Updates for Businesses – January

Tarbet visitor site will be closed for eight weeks as part of a £2.1m upgrade.

As part of a £2.1m upgrade, improvement works at Tarbet Pier Picnic Site will get underway next week.

To accommodate these works, the site will be completely closed from Monday. We expect to partially re-open the site in time for Easter weekend.

Improvements being made include:

• A new shelter and viewpoint
• Additional native woodland
• Path, car park and road improvements
• support for sustainable travel – a cycle hub with repair station, charging points for electric vehicles and e-bikes, more accessible pedestrian facilities and improved cycling routes
• Improved motorhome facilities

Find out more about the schedule and planned improvements.

Seasonal Rangers wanted!

Have you, or someone you know, got what it takes to help us achieve our commitments to nature, climate and people and make a difference for generations to come?

Then come and join the team:

Seasonal Ranger Team Leader – A rare opportunity to take a leading role in supporting the delivery of our visitor management programme.
Seasonal Visitor Management Rangers – These positions are park wide and help manage visitor pressures by patrolling all areas, including our Camping Management Zones and permit areas.
Seasonal Campsite Rangers – These roles help deliver a high-quality camping experience through the site management of the Loch Chon and/or Loch Achray Campsites.
Seasonal Visitor Centre Rangers – Approx 120,000 visitors pass through the visitor centre in Balmaha each year.  Rangers provide a welcoming and friendly service during the busy visitor management season.
Seasonal Slipway Rangers – This role will entail handling boat launches on site, site management, registration enquiries and requires accurate use of the boat registration database alongside boat registration officer.

Closing 9am 5th February

Apply now!

Youth Committee Recruitment

Could you be the voice for your generation in the National Park? We’re looking for dedicated young people aged between 14-26 years old who are passionate about making a difference.

What’s in it for you?

🌟 Get involved in decision making

🌟 Develop confidence and learn new skills

🌟 Grow your professional network

🌟 Learn from experts in their field

🌟 Meet like minded people

🌟 Have fun!

Aidan Cronin, who has been a member of the Youth Committee for almost five years, said:.

“I’ve had opportunities that simply wouldn’t have been open to me otherwise, like meeting a US Secretary of State and interviewing a Scottish Government Minister.

“One of the best things about the Youth Committee is that it is very action focused. We aren’t just talking about things, we feed into work that is relevant and see the results of our input.”

Join us and help create a thriving National Park of the future.

Other news or opportunities for businesses in the National Park

Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill

Legislation which would give councils the power to introduce a visitor levy to raise funding for local tourism facilities and services has passed its first vote at Holyrood.

The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill would enable councils to apply a levy on overnight stays in line with many tourist destinations across Europe. All money raised would be reinvested in facilities and services that are substantially used by visitors, benefitting tourists and local economies.

Find out more about the development of a proposed Visitor Levy.

Graduate Placement Programme Argyll and Bute

The Graduate Placement programme allows small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and social enterprises in Argyll and Bute to take on a graduate for a 12-month project with Highlands and Islands Enterprise funding up to 50% of a salary between £21,000 (minimum) and £28,000.

Applicants must comply with HIE’s fair work conditionality for grant support.

Open University Microcredentials Courses

The Open University (OU) in Scotland is currently offering fully-funded places on Microcredential courses which run for 10 – 12 weeks and are designed for people looking to gain new skills quickly to help advance their careers.

Courses are delivered online via distance learning, which allows for study alongside work and life commitments

Courses include:
•             Project Management
•             Sustainability
•             Mental Health
•             Leadership
•             Marketing
•             Financial accounting

The deadline for applications is 4th February 2024.

Loves Local Campaign

Scotland Loves Local is the campaign putting localism at the heart of creating better places in which to live, work and visit. By encouraging people to ‘Choose Local’, we are choosing to back local businesses, and build stronger communities that can respond to the cost-of-living crisis and the climate emergency. Businesses can support the campaign and join the conversation using the hashtags #ScotlandLovesLocal and #ChooseLocal on social media to promote the great range of attractions, shops and places in your local community.

Scottish Agritourism

The Scottish Agritourism has continued to grow with visitors seeking out authentic rural experiences that connect them to the countryside and Scotland’s produce. Thanks to interest in the sector from visitors across the world, the number of farms working with international tour operators and travel agents has almost tripled in the past 12 months.

Over 40 agritourism businesses are now showcasing their offerings, surpassing the national target of 40 by 2030 set in Scottish Agritourism 2030 – The Strategy for Sustainable Growth.

Our National Park agritourism toolkit is a useful resource to the sector and how to develop tourism product.