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We're excited to announce that we're working on a new website dedicated to the National Park Partnership Plan, aiming to create a platform that's informative, accessible, and tailored to users needs. To make this possible, we need your help.

We're conducting a short exercise called a tree test, which will play a crucial role in shaping the structure and design of our upcoming site. Think of it as helping us map out the most straightforward and enjoyable paths for users to find the information they need, whether it's understanding the Partnership Plan, discovering ways to get involved, or finding support and advice.

Why your participation matters

Your insights will directly influence how we organise the website, making sure that it's intuitive and user-friendly for everyone.

What's involved

The tree test is an online activity that you can complete from the comfort of your own home or office. It will ask you to locate information within a proposed structure for our new site. It will take about 5-10 minutes of your time.

No expertise required

You don't need any previous experience with tree tests or in-depth knowledge of the Plan. We're looking for a diverse range of perspectives to guide us, so your input is incredibly valuable, regardless of your background.

How to participate

Go to the Tree Test platform. You can do this on your phone, or on a computer, tablet, laptop etc.

Thanks in advance for your help. We're looking forward to your valuable feedback and to creating a more accessible and informative platform.

Our final National Park Partnership Plan was approved by our Board earlier this week. They acknowledged the ambition of the plan and recognised the efforts to make it more accessible, action focused and measurable. The Plan will now be submitted to Scottish Ministers for their approval.

Among other points covered at the board meeting, was the need to ensure the voices of young people are considered and heard in delivery of the plan. This is an area of focus for the new year with the launch of a Youth Committee recruitment campaign. So, if you are, or know a young person who is passionate about protecting special landscapes like the National Park, look out for the opportunity on our social media in January 2024.

While the Plan is with ministers for review, we will continue to work on the design and accessibility of the Plan, with the hope to formally launch in late March 2024.

After 18 months of development, 12 weeks of consultation and many more months reviewing your responses, this is a hugely significant milestone – and your feedback played a key role in how we evolved the draft document to this final Plan. Thank you for your help!

We will continue to keep you up to date on how the plan is received by ministers, and next steps. In the meantime, if you have any questions at all, let us know on nationalparkplan@lochlomond-trossachs.org

Today, we have published what we are recommending as the Final National Park Partnership Plan for 2024-2029. This Plan will set the strategic direction for the work the National Park Authority and the many other named partners within the Plan from 2024-2029.

The Plan sets an ambitious vision for what Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park will be like by 2045:

By 2045… the National Park is a thriving place that is nature positive and carbon negative .

The Plan expands on what we mean by these terms:

A thriving place is one where our communities and businesses can live and work in sustainable and climate resilient places, and people can meet most of their daily needs as locally as possible, supported by a good range of services, homes, jobs and training opportunities. People living, working and visiting the Park feel connected to it as a valued place, with positive relationships with the area’s nature, landscape, culture and heritage, as well as with one another, ensuring strong social networks and supporting health and wellbeing.

Nature positive means that nature loss has been halted and reversed so that nature in the National Park is more abundant. Through the work set out in the Future Nature Route Map, we have committed to ensure the decline in nature has been halted by 2030 and that there is widespread restoration of nature across the National Park by 2040.

Carbon negative (or carbon sink) means that the National Park as a place (both through its land and the activities that take place here) is absorbing more carbon than it emits. Our aim is to become a Net Zero National Park by no later than 2035. This target date would mean that the National Park is supporting the level of change needed for the UK to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement and will help Scotland become a Net Zero Nation by 2045.

The National Park Authority and its partners are focused on reversing the decline in nature in the Park by 2030 (widely restoring it by 2040) and making the National Park at Net Zero place by 2035 (and significant carbon sink beyond that). There’s no doubt this is ambitious, but that is what’s needed if we’re going to make the impact that is needed to make that 2045 vision a reality.

The Plan has moved on from the Draft Plan that we asked for feedback on earlier in the year. What we heard through the consultation and from partner organisations since has helped shape the final Plan. The support for much of what was proposed in the Draft Plan, the challenge that came on some proposals and the ideas and perspectives we hadn’t necessarily considered have all helped us refine what’s gone into the Final Plan.

In December the National Park Authority Board will be asked to approve the final Plan to go to Scottish Government for their Ministerial approval. The papers for the December Board meeting include a covering paper that sets the context for the final Plan, the Final Plan in a text format, and a set of Appendices, that provide more detail on the what’s in the Plan itself.

We’ve done our best to make this final Plan easier to read, shorter and more focused on what needs to be delivered and how we’ll know if we’ve succeeded. We’ve removed as much jargon as we can and provided a glossary for any terms that might need further explanation. If you spot any terms in it that you think need further explanation please let us know by emailing nationalparkplan@lochlomond-trossachs.org

Once this has been discussed by our Board, and when they are happy to approve it, we will submit the Plan to Scottish Government Ministers for their approval. We’ll be working away in the background on ways to bring the Final Plan to life for everyone. We’ll keep using Commonplace to provide updates to you. If there’s any area that you’re particularly keen to hear more about contact us at nationalparkplan@lochlomond-trossachs.org

Globally, we are facing twin crises of the climate emergency and nature loss. Both crises are happening here and now in the National Park, in fact many of the impacts are being felt even more deeply and obviously here.

As stewards of the National Park, we must put nature and climate at the forefront of our minds, the scale and urgency of which are the main drivers for our next National Park Partnership Plan.

In the Plan, we have outlined actions we will take to reverse the impacts of these twin crises, such as reversing the decline in nature by 2030 to help us make the Park a net zero place by 2040. This means achieving a balance between carbon emitted into the atmosphere, and the carbon removed from it.

