Public transport links needed in national parks

EDWARD Burns (Letters, July 6) is quite right that the Scottish Government needs to knock heads together about the lack of public transport in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. While

Ben A’An is a popular hill, it’s far less well known than Ben Lomond, which is even less accessible. There are no buses beyond Balmaha and the only way of getting there by public transport is to take the expensive water bus to Rowardennan in the summer.

Ben Lomond is one of the most famous mountains in Scotland and it should be the aspiration of the national park authority that everyone who lives in the Clyde conurbation and surrounding area who is able to do so climbs it at least once in their lifetime. The views from the top are magnificent and there are few things people could do that are better for their health and well-being than walk to the top. Yet, currently, the large section of the population of Glasgow who don’t own a car, which includes many young people, are excluded from the experience.

The draft National Park Partnership Plan, announced on your pages by Convener James Stuart in April, contains just one proposal to improve public transport connections and that concerns the expensive waterbus service. What is needed is a shuttle bus from Balmaha to Rowardennan, which would not only help people without cars get to Ben Lomond, it would help address congestion on the east shores of Loch Lomond, particularly if the bus service to Balmaha was improved.

National parks throughout

Europe use school buses to transport people along roads to places like Rowardennan in holiday periods. If they can do it, why can’t we?

Nick Kempe, 23 Queen Square, Glasgow.

Herald reader Bill McMurray spotted this busy bee down on his allotment in Tillicoultry – and expresses the hope that friends will turn up as well.

if the weather heats up, its