News

Local problem for wildlife

One of the biggest concerns for visitors to the National Park recently has been the antisocial behaviour associated with large groups ‘wild’ camping along the East shore of Loch Lomond.  As well as this behaviour making this part of the Loch shore unpleasant for people, it’s bound to be driving and keeping away the wildlife that so many visitors come to see such as otters and osprey (which are known to visit the southern basin area of Loch Lomond area around Balmaha  - when it is quiet!)

There’s recently been a bad example of behaviour to drive away both wildlife and people:

Nearly 50 litres of alcohol were seized from teenagers on Loch Lomondside by officers carrying out patrols as part of Operation Ironworks.

The seizure was made on Monday when officers and National Park Rangers were acting on information received that around 40 teenagers had gathered in ManseBay, Balmaha.

 Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park police officer, Constable Paul Barr, said: “The alcohol seized included bottles of vodka, crates of beer and bottles of whisky. The teenagers were 17-18 years old.

 “The link between excessive alcohol consumption and violent and antisocial behaviour is clear. It is also a danger for people to get drunk in the vicinity of a large body of water such as Loch Lomond where accidents can easily occur. We will continue to patrol the National Park and take action to minimise antisocial behaviour and keep people safe.

 “This seizure undoubtedly reduced the potential for disorder and litter later in the day.”

Loch Lomond Wildlife litter danger

Litter can be a real danger to wildlife in the Park, and the problem can be particularly bad at the loch side or seaside where discarded fishing tackle, plastic bags and other rubbish  can be swallowed by or ensnare fish, birds or mammals.  But action is being taken!

A group of National Park volunteers and members of the local community recently cleared an amazing 140kgs of litter from Lochgoilhead and Castle Carrick beaches – both within the National Park. Soft drinks cans, fast food wrappers and fishing ropes were just a few of the items cleared by the group. The day was kick started by National Park Ranger, Rowan Fraser who gave a talk about Marine Conservation.

Elspeth Quinn, one of volunteers said: "When I saw volunteers were needed for the beach clean, I was delighted to help.  It was a fun and extremely worthwhile day – it was fascinating learning more about marine conservation and very satisfying relieving the environment of 140kg of litter."

The event was organised as part of the National Spring Clean Campaign by Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs through their ‘OUR park’ scheme and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority.   

Contact us if you’d like to join this kind of voluntary activity in future!

 

Wild Lomond Website Is Live!

As you can see, the Wild Lomond website is now live. It contains descriptions on the species and habitats you will find in Loch Lomond and the Trossach's National Park, as well as many wonderful pictures. 

We will be updating the latest news soon.