Updates for Businesses – September
A round up of the latest opportunities and information for businesses in the National Park
National Park Youth Committee Youth Survey
Our National Park’s Youth Committee is inviting young people aged 14–26 to share their views in a new survey aimed at shaping the future of the National Park. The survey is open now until 28th September 2025 and young people from across Scotland are encouraged to participate to make their voices and opinions heard.
The newly launched survey asks young people what they want from the Youth Committee and the wider National Park, as well as seeking to understand young people’s concerns about any barriers or challenges that may prevent the National Park from being accessible to all. It’s a chance to shape how the Committee works, influence future priorities, and make sure young voices are part of decision-making – helping to make the National Park more inclusive, accessible, and protected for future generations.
Youth Committee Member, Sian Finlayson said: “Being part of the Youth Committee has given me the chance to help shape the future of the National Park. The Committee brings together young people from a range of backgrounds, and we want to make sure that all young voices are represented and included. This survey is a chance for more young people to share their ideas and help make the Park a place that truly is for everyone.”
Dr Heather Reid, Convenor, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority said: “During my time as Convenor of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, one of the most rewarding and inspiring areas I’ve had the opportunity to work on is with our fantastic Youth Committee members.
“A core purpose of the National Park Authority is to ensure that we are working together to protect the National Park for future generations – so it’s absolutely essential that the voices of those future generations are heard and embedded across our work. The Youth Committee’s Survey is a prime example of that work in practice, and I encourage as many young people as possible to contribute, have their say, and help shape and protect their National Park now and for the future.”
Please share this opportunity with your networks and community for young people to have a say and help shape the future of the National Park. We also have A3 and A4 posters available – email parkcomms@lochlomond-trossachs,org if you would like some sent to you.
Introducing our newest Nature Hero – Coll Jackson
Continuing with a youth theme, earlier this month we were delighted to introduce our newest Nature Hero Coll Jackson.
Fifteen-year-old Coll Jackson has been part of the National Park Junior Ranger Programme since he was 11 years old, taking part in a range of activities from water vole studies to ancient tree surveys.
When he first became aware about climate change and heard about deforestation, Coll looked at the beautiful forests in the National Park and was struck by why anyone would want to destroy such a thing, it was then he decided he wanted to help. Since that moment, Coll has been regularly volunteering his time to proactively protect the Park as a Junior Ranger.
Coll eventually wants to study archaeology and has a real passion Scottish history and how history has shaped our natural environment, and while the skills and knowledge Coll gets from taking part in these activities will stand him in good stead, the opportunity to simply connect to nature is just as important to him, and it’s this connection that has inspired him to dedicate hundreds of hours to protect the National Park.
“Nature is a place that I can go and feel at peace, and the first place I really felt relaxed. Whether it’s looking out at Balmaha from the summit of Conic Hill or in the woodlands of Glen Finglas, I feel carefree when I’m in nature”
Coll’s appreciation and understanding of nature from a young age really is an inspiration, and having people like him willing to dedicate time to protecting it makes us feel positive for the future of our special landscapes.
If you know someone like Coll, who’s appreciation of the value of nature inspires them to take action to protect it, you can nominate them to be a National Park Nature Hero.
Conic Hill path improvements
We recently shared a new film celebrating the completion of the major Conic Hill path upgrade, which aims to encourage responsible visitor access and protect the iconic landscape for generations.
The £900,000 path improvements shows our long-term commitment to protecting nature and promoting responsible visitor behaviour. Conic Hill draws more than 200,000 visitors annually and this new path infrastructure, stretching 1.4km from Balmaha Visitor Centre to the summit, helps visitors stay on designated routes, protecting the area’s delicate biodiversity and natural landscape.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon said: “I am delighted that this summer the thousands of visitors to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park will benefit from the repaired pathway on Conic Hill and look forward to seeing the further improvements the Park Authority has planned. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code has been helping people to enjoy our beautiful countryside responsibly for two decades and this is a great way of marking that anniversary.”