To help us reach that goal, we are striving to be a Net Zero organisation by 2030- our Mission Zero. A £1.6minvestment in decarbonising our facilities this winter, is a crucial step in that direction.

Work includes a major upgrade to energy and heating systems at National Park Headquarters in Balloch that will save an estimated 21tCO2e (carbon tonnes) per year - the equivalent of 90,000 miles in a petrol car.

Gordon Watson, our Chief Executive said: “The scale and urgency of the climate and nature crises mean that significant change is required to protect the National Park’s people and places and ensure they can thrive in the future.

“It is important that we lead by example and this work to reduce our emissions allows us to get our own house in order as we start to consider wider ambitions for the whole National Park, as a place, to reach net zero emissions.

“We have already made progress in reducing emissions across our estate and this upcoming work to embrace renewable technologies for our buildings and facilities will take us a step closer to reaching net zero, our Mission Zero.”

The new National Park Partnership Plan, which goes to the National Park Authority Board for approval next month, aims to show that by tackling the nature and climate crises we can provide a range of wider benefits, including more investment, business and employment opportunities, for everyone living and working in the National Park.

We’re busy finalising the next National Park Partnership Plan which will go to the National Park Authority Board for approval in December 2023. Once approved, this Plan signals the start of a crucial next chapter for Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park – one where taking action on the nature and climate crises will also help the National Park to be a thriving place.

It’s going to take hard work and collaboration from a whole range of partners to deliver the ambitious plans set out in the Partnership Plan. It won’t all be easy, but projects like Callander’s Landscape prove what is possible when a group of committed individuals and organisations come together to work towards a common goal. It’s the kind of landscape-scale project we hope to see more of over the lifetime of the next Park Plan. So, let’s look at how people came together and what they achieved in this ambitious community-led project to change the way the breathtaking landscape around Callander is managed, understood, celebrated and linked to the town itself.

The project saw collaborations between communities, landowners, businesses and public organisations that delivered for nature and the community, with works to improve river and woodland habitats, upgraded paths networks, apprenticeship opportunities and assets created that celebrate the cultural heritage of the area. It’s exactly this type of partnership working that is needed to deliver real change at landscape scale.

A total of 20 different projects were delivered through the Callander’s Landscape project and these covered four themes:

Engage: celebrate the landscape’s connections to people, helping to bring Callander’s landscape to life for both residents and visitors

Explore: improve the path networks and recreational opportunities and encourage people to explore

Research: archaeologically or historically focussed projects which recorded and managed Callander’s cultural and built heritage to help better understand and interpret the area’s past

Restore: physical conservation and land-based projects such as habitat restoration and larger capital projects to help restore the local environment.

Stuart Mearns, Director of Place at the National Park Authority summed this multi-year project “The Callander’s Landscape Partnership wouldn’t have been possible without the collaborative efforts from people and organisations across the area who all had the common goal of improving the landscape in Callander.”

While we work to develop the next National Park Partnership Plan we recognise that partnership working will be essential. Callander’s Landscape has shown that a community-led project can bring people and organisations together to make a positive impact on a large scale, that brings benefits for nature, communities and visitors alike.

Between now and the final Plan being published we’ll take a look at other examples of the type of work that is needed to help the National Park to be a climate-resilient place where people and nature thrive together. If there are topics from the Draft Plan that you’re keen to hear more about over this time then let us know by dropping us an email - nationalparkplan@lochlomond-trossachs.org

Earlier this year we consulted on our Draft National Park Partnership Plan, which had a draft vision for 2045 of the National Park as a ‘climate-resilient place where people and nature thrive together.’

We’re currently working on the final version of the Plan, which will be presented to the National Park Authority Board for approval on 11th December.

Between now and then we’ll look at some key topics within the Draft Plan in a bit more depth. This week is Green Careers Week– we know that green jobsand skills play an essential role in delivering that vision of the National Park so we’ve spoken to Molly Vasanthakumar from the National Park Authority’s Nature and Land Use Team about what drives her to use her skills to benefit nature.

How long have you been working with the National Park & what does your role entail?

I have been working at the National Park since June 2023 as a Land Management Adviser within the Nature and Land Use team, which means I work with land managers to discuss things that help will help restore nature, like managing the impact of deer and other animals through herbivore management and to develop and implement nature restoration projects including woodland creation. I am also working on plans to deliver our Trees and Woodland strategy, and to work on project that tackle the negative impact invasive species like Rhododendroncan have on nature across the National Park.

Previously you worked as a vet, what made you want to change direction?

I grew up surrounded by agriculture, my dad was a stockman on a dairy farm and then went on to raise sheep and goats. My upbringing was what inspired me to become a vet but as I went through my years of education, I felt that I was drawn back to farming and nature. My dad was going through a lot of changes on his farm, moving away from livestock to grow vegetables on an agroforestry system. This was what really inspired me to consider the possibility of changing my path too.

After working as a vet for the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon, I studied a Masters in Sustainable Food and Natural Resources at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Wales. As I was studying, I went back to farm work, initially on an organic vegetable farm in Devon, and then on a family-run salad farm in the Wye Valley. Once I graduated, I had a brief stint as a small animal locum vet, which reaffirmed that veterinary wasn’t the right profession for me!

I knew that land management was what I wanted to get into but knew that there might be a few steps before I could reach that goal. I spent a year as a grant writer for an environmental justice charity before I secured my dream job at the National Park.

Has the work met your expectations?

