Having enjoyed a lovely festive break including sledging with the kids, it’s great to be back in the Park and to see how beautiful it looks amid the current wintry conditions. While these conditions undoubtedly bring their own challenges, you can be sure that we are doing all we can to maintain access to all of our surroundings. In common with our local authority partners, our Ranger teams are working hard to keep the Park as safe and accessible as possible.

 

As we enter a new decade, it’s clear that we have much to look forward to in our National Park. 2010 promises to be an exciting year in the development of the Park with several significant anniversaries and milestones being reached.

 

2010 marks the bicentenary of the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s epic poem Lady of the Lake. Set in the heart of the Trossachs, the poem changed popular perspectives of our landscape and started off a craze for visiting Scotland. Under the banner of “Scottsland – celebrating the language of the landscape”, we’re organising with partners and local communities a full programme of events and activities inspired by the poem. We’re also launching a Scottsland grant scheme in January to encourage and support local groups planning their own events as part of the programme.

 

It’s also 75 years since Argyll Forest was established as the first forest park in the UK, set aside for recreation and enjoyment; and 50 years since David Marshall Lodge, the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park’s visitor centre near Aberfoyle, was gifted to the Forestry Commission.

 

And in the village of Luss, we will see an impressive programme of celebrations marking 1,500 years since Saint Kessog brought Christianity to the area.

 

All these activities can only enhance the cultural life of the Park and contribute to making 2010 another fantastic year to visit Loch Lomond & The Trossachs.  We’ll continue to bring news of the celebrations in the events section of this website so please keep checking for further updates.

 

In the meantime, good luck out there in the winter weather and do continue to enjoy what our fantastic National Park has to offer.

 

Warm regards

 

Fiona