Spring • Summer 2011 | No. 7 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Islands of Shame, A Very Special Golf Day, Benmore Botanic Gardens, Spring Has Sprung, Fairy Kidnap of Minister, Maid for the Loch, and more... 2 The Voice - Spring 2011 The Voice is the magazine of the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, the independent conservation charity working solely to protect, promote and provide projects and services for this most precious part of Scotland – The Loch Lomond and A letter from Trossachs National Park. To join us or to find out more about our work please visit the President www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk or use the form inside It has been a long hard winter, with snow beginning in November and with icy roads and frozen pipes to contend with, not The Voice is published biannually in spring forgetting New Year’s day when Scottish Water cut off my water and autumn. Submissions on topics relating completely – without any warning. All in all the past months have to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National been difficult. Park are welcome. Please send submissions Old age has taken its toll and aches and pains keep me very much to the editor at the address below or email confined to my sun porch – but I still maintain a watching brief for [email protected] Loch Lomond and keep in touch with The Park. I am deeply concerned with the closure of the two information centres at Luss Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and the Gateway at Lomond Shores. I was present at their 63 West Princes Street opening as visitor centres. Sadly the pressure on the Park Helensburgh, Scotland G84 8BN finances is such that Luss is to be a soap shop and the Gateway an Telephone: 01436 677733 ice cream parlour. Surely not part of the vision for Scotland’s first Mobile: 07799 262 742 National Park? Email: [email protected] I have survived another winter and spring is on the way. The www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk snowdrops and the white heather are out – first harbingers of the sap rising once more – my favourite time of year. So, though I cannot wander round the garden I can at least look at it through the window, and as always it is a great joy. All the best, yours aye Articles published in The Voice do not Hannah necessarily represent the views of The Friends of Loch Lomond and The 5 Letter From The Chair 17 Cruising Opportunities Increase Trossachs. 6 Full Information on our Golf Day 18 Tourism Businesses Love Loch 7 Simon meets Cameron House’s Lomond Charity No. SC015389 George Gerc 18 Friends Merchandise 9 Benmore Botanic Gardens 2011 19 Made for the Loch The Voice is printed on 10 The Remarkable Rev Robert Kirk 20 No More Messing 100% recycled paper 11 Planning News 22 OUR park supporting the re-use of 12 Spring Has Sprung 24 Preparing for a the Season Ahead forest resources and in 14 Our New Business Supporters 25 Friends Membership Application accordance with FSC 16 Where There’s A Will 27 Notice of AGM standards only using post-consumer recycled wood and fibre Designed and printed by The Inglewood Press Ltd, Alloa, Scotland www.inglewood-press.co.uk 3 ARROCHAR BEACH CLEAN, SUNDAY 10 APRIL Join us with a National Park Ranger for a few hours beach clean and litter survey in this lovely corner of the Park, by Loch Long and overlooked by the iconic Cobbler. Refreshments and cakes provided! LOCH LUBNAIG/LOCH EARN SPRING CLEAN, MAY - TBC CALEDONIAN CHALLENGE, SAT 11 & SUN 12 JUNE An opportunity once again to be part of this fun event whilst raising valuable funds for our conservation work by marshalling in the wild northern part of the National Park, ensuring this challenging walking event runs smoothly. For more information on the above events, or to register to take part place contact Jennie on 01389 727 709 or email [email protected]. With Sweeney’s four star tours on Loch Lomond you can enjoy the Loch in all its seasonal beauty in style and comfort, whatever the occasion or time of year. Whether it's a relaxing cruise you're after or a fun night out with a difference, Sweeney's Cruises caters for all. Call us on 01389 752376 or email: [email protected] www.sweeneyscruises.com 4 The Voice - Spring 2011 Chairman’s letter Dear Members planned for June at the Carrick Golf village to promote our Course (see page 6). Advertising and work. On a more positive note we are ELCOME to this Spring issue sponsorship has also enabled us to pleased the future of the Golf Club has of the Voice which contains boost the print run of Voice to 5,000 been secured with members paying an interesting range of copies, spreading the word about our £25 million to purchase this world-class features on different aspects of the