Definitely. Land use is a rapidly changing world, so it feels exciting to be working on something so topical, with a real potential to make positive change in the world. Nothing brings me more joy than being outdoors growing food, so I am lucky that my job is balanced by getting to go back home every now and then to get put to work in the fields!

What are you looking forward to working on in future?

The future of agriculture and nature conservation in terms of policy and support is currently in a period of change. Therefore, as a team we are considering how best we can support land managers to engage in land use practices that produce food, support and enhance biodiversity, mitigate climate change, and provide spaces for recreation, whilst building their financial resilience. This may include projects that provide individual support on soil health or woodland creation, and creating a community or collaborative of land managers that are interested in developing nature restoration projects at scale. I am excited to continue to learn from my team, and from the inspiring farmers within the Park, and put my experience to use.

What would your advice be to anyone considering following a green career path?

I would advise anyone to be open to change, whether that is change in the world around you, a change in your career, or even a change in your mindset. I think society wants us to choose who we are very early on in life, and it is very important to stay curious, to hear everyone’s opinions, and to constantly seek out new experiences. Burnout is rife in the rural sector, and so ensure that you continue to find joy in the small things, and don’t try to save the world on your own!

Last week Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity Lorna Slater visited Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to announce the nominations process has begun for communities and organisations to submit their proposals to become Scotland’s next National Park.

While on the banks of Loch Lomond, Ms Slater said:

“Scotland’s National Parks are among our greatest assets. They are home to internationally renowned landscapes and nature and provide outstanding opportunities for recreation and local communities. - They also play a crucial role in tackling climate change and protecting our precious natural environment for future generations.”

Here in our National Park, we know that nature is in real trouble and the impacts of climate change are being felt more than ever.

Our recent State of Nature reporthighlighted that Scottish wildlife has decreased on average by 15% since 1994. And, Adaptation Scotland estimates that winter rainfall in Scotland will increase by 8–19% over the coming decades with rainfall events becoming more intense all year round, leading to an increase in flooding, a statistic that some of us in the National Park have felt the impact of in recent weeks.

(Picture - taken from X @NWTrunkRoads of A82 landslip in October 2023)

Our Convener Dr. Heather Reid said:

“It is clear that more than ever we need our National Parks to lead the way in showing what a more sustainable future could look like.

“Biodiversity is declining faster than at any time in human history and together with the climate emergency, these twin crises are already having an impact on the country our children and grandchildren will inherit.

“The people, communities and natural assets of Scotland’s National Parks – existing and future - can contribute significantly to Scotland’s efforts to restore nature, tackle climate change and have greener economic growth.”

Our Draft National Park Partnership Plan outlines how things are, and should be, done differently here to maximise the benefits that can be provided for nature, climate and people. The final plan, due to be submitted to the board in December and then ministers early in 2024, will come into effect from Spring 2024. This will also help to shape our Local Development Plan, which will provide more guidance on development and how land is used in the National Park.

At least one new National Park joining other protected landscapes in Scotland in the fight against these twin crises can help make a crucial contribution to the future of climate and nature in Scotland.

National Park staff have been out and about speaking to people across the National Park at events, in community spaces or at visitor destinations over the past few weeks.

Thank you to everyone we have spoken to for giving up your time to chat to us about your experiences of living, working or visiting here and what you want the National Park to be like by 2045.

Some of the key themes that have come through strongly from these conversations are:

The importance of access to nature for residents and visitors alike - and the need to restore it to ensure that everyone can continue to benefit from experiencing and connecting with nature here

The need for better joined-up public transport links to help visitors reduce their carbon footprint and allow residents to live better locally without relying on cars

The need for different types and tenures of housing to help young people find affordable homes and continue to live and work here

If you haven't yet joined our conversation to help imagine the future of the National Park, you have just 24 hours left to add your views and tell us how you think we can create a better, more sustainable future for the National Park and for us all. Here's how you can have your say.

Read more and answer questions about proposals in our Draft National Park Partnership Plan for how we can Restore Nature, Create a Sustainable Low-Carbon Destination, and Enable a Greener Economy and Sustainable Living.

Use our Quick Survey to tell us about your experiences of living in, working in, visiting or looking after the National Park

Drop a pin on our Interactive Map to tell us about the changes you want to see in specific areas

Delivery partners should use our Full Survey to comment on our proposed aims or objectives and tell us what role you can play in delivering a better future

All comments must be received by5pm tomorrow (Wednesday 19th July 2023).

Time is running out to join our conversation about the future of the National Park but there are still 48 hours to go - that's plenty of time for you to tell us how you think we can provide low-carbon travel opportunities for everyone!

The Carbon Footprint Assessment for the National Park completed in 2022 shows that visitor travel is our single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions, making up nearly half of our overall footprint.

Currently, car-based travel dominates how people travel to the National Park. In 2019/20, 79% of visitors told us they arrived in the National Park by car and 73% used a car to explore the area. The majority of people who have shared their views so far in this consultation have also told us that the car is their most frequent mode of transport. This is especially concerning considering that Transport Scotland predicts car-based travel will continue to increase by up to 40% by 2037 if there is no intervention.

We know that if we are to become a Net Zero National Park by 2040, we need to make a transformational change in the way that people get to, from and around the National Park. Specifically, we need to see a significant reduction in car journeys.

However, even as we encourage people to leave their cars behind and use more sustainable and active modes of transport, we are acutely aware that large parts of the National Park still can’t be reached without a car. This is further exacerbated by gaps in local public transport services, which were understandably designed for essential services for residents.

As a result, we are seeing a high and ever-increasing volume of cars coming to and travelling around the National Park, which in turn can bring congestion on rural roads and puts pressure on our local communities.

