October 9, 2015

Friends of Loch Lomond

Founding Council customers at their particular first conference at Auchendarroch in 1978 The reputation for the Friends of Loch Lomond while the Trossachs extends back to 1978. In-may of this year, plans were afoot to construct a pumped storage hydro-electric scheme in the east shores of Loch Lomond. Its construction will have altered permanently the iconic landscape – the profile of countryside around Ben Lomond. Known as the Craigroystan Scheme, it can have-been characterised by very visible construction roadways, an upper storage space reservoir and energy lines operating across the slopes.

It had been this suggestion that caused Mrs Hannah Stirling along with her friend Mrs Josephine Colquhoun to ‘do anything about it’. The Friends of Loch Lomond idea was created.

An attorney was instructed to setup a constitution; buddies and family members had been rallied. Hannah Stirling blogged on Glasgow Herald (as it then was) and requested all who were opposed to the plan for in touch.

Into the autumn of this exact same year, a packed community conference happened in Balloch with around 100 people in attendance, plus the organization, by then known as the Friends of Loch Lomond, elected its first Council. The goal ended up being quick: generate a bunch that could tirelessly voice their particular help when it comes to conservation regarding the area’s natural splendor. The Friends very quickly attracted an internationally account.

Extremely, with what ended up being the pre-internet age, some 200, 000 folks supported the Friends petition from the moved storage scheme additionally the proposition ended up being sooner or later shelved. But this remaining the Friends of Loch Lomond with lots to complete and there was clearly a very good need amongst Trustees and users become an optimistic force to safeguard and promote the unique qualities of Loch Lomond!

Soon, the Friends were taking part in lobbying for creation of Scotland’s very first nationwide Park; consultations over many different preparation things around the loch, including using the lead-in a selection of practical tasks. These included repairing the foreshore wall at Luss, producing a viewpoint at Duck Bay, fixing footpaths at Stoneymollan and Cashel, along with creating an innovative new footpath from Tarbet to Arrochar, after that extending it to Inveruglas via Glen Loy. The emphasis is definitely on conserving and boosting the area’s normal and social heritage – thus making it simpler for visitors to appreciate and enjoy the area’s unique assets.

A good example of the buddies in action had been the effective efforts to shield the big web site at southern end of Loch Lomond, now known as Loch Lomond Shores and western Riverside, for relaxation and tourism purposes. The Friends increased funds to hire a Queen’s Counsel to battle the intends to cover this important website with a big private industry housing plan at a public inquiry. Aided by the help of local Councillors while the region Tourist Board, this system was declined. Over 1 million site visitors a year today enjoy the leisure possibilities offered by website.

Another effective campaign had been safeguarding the continuing future of obstructs of state-owned forestry which were because be offered off to the private industry. The Friends were prompt inside their objections as to the had been viewed as improvements very likely to further prevent public accessibility the country side. Consequently, the Kilpatrick Hills plantations, and a mixed wood of large environmental importance near Ross Priory, were flourished the open market facilities developed on this lochside site and it is also home toward primary starting center for water enthusiasts to achieve accessibility the loch in 1993.

After another energetic campaign by the Friends in 1984 together with statement the Forestry Commission would be to sell-off Ben Lomond, the National Trust for Scotland had been urged to acquire the hill with a 100 percent grant from Countryside Commission for Scotland. The Friends also supported the creation of the Ben Lomond nationwide Memorial Park. Its increased exposure of combined stands of native woods is part of a managed ‘continuous forestry policy’ this is certainly also producing a visually pleasing and ecologically diverse landscape, appropriate as a monument. The location is aimed at the a large number of Scots which passed away in World War II.