The Friends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs, established for almost 50 years as a conservation charity operating in and around the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, is supporting the RSPB’s planning application aimed at moving their Wards Reserve project onto the next stage.
Their existing woodland trails and board walk have much enhanced the visitor experience and are proving popular with the general public as well as serious birdwatchers, the charity said.
The proposed hub and Gartocharn link path are the next step in the process to build a conservation and educational destination worthy of the National Park and the nationally and internationally designated wetland and woodland habitats at the mouth of the River Endrick.
The planned facilities are intended to improve the visitor experience at Wards as well as providing RSPB with the revenue essential to make the reserve sustainable.
Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs said the new footpath will see the new Wards “hub” develop as a regular coffee stop for walkers enjoying an off-road circular walk taking in Gartocharn village, Aber and the loch shore. Increased footfall in Gartocharn itself will also benefit community and commercial interests there. The project can also be seen as a milestone along the route to the Friends’ aspiration for a round Loch Lomond walking trail and for that reason alone, it should be given top priority by the National Park.
John Urquhart, chair of the Friends, said: “This is great news for the National Park, its visitors and residents. The Friends are 100% behind the application. A key wintering site for migratory geese as well as osprey which fly in from Africa to nest in the summer, RSPB Wards is part of the internationally recognised Loch Lomond Nature Reserve. It is one of the country’s premier conservation hot spots and the application should be given a fair wind by the planners as it will bolster the conservation and education effort in this stunning corner of the Loch Lomond basin.”