So what can we do to address this issue?

The National Park Authority has been working in recent years to develop short term measures to reduce car journeys to and within the National Park. This has included working with partners to pilot a journey planner appthat helps visitors find out the carbon impact of their journey and consider more climate-friendly options. A comprehensive study to increase understanding of the barriers and opportunities for sustainable travel in the Park has also recently been completed and we are considering how we respond to its findings.

Over 2022 and 2023, a pilot project has also been ongoing to explore a shuttle bus service in the National Park in the peak visitor season. Despite two rounds of procurement for separate bus routes, we have unfortunately been unable to secure a bus operator to facilitate this service – demonstrating significant ongoing challenges facing the rural transport sector.

These projects have shown that in the longer term, we need to see a whole system change to create a system of well-connected, dependable and affordable public and active travel services for both residents and visitors to provide viable, attractive and reliable alternatives to the private car.

This increase in viable car-free travel options will not only help to reduce emissions and relieve pressure on congested local roads, it will also make the National Park a more inclusive visitor destination for those who do not have access to a car – helping everyone to be able to connect with naturehere.

The National Park Authority is highly dependent on action by partners like local authorities, regional transport partnerships or transport providers in grasping this opportunity. But there are also lots of actions that everyone can take to collectively reduce our transport emissions. For example, if you’re a business owner, could you work with us to help incentivise using public or active travel options for your customers? If you live in the National Park, how can we help you to live well more locally without relying on a car? And if you visit the National Park, what other forms of transport could you use to explore other areas and have a more sustainable adventure?

We want to hear your ideas and what role you can play to help provide and encourage low-carbon travel for everyone.

Use our Quick Survey to tell us your experiences of using active or public transport in the National Park or any barriers to you doing so

Drop a pin on our Interactive Map to tell us about destinations you would love to visit but can't get there without a car

Delivery partners can also use our Full Survey to tell us how you can contribute to our aims and objectives in this area

There's not long left to have your say. All responses must be received by 5pm this Wednesday (19th July 2023).

There are now just days left to join the conversation on how we can create a better future for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

Millions of visitors come to the National Park each year to enjoy and benefit from its natural beauty, rich heritage and recreational opportunities. People feeling connected to nature provides benefits not only for their wellbeing but also encourages them to act in ways that are more likely to benefit the environment.

But for some groups of people, there are barriers that prevent them from accessing and enjoying everything the National Park has to offer. The visitor profile of those coming here to enjoy the area does not fully reflect the diversity of Scotland’s population and more can be done to support people of all backgrounds to be able to benefit from connecting with nature here.

We also know that the popularity of certain areas in the National Park creates pressures and challenges that can impact on our natural environment and local communities. Demand also currently outstrips supply of fit-for-purpose services and facilities to meet the needs of our visitors.

Transport is also a significant issue. The dominance of car travel for recreational day trips plays a major role in contributing to carbon emissions, but much of the National Park is still only accessible by car.

As we emerge from the pandemic and face the challenges of the climate and nature crises head on, there is great opportunity to transform the National Park into a more sustainable, low carbon destination.

In our Draft National Park Partnership Plan 2024-29, we have set out aims in three areas to help us do this:

Connecting everyone with nature

Improving popular places and routes

Low-carbon travel for everyone

We want to hear your thoughts on these proposed aims and what you think needs to happen to help us achieve them. We also want to hear what actions you could take and how we could work together to transform the way people visit the National Park. Whether that’s by helping us to encourage more use of active or public transport, sharing your experiences when visiting the National Park and telling us about any barriers your have faced, or suggesting areas where you think facilities and services could be improved to help limit the impact of your visit on the environment.

Here’s how you can get involved

Click on the links above to find out more about our aims in each area (you can also answer questions about each theme).

Use our Quick Survey to tell us about your experiences in the National Park or drop a pin on our Interactive Map to tell us about changes you would like to see in specific areas.

Delivery partners can also use our Full Survey to comment on our aims or objectives and let us know how your organisation could contribute to delivery of these aims. Find more information on how you can submit a response to this consultation.

But hurry, time is running out to share your comments. The deadline for responses is 5pm this coming Wednesday (19th July 2023).

Come and talk to us about how you imagine the future of the National Park!

Our teams will be at events in the National Park this weekend to talk about our vision for the area and how we can create transformational change by restoring nature, creating a sustainable low-carbon destination, and enabling a greener economy and sustainable living. Most importantly, we want to hear your views on what a better, more sustainable future for the National Park looks like and how we can work together to achieve it.

📍 Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th July - Balmaha Visitor Centre. Come and talk to our volunteers and answers the questions in our question station to let us know what you what you want the National Park to be like by 2045.

📍 Saturday 15th July - Loch Lomond Highland Games, Balloch. Come and say hello to our staff who will be on hand to answer any questions and collate your views.

Next week, during the remaining few days of the consultation, we will also be holding pop-up events in communities around the National Park. Look out for more on this or subscribe to receive updates direct to your inbox.

If you don't catch us in person you can still join this conversation online by filling in our Quick Survey or dropping a pin on our Interactive Map to tell us about changes you want to see in specific areas. Partner organisations can also use our Full Survey to tell us what role you can play in creating a better future for the National Park. Responses must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 19th July 2023.

Despite an increase in affordable homes in the National Park in recent years, housing is one of the biggest barriers to more young and working age people being able to live and work here.

Research from 2022 tells us that 75% of National Park households cannot afford average house prices. This is despite an increase in affordable housing in the National Park in recent years, with 69% of new houses built between 2018 and 2022 being affordable.

