Introduction
Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park is a truly special place. With its wonderful landscapes, rich natural resources, vast opportunities for recreation, and its vibrant communities and heritage, it is a fantastic asset for Scotland.
As well as attracting four million visitors a year and the huge boost this provides to the visitor economy, the benefits the National Park can offer are far reaching – not just for the area itself, but for the whole country.
These include helping to tackle the impacts of climate change through extensive peatland and woodland restoration, creating sustainable communities through affordable housing and the creation of employment and training for young people. The Park also provides opportunities to help improve the health and wellbeing of people from all backgrounds through recreation and enjoyment of the great outdoors.
The National Park Partnership Plan 2018-2023 sets out an ambitious vision for further widening the environmental, social and economic benefits of the Park over the next five years.
This will require collaboration between a wide range of organisations, communities and businesses, with the National Park Authority leading the way. There are no doubt challenges to tackle but this Plan will build on the significant achievements of the previous National Park Partnership Plan 2012-2017 in raising the quality of the visitor experience and empowering communities to have a say in the future of their towns and villages. Integrated approaches to land management will also help to protect and enhance the unique wildlife and ecosystems and harness the Park’s natural capital.
It is an exciting time for the National Park and this Plan embodies the ambition the Park Authority and its partners share for this iconic place.
Roseanna Cunningham MSP
Cabinet Secretary for the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform