadsides.
‘We will consider any request to meet Mr Fraser and the local authority.’
A spokesman for Argyll and Bute Council said: ‘We work hard yearround to do all we can to keep Loch Lomond beautiful.
‘We would urge everyone who visits Loch Lomond to love it, not litter it – take your litter home rather than leaving it for others.’