Commuting, retirement and an increased desire for rural living post-pandemic are thought to be key factors driving up housing pressures, alongside increasing numbers of holiday homes and rental properties, which although beneficial to the visitor economy have resulted in affordable homes being removed from the local housing system.

This impacts not only our communities but also the ability of local businesses to attract and retain staff. In our latest 'In conversation with...' interview, Sandy Fraser, owner of the Oak Tree Inn at Balmaha, told us about the impact that housing has on his business and the young people in the area.

In today’s edition of The Herald, National Park Director of Place Stuart Mearns has written about the positive role housing can play in helping us to transition to a greener rural economy and also support communities and residents in the National Park to live well more locally. You can read the full article on our website.

As part of our conversation on the future of the National Park, we want to hear your thoughts on how we can ensure housing better meets the needs of both National Park communities and the rural economy. Read more and let us know what you think. You can even use our interactive map to tell us where you think new housing is needed. But hurry, there is just one week left to join this conversation. All comments must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 19th July 2023.

With just over a week to go to submit your thoughts on our Draft National Park Partnership Plan, we are asking for your views on how we can make our rural economy greener and help communities in the National Park to live more sustainably.

The way we live and work in the National Park is changing as we all respond and adapt to the nature and climate crises – and as we start to recover from the economic and social impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.

As Scotland moves towards becoming a Net Zero Nation, our economy must adapt. We also need to consider how development and investment in infrastructure can support this shift.

Together we have the opportunity to create a vibrant green economy and a new way of living that enables the National Park’s communities to flourish in harmony with nature and climate.

Our Draft National Park Partnership Plan proposes aims and objectives under three themes to help us grasp this opportunity.

1. Transitioning to a Greener Rural Economy

A green economy means more than money. It’s about connecting and empowering our local communities to act in ways that improve wellbeing and social equality while safeguarding our natural environment.

Transitioning to a greener economy will mean supporting a rapid transition of our business sector towards becoming net zero, as well as securing increased investment in our land-based sector, to help mitigate and adapt against the impacts of climate change and help restore nature. This move will also provide a raft of opportunities, such as growth in green skills and jobs to help make this shift and an opportunity for businesses to capitalise on the market advantage of restored nature and operating in a net zero place.

2. Living Well Locally

Living and working closer to home will also reduce our carbon emissions and help residents to become less dependent on driving to other areas for work, leisure or to access services to help them live their lives.

Right now, the National Park’s population is getting older, and young people are moving away as they cannot find work or affordable homes. It’s going to take a collective effort to create the jobs, homes and transport services our young people need if they’re to build a future here.

We also need to support communities to adapt to the changing climate. Building on existing examples of communities taking action to develop their resilience and using Local Place Plans can help this transition.

3. Harnessing Development and Infrastructure Investment

Being a National Park doesn’t mean there can be no development here. It means any development should benefit nature and climate and help strengthen our rural communities.

Significant investment will be required within the National Park to deliver outcomes for climate, nature, people and communities. This includes investment in the natural capital held within the National Park’s vast landscapes, investment in our towns and villages to meet development needs of the rural communities and economy – and to support more local living – as well as investing in infrastructure to help ensure the National Park is more resilient to the effects of climate change.

It will be important to secure the right sorts of development and infrastructure investment to realise this and ensure we harness the benefits that development can bring, including for climate and nature.

Enabling a greener economy and more sustainable living will make us all wealthier – in every sense of the word – and it will take all of us to make this shift. We want to hear your views on how your community can grasp this opportunity or what role you can play in helping us to make this change.

Click on the links above or visit our pages on 'Enabling a Greener Economy and Sustainable Living' to find out more about each section, let us know what you think and what you can do to help.

Delivery partners can also use our Full Survey to let us know how you can contribute to objectives to help enable a greener economy and more sustainable living.

The closing date for responses is Wednesday 19th July 2023.

"You have the expertise, we have the land, let's work together!"

For the second of our 'In conversation with...' chats, we spoke to Freda and Chris Scott-Park about what they want to see change in the National Park to create a better, more sustainable future for the area.

Freda and Chris own Portnellan Farm, an organic dairy farm on the banks of Loch Lomond which has diversified over the years to also offer visitor accommodation and experiences. You can watch our conversation in full below.

Nature tourism opportunities for businesses

During our chat, Freda and Chris discussed the perks of operating a business in the National Park but they also mentioned challenges too, especially when trying to balance the growth and needs of their business with the impact on area.

A key change they would like to see over the coming years is a focus on sustainable visitor destinations that provide visitors with infrastructure like bins or toilets, to help them minimise the impact of their visit on the environment and local communities.

Another change they identified is a need for more low-carbon travel options, such as quality, affordable and reliable public transport services. Chris said that they are already considering how they can help in this area by installing electric vehicle (EV) chargers on their land.

Freda noted that a shift towards more sustainable forms of tourism in the National Park could also create opportunities for businesses to grasp, like connecting people with nature by providing more nature and climate conscious experiences, such as EV sightseeing tours.

Supporting land managers to restore nature

When asked how they can play a role in making transformational change in the National Park, Freda and Chris spoke about how they try to manage their land in a way that is sympathetic to nature. While they predominantly use the land they own to farm cattle, they have also taken advantage of funding to plant hedgerows and trees and join up fragmented patches of woodland to support biodiversity.

