National park considers fines for aggressive campers as summer influx begins

Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park - which has attracted some 300,000 campers in the past decade - is considering whether to push ahead and create a new byelaw to give rangers added protection and the power to fine campers who are hostile to them.

The move comes after the recorded instances of aggressive behaviour from campers towards rangers - tasked with enforcing restrictions on camping spots and the setting of fires while highlighting bad parking - has significantly risen since the pandemic.

A statement said: “The Park Authority proposing to make it a specific offence to threaten, abuse or behave aggressively towards a National Park Officer.

“ While the great majority of campers engage positively with staff, recorded instances of aggressive behaviour have more than doubled since 2021, a trend reflected in many other public-facing roles across Scotland.

“Including this provision within the byelaws would provide staff with clearer protection, enable more efficient enforcement and use of public resources.”

Meanwhile, across the Cairngorms National Park this weekend, late night patrols have started in Deeside and Glenmore to enforce the new byelaw which bans campfires and barbecues across the entire park boundary between April 1 and September 30. Those flouting the new rules now face a maximum fine of £500.

A record number of more than 100 rangers are on duty this summer across the national park - from the Angus Glens to Upper Deeside, the popular area around Loch Morlich and the wider Glenmore and Cairngorm Mountain areas.

At Loch Lomond, park bosses are considering the powers to fine aggressive campers as part of a 12-week consultation into its “pioneering” Camping Management Bylaws - the first of their kind in Scotland - some 10 years after they were introduced to halt overnight stays in some of the most popular areas, such as Loch Earn and some stretches of the banks of Loch Lomond.

In controlled areas, campers must book a permit or campsite in advance with the use of fires and collection of wood also regulated in these areas to prevents the chopping down of trees for fuel, Visitors now have to bring their own supply with them.

“Before the byelaws, high volumes of camping in easily accessible lochshore areas, combined with antisocial behaviour by a minority, was causing considerable damage to the environment and impacting local communities, businesses and other visitors,” a statement said.

Nearly 300,000 people have camped in permit areas since 2017, with details of just over 7,500 of them taken for contravention of the byelaws since they were introduced.

Informal wild camping is still allowed in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code across most of the park.

While counterparts in the Cairngorms have introduced an all-out fire ban given the wildfire risk, Loch Lomond bosses are considering upping their controls given the spread of these climate-induced hazards, as well as the overall rise in campers.

Those pitching up and lighting a fire will have to raise any fire off the ground in a contained vessel, such as a fire bowl, if new byelaws are approved.

Campers would be required to extinguish a fire if asked to do so by a ranger where conditions pose a high or extreme wildfire risk - with the park authority hoping that the increased powers and protections proposed will make life for staff an volunteers a little easier.

Sanctions for flouting the new byelaws have yet to be determined, but existing byelaw breaches risk a fine of up to £500.

Kenny Auld, Head of Visitor Services at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority said: "This review marks nearly ten years since the Camping Management Byelaws were introduced.

“That decision proved controversial for some at the time, but it came out of necessity and reflected our remit as a National Park Authority to balance public access and enjoyment while protecting the natural environment we all care deeply about. Our role is to demonstrate that people and nature can thrive together, but that sometimes means making difficult decisions, testing new approaches and being willing to learn from them.

"We're not claiming the Byelaws have solved every issue. Positive progress has been made but we recognise that some pressures persist. This review is our opportunity to ensure the Byelaws continue to evolve, remaining effective, fair, and fit for a changing landscape, a changing climate and changing behaviours.”

He said that he was “proud” of what had been achieved in the past 10 years and said the “vast majority” had visited permit areas responsibly.

David Fraser, a business owner at Balmaha and a member of the East Loch Lomond Community Trust, said the situation on the banks of Loch Lomond before the bylaws was “dire for all concerned”.

He added: Anti-social behaviour, damage to the local landscape and related negative impacts meant that, as a local resident and business owner, something absolutely needed to be done to stop the situation getting completely out of control.

“We supported the Byelaws when they were introduced, and ten years on feel they have genuinely made a massive positive difference to locals and visitors from Scotland and further afield.”

The public will also be asked their views about the growing use of motorhomes and campervans as part of the consultation.

All views gathered will shape recommendations made to Scottish Ministers for the future of bylaws in the national park.