Love It Like a Local is message to visitors
Campaign to beat rural mess
A joint campaign featuring people who live and work in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park has been launched to urge people who visit the area to ‘love it like a local’ and take their litter home.
People are being asked to show their respect for their favourite day-trip or overnight destinations and treat them as they would want their own home to be treated.
The campaign reminds everyone who loves the National Park that they can play a part in looking after it, simply by binning their litter or taking it home.
It comes after day-trippers were slammed for leaving a mess at various locations across the National Park.
This initial phase of the ‘Love It Like a Local’ campaign is a collaboration between Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, people who live and work in key towns and villages, and the four local authorities covering the area.
It comes as the easing of lockdown restrictions has seen a ‘pressure-cooker’ effect of people keen to get out into the
We just want people to treat Callander like we do, and look after it by binning their litter or taking it home Elaine Watterson
countryside but sadly, some have left extensive amounts of litter to be cleaned up afterwards.
The National Park’s most popular areas have experienced a high volume of visitors since lockdown restrictions began to ease, whilst public services remain stretched due to ongoing Covid-19.
The campaign will be complemented by the ongoing work of the authorities within the National Park who deliver litter picking and bin servicing, which have been put under strain due to coronavirus restrictions, and also the enforcement work of partners, which most recently saw 21 people charged with irresponsible camping, littering and fire-lighting behaviours
National Park chief executive, Gordon Watson said: “Whether you live, work or visit here the National Park it’s a special placed loved by many.
“At this time, when people have been unable to visit for so long during lockdown it’s understandable that people are desperate to get out and visit their favourite places or try somewhere new.
“Sadly, while visitors provide a welcome boost to the area, particularly in terms of the recovering tourism economy, people who live and work in the National Park’s most popular towns and villages have had to witness extensive littering since lockdown restrictions began to ease. It is devastating to see people show such blatant disregard for a place that you cherish.
“So, we’re asking people who love the National Park to ‘love it like a local’ and respect the area; its environment and its communities by treating it the way you’d want people to treat your home.
“The ask is simple, bin your litter or take it home. If bins are full or there are none because you’re in a rural area, bag your litter and take it away with you.”
Local people are putting their names and faces to the campaign to bring it home to those littering that they are affecting real people’s lives.
Elaine Watterson, representing Callander Community Council, said: “Callander is a busy wee town that welcomes a lot of visitors, particularly during the summer months. Whilst the majority of the people who visit the town and the surrounding area are responsible, there are some people who think it’s OK to litter, which ruins the area for other visitors and everyone who lives here. Everyone who lives or works here are proud to call themselves locals and we go to great effort to look after the town, including organising regular clean up events, so it’s heartbreaking to see it littered. We just want people to treat Callander like we do, and look after it by binning their litter or taking it home. That’s why we’re adding our support to the ‘Love It Like A Local’ campaign.”