Increasing the amount of land in the National Park being managed for nature is a key objective for us to be able to restore nature. This will not only support biodiversity and healthy ecosystems, it will also help to mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Chris noted that funding for land managers to consider more nature-friendly practices, like tree planting, will also be crucial in helping them to play their role in this, as will partnership working to determine the right land uses in the right place. As Freda said: "You have the expertise, we have the land, let's work together!'

Two weeks left to join the conversation

There are now just two weeks left for you to also join the conversation to tell us what changes you want to see in the National Park and what role you can play in making these changes. The outputs of this conversation will inform our Draft National Park Partnership Plan.

You can join this conversation by:

Using our Quick Survey to let us know your experiences of living in, working in, or visiting the area

Using our Full Survey to comment on our proposed aims and objectives and tell us what role you can play in making transformational change

Using our Interactive Map to tell us about changes you want to see in specific areas of the National Park

Using the 'Share' bottom at the bottom of this page to encourage others to get involved too!

We're now a couple of months into the consultation on our Draft National Park Partnership Plan and we've received comments from a range of people who have shared their experiences in the National Park and what they want this place to be like in the future. Thank you to everyone who has already taken part.

There are three key themes within our Draft Plan and we are asking for your feedback on these. You can share your views on each of them or just the areas which are relevant to you. Over the next few weeks we'll be posting about each individual theme and what it means for you.

The first theme is 'Restoring Nature'.

Despite this being a National Park, nature is in real trouble here and we are losing nature at a scale never experienced before. It’s no longer enough for us to conserve what we have. We need to actively stop the decline and then reverse the loss of nature. This is in our interest as nature underpins our existence through the benefits and services it provides, such as food, air, water, materials, health and economic wealth.  

This may sound like a scary scenario, but restoring nature will provide a number of benefits and opportunities for us all.

If we can build a strong nature network between our peatlands, forests and wetlands, the National Park could have a thriving and resilient landscape with native wildlife and improved natural habitats. It could also help us to mitigate against the effects of climate change by going beyond net zero to become an absorber of carbon from the atmosphere. By embracing new regenerative land uses, we can also support local communities and residents by providing opportunities for new green jobs and skills.

The National Park has already set out our Future Nature vision and a number of projects are underway to support this vision. You can find out more about these in the video below.

A target has already been set through our Future Nature work to ensure the widespread restoration of nature across the National Park by 2040. The Restoring Nature section of our Draft National Park Partnership Plan outlines three important areas for focus to help us meet this target:

Restoring Nature for Climate

Restoring Nature for Healthy Ecosystems

Shaping a New Land Economy

Everyone has a role to play in restoring nature, regardless of whether you own land or just enjoy a day visit here. From land managers who can change the way their land is managed to do more for nature, to visitors being mindful of their impact on the natural environment, to local residents planting trees or volunteering their time to take part in conservation volunteering - we want to know what role you can play.

Click on the links above or visit our 'Restoring Nature' pages to find out more about each section, let us know what you think and what you can do to help. Delivery partners can also use our Full Survey to let us know how you can contribute to our Restoring Nature targets.

The closing date for responses is Wednesday 19th July 2023.

This summer we are holding a conversation about the future of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park. To encourage everyone to get involved, we have been recording conversations with various people to hear more about their experiences in the National Park and the big changes they want to see in their National Park.

Last week we spoke to Toni Lamont, a 23 year old former Seasonal Ranger who has worked in North Ayrshire, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park and now in Cairngorms National Park. You can watch our conversation with Toni below.

Affordable housing

When Toni took up her position as Seasonal Ranger for the National Park Authority, she looked to find accommodation close to work. However she found it difficult to find somewhere suitable that she could afford. This ultimately became a contributing factor in her decision to find work elsewhere once the visitor season came to an end.

This experience of struggling to find affordable housing is shared by many young people in the National Park. This is despite an increase in provision of affordable homes in recent years. Local businesses have also told us that they are struggling to attract and retain staff as they cannot find suitable accommodation.

33% of the National Park's population earn less than £25,000, making it unaffordable for them to own a home. Commuting, retirement and an increased desire for rural living post pandemic are thought to be key factors driving up housing pressures, alongside increasing numbers of second homes and short-term holiday lets in many communities. Whilst these can benefit the visitor economy, some communities are concerned that we’re reaching a tipping point where too many homes are being used as holiday lets and second homes, having a detrimental impact on communities and local businesses.

To help us create a better future for the National Park, we want to hear your thoughts on how we can ensure that new housing meets the needs of local communities. Let us know your thoughts on how we can help people to work and live well locally.

You can also use our interactive map to let us know any areas you think would benefit from new affordable homes.

Connecting everyone with nature

Toni also told us about her deep connection to nature and how important she thinks it is for us to continue helping other people develop their connection with nature in the National Park.

We know that the more connected someone is to nature, the more likely they are to have good health and wellbeing and to act in ways that will benefit the environment. That connection with nature can mean different things to different people, from taking in a view, to ensuring they take their litter home after a visit, to taking part in conservation volunteering.

The National Park is an asset for everyone in Scotland and beyond, however the range of people currently visiting the area does not reflect the diversity of our society.

As part of this conversation, we want to hear your views on how we can ensure the National Park is a place where people of all backgrounds can benefit from experiencing and connecting with nature.

Join the conversation

There are now just four weeks left to have your say on these issues and more in the consultation on our Draft National Park Partnership Plan.

Join the conversation to help us imagine what the future of the National Park could be. You can do this by:

Using our Quick Survey to let us know your experiences of living in, working in, or visiting the area

Using our Full Survey to comment on our proposed aims and objectives and tell us what role you can play in making transformational change

Using our Interactive Map to tell us about changes you want to see in specific areas of the National Park

Using the 'Share' bottom at the bottom of this page to encourage others to get involved too!

