EXPERIENCE

LOCH LOMONDthe loch lomond cruise co.

C R U I S I N G S I N C E 1 8 8 0 - -

DAILY CRUISES WATERBUS SERVICES PRIVATE CHARTERS

Featuring cruise commentary by

T.V. historian Neil Oliver.

www.sweeneyscruises .comt: 01389 752376 E : info@sweeneyscruises .com

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Loch Lomond News & Review for 2016“Conserving The Waters – Protecting Your Rights”

LLA WEBSITE & FORUM: WWW.LOCHLOMONDASSOCIATION.CO.UKLLA FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/LOCH-LOMOND-ASSOCIATION

In This Edition:• The Scottish Minister Pronounces ... Loch Boating Denounces.• The Great Big Loch Lomondside Camping Rip-Off 2017.• QAVS Award Goes To The Loch Lomond Rescue Boat.• Loch Swimming - The LLA OWS Safety Guide for Boaters & Swimmers

THE LOCH LOMOND ASSOCIATIONTHE LOCH LOMOND ASSOCIATIONHONORARY PRESIDENT: HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF MONTROSE

STILL28 PAGES& STILLFREE

HOTEL

LODGES

MARINA

HOLIDAY PARK

www.ardlui.co.ukArdlui, Loch Lomond, Argyll, G83 7EB

T: 01301 704 243 | E: info@ardlui.co.ukFor berthing enquiries contact Glenn on 07841 044 883

Ardlui Marina, Loch LomondMarina facilities include:• Finger berthing, swinging moorings and yard storage• 20 Ton Travel Hoist• Slipway & trailer storage• Shore power & fresh water• Showers & toilets• Floating fuel pontoon - LPG coming soon!• Pump out• Laundry & Shop• Boat Sales• Marine Engineer• Hotel, Bar & Restaurant• Overnight & visitor berthing• Lift from Loch to yard or transporter• Hull maintenance & antifouling - incl short term lifts• Secure yard storage available all year round• Berth to Berth Package - we will collect & return your boat to any berth on the loch (RYA Qualified Skipper)• Maintenance & Service packages available on request

07782 478595

Nick O’Donnell, our resident engineer is on hand to help you with all your service and maintenance requirements.

• Discounts on accommodation for berth holders• Food served all day• Live music calendar• Outside covered & heated decking area• Pub with pool table, juke box and fire• Sky Sports

Ardlui Hotel & Restaurant

BOOK

ONLINE

NOw

1794 Autumn LLA Mag Ad.indd 1 26/1/12 15:52:17

HOTEL

LODGES

MARINA

HOLIDAY PARK

www.ardlui.co.ukArdlui, Loch Lomond, Argyll, G83 7EB

T: 01301 704 243 | E: info@ardlui.co.ukFor berthing enquiries contact Glenn on 07841 044 883

Ardlui Marina, Loch LomondMarina facilities include:• Finger berthing, swinging moorings and yard storage• 20 Ton Travel Hoist• Slipway & trailer storage• Shore power & fresh water• Showers & toilets• Floating fuel pontoon - LPG coming soon!• Pump out• Laundry & Shop• Boat Sales• Marine Engineer• Hotel, Bar & Restaurant• Overnight & visitor berthing• Lift from Loch to yard or transporter• Hull maintenance & antifouling - incl short term lifts• Secure yard storage available all year round• Berth to Berth Package - we will collect & return your boat to any berth on the loch (RYA Qualified Skipper)• Maintenance & Service packages available on request

07782 478595

Nick O’Donnell, our resident engineer is on hand to help you with all your service and maintenance requirements.

• Discounts on accommodation for berth holders• Food served all day• Live music calendar• Outside covered & heated decking area• Pub with pool table, juke box and fire• Sky Sports

Ardlui Hotel & Restaurant

BOOK

ONLINE

NOw

1794 Autumn LLA Mag Ad.indd 1 26/1/12 15:52:17

Quicksilver Activ 705 Cruiser

Bayliner 315 Cruiser

To arrange a test sail, contact Stan Prosser on 07515 575420 Cameron House Marina, Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire G83 8QZ

