Funding cuts turning beautiful Loch Lomond into 'rubbish dump'

Funding cuts turning beautiful Loch Lomond into 'rubbish dump'4 hours agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleIan HamiltonandDaniel Bennett,BBC ScotlandBBCFriends of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs try to keep the countryside clear of rubbishLoch 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.At a lay-by near Luss, where a bin used to be, rubbish has been piling up"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.Getty ImagesLoch Lomond is a huge draw for visitors to ScotlandAt 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 firs...