The Trossachs Explorer – the story so far
With six weeks down, and six weeks of the service to go, we’re excited to share some great feedback for the Trossachs Explorer summer bus service:
- passenger numbers this year are consistently ahead of last year’s weekly figures – (up to 17th Aug) we’ve welcomed nearly 3,000 passengers onboard this summer!
- We’re also proud to report 100% reliability of the service, which also marks an improvement this year
- Consistent (glowing!) customer feedback and praise for the Trossachs Explorer dedicated drivers – providing a friendly welcome and going ‘above and beyond’ to ensure passengers have a fantastic experience
As the pilot continues, we’re looking to capture as much feedback as possible from our passengers so we can ensure we gain robust learnings from the pilot. We invite everyone to participate in a short survey, Trossachs Explorer Pilot Evaluation Survey.
Scotland’s Climate Week: 29 Sept – 5 Oct
The growing impacts of the climate emergency are very real to those living, working and visiting the National Park, with more frequent flooding, landslips, and extreme weather events seriously damaging people’s homes, communities and businesses. And the warmer and wetter climate also threatens nature, where ecosystems are struggling to adapt to these changes.
Reducing emissions and increasing carbon capture to reach a total of net zero emissions in the National Park is a focus area in our National Park Partnership Plan, and this upcoming Climate Week we’ll be highlighting the work we are doing to work towards this goal.
From checking in on climate anxiety with our National Park Youth Committee, to breaking down peatland restoration, we’ll be looking at action on a large scale, but also highlighting the combined impact small changes can make.
The Climate Change Committee reported that over 60% of the changes needed to reach net zero will require people to changes their habits, which means individuals can make a real difference with small actions.
Scotland’s Climate Week happens annually with an aim to raise awareness of the global climate emergency and encourages climate action across the country. Look out for our content that week by following the hashtag #ScotClimateWeek and check out how you can help.
Visitor Management update
It’s been busy at Loch Lomond Shores in recent weeks! As a partner of Water Safety Scotland’s World Drowning Prevention Day, our Ranger Service supported at the event, which welcomed 4000 people to take part in activities and learn valuable water safety advice.
We then hosted the Go Swim event at the Duncan Mills Memorial Slipway; the fifth year we have welcomed the event to the Loch Lomond. With over 1000 participants, this is a great event for swimmers of all types, ages and abilities to enjoy open water in a carefully managed and safe environment. We were also on hand at the event as part of our summer water safety programme, which so far has engaged with over 360 people, providing visitors with potentially lifesaving water safety tips.
Outside of visitor management duties the Ranger Service has been working with our Volunteers and Junior Rangers to remove 3,792m2 of Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) since July, contributing 167 hours to the National Park Partnership Plan INNS removal goals.
The recent period of warm and sunny weather has brought large numbers of visitor to the National Park, meaning our Environmental Officers and Rangers have been working hard to maintain our managed sites, removing several tonnes of litter.
The good weather has also made for great camping conditions, with Saturdays regularly at 100% capacity across campsites and permit areas. We have also welcomed our highest number of Duke of Edinburgh and Scout groups since camping byelaws were introduced.
As always, we have been using social media and on the ground engagement to communicate the importance of responsible visiting, such as planning ahead, not littering, and parking considerately.
Statement on Loch Long Fish Farm planning application
Following the notification received on 26th August that Scottish Ministers approved the application for a marine fish farm below Beinn Reithe, Loch Long, we released the following statement:
Heather Reid, Convener of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “The National Park Authority Board refused this planning application on 31st October 2022, concluding that a National Park was not the appropriate location for a fish farming development of such industrial scale. Board members cited the significant landscape, seascape and visual issues of the proposed development and that the risk of an escape of farmed fish could impact on the fragile wild salmon population.