Thanks to everyone who joined our webinar on Monday 5th June to hear more about our Draft National Park Partnership Plan. The event was an opportunity for everyone with an interest in the National Park to hear more about how we can respond to some of the big challenges facing the area and shape a better future for us all.

Presentations covered:

What are the big challenges facing the National Park?

What is the National Park Partnership Plan?

What does the Draft Plan for 2024-29 include?

How can you play a role in shaping its aims and delivering transformational change?

How to navigate our Commonplace consultation website and join the conversation about the future of the National Park.

It also included a Q&A session to answer questions on what we mean by sustainability, what knowledge and evidence has been used to develop the Draft Plan so far, and how people can get involved in this conversation offline.

If you missed the session, you can watch a recording of the event below.

If you don't want to watch the full recording, you can use these timings to help you skip to the sections you want to hear more about.

What is the National Park Partnership Plan? (06:38 - 10:30)

What does the Draft Plan for 2024-29 say? (10:31 - 25:28)

An introduction to the key themes in the Draft Plan: Restoring Nature (11:48 - 14:55), Creating a Sustainable Low-Carbon Destination (14:56 - 19:28), and Enabling a Greener Economy & Sustainable Living (19:33 - 24:00)

How to take part in the conversation this summer to imagine the future of the National Park (28:55 - 33:42)

Now that you have heard more about the Draft Plan, here is how you can use this website to let us know what you think.

Read the Draft Planin full or let us know any thoughts or comments you might have about the three key themes:

Restoring Nature

Creating a Sustainable Low-Carbon Destination

Enabling a Greener Economy & Sustainable Living

Use our Quick Surveyor Interactive Map to tell us about your experiences in the National Park and where you think changes should be made, or use our Full Survey to tell us how you can help make these changes happen.

Please share this information and the webinar recording with your friends, family, and community to help encourage everyone who has a connection to the National Park to share their views too.

Come and enjoy a day of cycling fun with your family and friends this weekend and tell us about your active travel needs and experiences in the National Park.

West Dunbartonshire Community Cycling Hub, Saturday 17th - Sunday 18th June, 10am-5pm

Did you know that visitor transport is our single biggest source of carbon emissions? Totalling 290,978 tCO2e per year, emissions from visitors travelling to and around the area account for almost half the National Park's overall carbon footprint.

To meet our goal of becoming a Net Zero National Park by 2040, we need to become a Low-Carbon Destination and reduce transport emissions from both visitors and residents alike.

We also want to ensure that climate-friendly travel is accessible for everyone, so no one misses out on the benefits the National Park has to offer.

To do this, we need to improve public transport and active travel options (like cycling) for everyone visiting, living and working here - and we need your views and experiences to inform how we do this!

We'll be joining West Dunbartonshire's Community Cycling Hub this weekend to talk about all things active travel. Come and find us at the National Park Gateway Building at Loch Lomond Shores in Balloch to tell us your experiences of using public or active transport in the National Park and take advantage of the cycling activities on offer for all the family. Borrow a bike or bring your own to join a guided cycling tour of Balloch Park. Find out more about cycling safety and bike maintenance, or even try out an e-bike.

This event is open to all abilities, from keen cyclists to those who have never been on a bike before or possibly not for a long time. Find out more about the event what activities are on offer.

We hope to see you there!

The pace and scale of peatland restoration across the National Park will need to increase significantly if we are to meet our goal of restoring nature for climate.

Around 36% (68,000ha) of land in the National Park is covered by peatlands, holding an estimated 20 million tonnes of carbon.

Healthy peatlands absorb carbon and other greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, but with much of Scotland’s peatlands damaged by historical agricultural, forestry and other land management practices, they are currently emitting carbon and contributing to climate change.

Peatland restoration helps turn peatland that is emitting carbon and other greenhouse gases into one which locks them up and over time, absorbs them from the atmosphere.

As well as capturing and storing carbon, healthy peat forms a unique and biodiverse ecosystem and can help slow the flow of water into rivers and lochs, providing natural flood management and reducing the impact of extreme weather events on communities.

As part of the national Peatland Action programme, we work with local land managers to restore the Park’s peatlands, improving the condition of uplands traditionally used for livestock and deer grazing. Between 2018-23, Peatland Action restored 1,147ha of damaged peatland across the National Park. In our Draft National Park Partnership Plan, we have set a target of repairing 8,000ha of peatlands by 2030.

We want to hear your views on this aim and others that we think will help us to restore naturewhile also helping us to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of the global climate emergency. Do you agree with these targets? Do you own peatlands that could be restored? Are there any challenges or barriers to restoring peatlands that we can help you to overcome? Can you help us to help raise awareness of the value that peatlands could have to our fight against climate change?

Let us know by learning more and sharing your views on how we can Restore Nature for Climate.

The rural economy in the National Park will need to become much greener and more diverse if we are to address the climate and nature crises impacting our places and communities here and now.

To tackle these crises head on we must restore nature and strive to become a net zero place, but delivering these changes will require a significant growth in green jobs like forestry and woodland planting, peatland restoration, renewable energy, as well as investment in green skills for lots of other sectors such as transport, tourism, and construction.

Last year, National Park Youth Committee member Aidan Cronin spoke to Minister for Green Skills, Biodiversity and Circular Economy, Lorna Slater MSP about what green jobs are, what green career opportunities are available to young people, and how do we increase access to them in order to create a workforce that can deliver these big changes. You can watch the conversation below.