activities and discussing some of the facility from the banks. We wish them National Park and some of our latest major issues in the Park with an well in managing what is a very special activities. This is an exciting and increasingly wide audience. part of Loch Lomondside. challenging time for the Friends as we It is a time of change at the National We continue to lobby on a number strive to protect and promote the Park Authority as Mike Cantley steps of important matters and thanked special qualities of the Loch Lomond down as Convener to concentrate on Roseanna Cunningham, Minister for the and the Trossachs area for the his new role as Chair of VisitScotland Environment on her recent visit for the enjoyment of visitors and local residents and as a number of others settle into initial £300,000 plus contribution to the in partnership with the National Park their new roles as Board Members. We National Park Authority for much Authority and others, including our owe Mike our sincere thanks for his needed Loch Lomond pier upgrades growing band of business supporters contribution to the National Park. that will safeguard the future of the and volunteers. We look forward to seeing you and growing range of cruising opportunities We have made a number of other members at our AGM which is on the loch. We were also pleased she important breakthroughs recently on undertook to take up our plea for being held on the PS Maid of the Loch – the funding front to sustain and expand action with the Transport Minister to on the evening of 9th May 2011. This our activities. We were delighted to remove stretches of the Loch Lomond will be an enjoyable and informative secure funding from the Forth Valley ‘tree tunnel’ to allow travellers to see event which is being attended by Linda and Lomond, and the Argyll and the the scenic beauty of the loch again. McKay – Mike’s successor as Convenor Islands European LEADER Programmes We are also awaiting the outcome of of the Park Authority. She is currently to support the expansion of the OUR the Government Reporters the Principal of Forth Valley College and park initiative across the whole of the deliberations on the first finalised Local is no stranger to the Park through her National Park area. This scheme is also Plan for the National Park and are former role as Chair of Scottish being financially supported by Scottish hoping they will agree with the Enterprise Forth Valley. We wish her well Enterprise, the National Park Authority representations we have made to in her new role and look forward to and Scottish Natural Heritage and the protect the Park from large wind turbine building on the excellent relationship we number of businesses starting to structures and to uphold the local had with her predecessor, and continue actively fundraise from visitors residency housing occupancy continues to grow with monies re- to have with Park Authority staff. conditions which have served the invested in wildlife conservation and We were recently saddened to see southern Loch Lomondside villages well access projects. the termination of the 15 year for so many years. OUR park is complemented by our association between the Loch Lomond Thank you for your continuing new Business Supporters Scheme, and Golf Club and the Scottish Open with support, which we very much we are pleased to welcome Tigh Mor the event moving to Castle Stuart, near appreciate! We would be very grateful Trossachs Holiday Property Bond, Inverness this year. Television coverage if you could pass on the enclosed Vision Express, Ross Priory (University of of the Scottish Open has brought the membership form to a friend or relation Strathclyde), Macdonald Forest Hills scenic splendours of Loch Lomond into and do your bit by persuading them to Hotel & Resort and Loch Katrine Visitor tens of millions of households around join the Friends and strengthen our Complex as the latest Business the world over the years and has been membership base. I hope you enjoy Supporters. We are grateful to David a great boost to tourism locally. The reading this edition of the Voice. Moulsdale of Vision Express and Friends also enjoyed a good working All the very best James Fraser Stephen Carter of Cameron House relationship with the management team Chair-Friends of Loch Lomond Hotel for joining forces with us to and organisers of the event and and The Trossachs sponsor a major fundraising event regularly had a presence in the tented www.lochlomondtrossachs.org.uk 5 A very special Golf Day! The details for our Charity Golf Day have been finalised and we are very pleased to report that David Moulsdale and his company Optical Express have offered to run the day for us, following their own Golf Day for the Moulsdale Foundation the day before.