“We continue to stand by those reasons for refusal and note that the Scottish Government appointed Reporter also recommended to Ministers that the appeal should be dismissed on some of these grounds. In addition, while Ministers have not accepted the Reporter’s recommendation, this was acknowledged as a finely balanced decision. We note also that prior to planning permission being granted, the developer will be required to adhere to a substantial number of conditions that have been attached to this decision. These conditions will help ensure there are the significant environmental and operational safeguards in place to mitigate – as far as possible – the impacts of the development on the nationally important landscape.
“We are disappointed by the news that this appeal has been allowed, however the right of appeal is an important part of the planning process, and we respect that process despite the outcome in this case.”
Full details of the application can be found on the DEPA website.
Here is our statement issued in October 2022 following the National Park Board’s decision to refuse the application.
Other opportunities for businesses in the National Park
VisitScotland Connect 2026
The flagship national travel trade workshop event, VisitScotland Connect, will be held on 15th and 16th April 2026, at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) in Glasgow, supported by Visit Glasgow.
The event provides a targeted platform Scottish businesses – including accommodation, experiences and attractions – to meet and do business with tour operators and travel experts representing markets in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the UK domestic market. In addition, either side of the workshop event at the SEC, a series of familiarisation trips will showcase businesses and destinations around many of Scotland’s regions to buyers.
With half of all overseas visitors booking their trips through tour operators or travel advisors, VisitScotland Connect helps Scottish suppliers promote their experiences and services to a global audience.
Business Events
Stirling Business Month has been developed to bring together like-minded professionals to share ideas, create new business connections and hear from leading industry experts.
A programme of events and training opportunities will take place across the Stirlingshire area throughout September and a great way or you and your team to learn more about the current economic and trading climate and learn new skills.
The Net Zero Workshop Roadshow, is open to all businesses to learn how to achieve net zero emissions in a fun and interactive way. Sessions taking place across Stirlingshire, including within the National Park at Drymen, Callander and Killin.
Unlocking the Potential: The Power of Inclusive Marketing – This insightful online session is open to all tourism businesses and is designed to help you maximise your impact in the inclusive tourism market. Industry experts will share their expertise in areas such as working with travel intermediaries and inclusive marketing – with practical tips on how to use photography, content, and messaging to authentically connect with this growing market.
Young Scot
As the national youth engagement platform for Scotland Young Scot provide young people aged 11-26 with reliable information, inspiring ideas and meaningful incentives. As part of the Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC), over 830,000 Young Scot cardholders have access to the Young Person’s Free Bus Travel Scheme and the exclusive Young Scot Membership platform.
Promoting discounted entry through the Young Scot NEC, is an opportunity to increase engagement with your business. This could be 2-for-1 tickets, a special Young Scot concession or discounted entry during a certain time period. Any offer is entirely on your terms as a business with support from the Yong Scot team to spread the word and to promote with engaging social media content. Business can list a Young Scot discount on the website and app for free, which includes an interactive ‘Near Me’ feature for young people to find offers in their area, or when travelling in Scotland.
To explore this opportunity further, please get in touch with the team at membership@young.scot, or complete our New Partner Form for a member of the Young Scot team to get in touch.
Visitor Levy Consultations
Formal public consultations to consider the introduction of a Visitor Levy are currently live with three local authorities within the National Park – Stirling Council, Perth & Kinross and West Dunbartonshire Council. Each of these local authorities aim to hear the views of residents, businesses, visitors and other stakeholders:
Stirling Council
Stirling Council are also hosting a series of drop-in events within the National Park; these will all be held from 10am to 6pm on the following days and locations:
- Wednesday 17th September at Drymen Village Hall
- Tuesday 23rd September at the McLaren Hall in Killin
- Monday 29th September at Callander Youth Hostel
In addition to this consultation, they will shortly be inviting accommodation providers to take part in a specific survey about what support might be required if Stirling Council were to approve a visitor levy scheme. If you would like to make sure you receive a link to this survey, contact visitorlevy@stirling.gov.uk
We also anticipate a decision by Argyll & Bute Council on 24th September on whether they will progress with the introduction of a Visitor Levy.