Funding cuts turning beautiful Loch Lomond into 'rubbish dump'

Loch Lomond is a must-see for tourists visiting the west of Scotland, but locals fear its reputation is being rubbished by funding cuts and increased fly-tipping.

The Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs have been providing bins in the area for the last four years, after lifted Covid restrictions saw a surge of visitors - and rubbish - to the area.

They did this with cash from Argyll and Bute Council and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority. But since that money stream ended, rubbish has been piling up.

The Council said it was unable to meet the demands of servicing additional bins and that emergency funding had simply run out.

Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs said removing the bins was a last resort, not a solution.

The group was originally funded to offer what seemed a simple answer to roadside waste along the A82.

But it proved too costly to sustain.

"We are just a charity, we don't have that kind of money," said John Urquhart, the group's chair.

He said annual upkeep now costs between £25,000 and £30,000.

Luss Estates contributed £6,000 a year to the bin scheme. Other local businesses chipped in too.

But even that collective effort was not enough to keep it going.

The nature of the waste shifted too. Bins meant for passing tourists were routinely filled with household rubbish.

At a layby near Luss, Mr Urquhart pointed to a patch of verge where one of those bins once stood.

"This is meant to be one of the most beautiful parts of Scotland," he said. "But we're constantly clearing up rubbish that shouldn't be here in the first place."

"The verges between the lay-bys were strewn with litter, the lay-bys themselves were in a mess," he added. "And it's not just litter, it's also toileting. So not very nice."

Mr Urquhart was clear about where legal responsibility lay.

"People might ask the question, why is a charity paying to put bins in, is that not the local authority?" he said.

"Well of course it's the local authority's duty. I mean legally it's Argyll and Bute who is responsible for keeping this highway clear."

Drivers slow down along the A82, take in the air off Loch Lomond, and toss their rubbish out of the window - Patrick Calhoun has watched it happen year after year.

"We inherit litter from drivers driving up, they'll throw litter out the windows," says the assistant chief executive of Luss Estates, whose land borders some of the most visited stretches of the Lochside.

For him, it is a direct threat to the local economy.

"With four million people coming to the area every year, our feeling was that you've got to supply something, some kind of piece of infrastructure to allow customers to arrive and leave the litter, not just by the side of the road, but actually in a bin."

Mr Calhoun is unconvinced by the council's advice to visitors to take their rubbish home.

"It's not a good look. It's the first impression for a lot of overseas visitors as well. And the tourism economy depends on that."

The Council wants people to take their rubbish home.

Mr Calhoun said that message was not a realistic solution. Without proper infrastructure, he argued, the problem would simply continue.

Argyll and Bute Council said the emergency funding that helped manage the surge in visitors had simply run out.

In a statement, it said: "Post Covid, a package of measures was introduced to support the increase of domestic visitors and tackle issues such as littering, additional toilet facilities etc. That funding is no longer available.

"We would love to do everything our communities want us to do, but sadly we are unable to meet the demands of servicing additional bins and the surplus waste they generate. Our message is clear, please keep your litter in your vehicle and take it home with you."

The Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority said it contributed £20,000 to the project between 2022 and 2024, but added that responsibility for the laybys sat with others.

For Mr Urquhart, the removal of the bins settles nothing.

"What's the answer?" he says. "Well, we want the litter collected and also we want to see much more education of the public. You need to move on all these different fronts."

Visitor numbers are expected to climb again over the summer. Those who know this stretch of road best fear the worst is still to come.