We want to hear your thoughts on this topic and how we transition to a greener economy. What green jobs and skills do you think we need to create a better future for the National Park? How can we widen access to these green careers and influence people to consider green jobs? Are there any barriers we need to overcome to do this? And who do we need to help us make these changes?

Read more on this and let us know what you think!

Also don't forget, next week we will be holding an online event for you to hear more about the challenges like this facing the National Park and how you can make a difference. Register for your place now.

You've visited our Commonplace consultation site but you're still not really sure how you fit in to this conversation about the future of the National Park or how you can play a play a role.

If this describes you then come along to our virtual event to hear more.

'An introduction to our Draft National Park Partnership Plan' - Monday 5th June, 7pm

This online webinar will provide an overview of our Draft National Park Partnership Plan, which has been drafted to guide our conversations this summer on the future of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

The event is your opportunity to learn more about the challenges the National Park is facing, why this is relevant to you, and how you can shape the solutions.

It will cover:

Why do we need to talk about the future of the National Park?

What needs to change?

Who needs to be involved?

How to navigate our Commonplace consultation site to join the conversation

The event will be held virtually on Zoom and is open to anyone who has an interest in the National Park.

Visit Eventbrite now to confirm your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/introduction-to-the-national-park-partnership-plan-tickets-642770542997

We look forward to seeing you there.

The great outdoors has a powerful connection to health. NatureScot reports that more than 9 in 10 visitors to Scotland's outdoors report improvements to their physical and mental health as a result. Of those who visit the outdoors, 81% say they enjoy getting closer to nature.

The more connected someone is to nature, the more likely they are to have good physical or mental wellbeing AND act in ways that help look after the health of our wildlife and landscapes.

Connection with nature can mean different things to different people, from taking in a view to taking part in conservation volunteering. The National Park has an important role in providing opportunities for people of all backgrounds to do this.

This #GreenHealthWeek we are asking you to tell us about your connection with nature in the National Park. Here's how you can get involved.

Use our Interactive Map to tell us where in the National Park you go to experience or connect with nature, or where you think we should be focusing our collective efforts to restore nature.

Read how and why we want to connect everyone with nature.

Learn more about how we can restore nature in the National Park to support thriving and resilient landscapes that provide benefits for people and wildlife.

Use our Full Survey to tell us what you can do to help us meet our ambitious aims and objectives for restoring nature and connecting everyone with nature in the National Park.

Just over a week ago we launched a public consultation on our Draft National Park Partnership Plan to start a conversation about the future of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.

Thank you to everyone who has shared their views so far. We've already had over 400 visits to our Commonplace consultation website and people have been raising thoughts and priorities around:

Improving public transport options

The importance of helping people to value nature

Tackling litter

Helping the environment by managing visitor pressures in busy ‘hot spot’ areas

Do you agree with the points raised above? We'd love to hear from you. You can use our Quick Survey to share your experiences and views about what you think should change in your National Park, or drop a pin on our Interactive Map to tell us about the places that are special to you.

Partner organisations can also use our Full Survey to let us know how you can help to deliver a better future for the area.

Please add your views and share with your neighbours, friends and networks using the social media sharing button below. Don’t forget to also sign up for news alerts to receive these updates direct to your inbox.

Conversations about the future of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park start today (Wednesday 26th April), with the publication of a new draft National Park Partnership Plan and a public consultation for residents, businesses, communities and visitors to tell us their priorities for the future of Scotland’s first National Park.

The draft five-year plan puts forward a 2045 vision and a wide range of proposals to prompt discussion, driven primarily by the scale and urgency of the nature and climate crises. The draft plan also recognises the changes in how people live, work and visit the National Park in recent years, particularly post-COVID 19 and the challenges and opportunities this offers.

It highlights opportunities to set a new direction for the National Park as a ‘climate-resilient place where people and nature thrive together’, focusing on three key areas:

restoring nature

creating a sustainable, low-carbon visitor destination

enabling a greener economy and sustainable living

Dr Heather Reid, Convener of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “We’re opening up a conversation to help us imagine the future of this National Park.

“Our National Park matters to all of us, to Scotland and to the planet and we have a small window of opportunity to tackle these huge challenges and help the Park flourish for future generations.

“It will mean doing things differently and doing much more of the positive things already underway – harnessing opportunities for new green jobs, affordable housing and sustainable transport, and supporting a shift in land use towards more regenerative, nature friendly management.

“We don’t have all the answers but we do know this – change is happening regardless and our collective response to that change is the opportunity to provide a sustainable future for generations to come.”

The National Park Partnership Plan is a five-year plan that guides how all of those with a role to play in looking after the National Park will work together to manage the Park and achieve a shared vision for the area.

The draft plan published today will be refined after the 12-week consultation period, using the feedback from partners, stakeholders and individuals to finalise the plan before it goes to Scottish Ministers for approval before coming into effect in 2024.

Gordon Watson, Chief Executive at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, said: “The time to act is now and that action needs to be bold. This draft plan lays out the actions we are proposing for the next five years to achieve the transformational long-term change our National Park needs but this needs to be a collective plan, a shared vision.

“We all have an opportunity to shape the change that’s coming for our National Park and we want to hear about people’s experiences, barriers and their ideas for the future of the National Park, whether that’s a family living in one of our communities, a farmer looking to diversify their activities or a visitor keen to help protect this special place.

“We can’t do this alone but collectively we can help shape the significant required to ensure the National Park’s people and places continue to thrive and that its natural assets can contribute significantly to Scotland’s efforts to restore nature, tackle climate change and have greener economic growth.”

Join the conversation about the future of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park.