Visit us online at www.marinesalesscotland.com

The Loch Lomond AssociationHonorary President His Grace The Duke Of Montrose

© The Loch Lomond Association 2016. All Copyright texts and photo images, Registered Marks and Trade Marks are duly acknowledged as being the property of their respective owners, or used under CCL; or as captioned; or being already in use within the public domain. N.B. The appearance of any advert or business name in the LLA Magazine does not constitute or imply any LLA endorsement or recommendation. The LLA’s Website, Forum and Facebook Page addresses may all be found on the front cover of this magazine

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COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2015 / 2016OFFICE BEARERS Peter Jack Chairman Willie Dow Vice Chairman Jim McNiven (Past Chairman) Treasurer Martha Hart Membership & Minute Secretary

PAST CHAIRMEN Jim McNiven Jim Macdonald Brian McDaid Bonar Hardie Alex Barnes Jack Bisset

COMMITTEE REPRESENTING John Sweeney Commercial Boat Operators Fergus Duncanson Sailing - LLSC Representative Willie Dow Cruising Pending Canoeing & Kayaking Pending Water Skiing Collette Sibley Secretary, Loch Lomond Rescue Boat Colin Lindsay Maritime Regulation & Safety Paul Hopkinson Cameron House Marina Pending Speed Boats Graham Brown L.L. PWC Association Denis Harkins L.L. Rowing Club Gareth Bourhill L.L.A.I.A. (Fisheries System Network) Chris Sifleet Open Water Swimming (OWS Training) Stan Prosser Marine Sales Scotland (Boat Sales) Morag Scott Open Water Swimming (OWS Users)

INDIVIDUAL LOCH INTEREST Bill Porter Peter Jack Gordon Bryce

ADVISERS Andy McGarvey Police Constable, Police Scotland Colin Lindsay LLA Website & Forum Webmaster Collette Sibley LLA Facebook Page Webmaster

MEMBERSHIP OF THE LLA Your subscriptions, donations (& adverts) are our only income source. Personal membership rates are unchanged in 2016. An Application / Renewal form is contained within the magazine showing current rates. Advertising rates are available (POA) from the LLA (see below for postal & email addresses).

Please send cheques to: ‘The Loch Lomond Association’ at P.O. Box 373, Dumbarton, G82 5YG and not, please, to the National Park Authority with other documentation. Our e-mail address is: info@lochlomondassociation.co.uk

Please note that we donate a proportion of our annual revenue towards the upkeep of the Loch Lomond Rescue Boat. If you belong to any Loch Lomond Water Recreational Club or organisation, it will help us if you say which one, and also provide your own email address, if you have one. (This would remain LLA confidential).

CORPORATE MEMBERS, LOCH LOMOND BOATING CLUBS, LLA ADVERTISERS & SUPPORTING ORGANISATIONS*

We are pleased to acknowledge the support of the following companies, clubs, businesses, and other organizations around the loch-side and further afield:

Aldochlay Boat Club # Ardlui Marina, Hotel & Resort Balloch Cruising Club Balloch & Haldane Community Council Balmaha Boatyard (Macfarlane & Son Ltd) Balmaha Cruising Club # (Bandry) Cameron House Marina Colin Camburn Marine Services Corries Restaurant Crossan Outboards Cruise Loch Lomond Ltd Cute Cutz Dog Grooming Floetree Ltd (Loch Lomond Marina) Inchmurrin Island Apartments Jetski Safari Loch Lomond Leven Cruising Club Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association (LLAIA) Loch Lomond Golf Club Loch Lomond Rowing Club Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority Loch Lomond Rescue Boat Loch Lomond Sailing Club Loch Lomond Steamship Company (Maid of the Loch) Loch Lomond Water Ski Club Marine Clean Boat Cleaning Marine Sales Scotland Mayles Watersports Omser (Scotland) Ltd Phoenix Honda Grangemouth RYA Scotland Sandbar Cruising Club Stirlings Marine Sweeney’s Cruises Taxi Owners Association - Alexandria / Dumbarton The Cruin Restaurant Vale of Leven District Angling Club (VOLDAC) Waterhouse Inn & Café Bar

# special thanks for full annual subscription for every club member

* NOTE: NEW MEMBERSHIPS, OR RENEWALS, FOR 2016 We acknowledge with thanks the support of the above Corporate Members, Loch Lomond Clubs & their berth & mooring holders in 2015/16, and also those who support us with their advertising, and in other ways, and of course, not least our individual and family LLA members.

Again, only full personal membership (individual or family) is offered. Therefore, we again invite, renewed club donations at their discretion commensurate with club standing and size of membership. In the case of Corporate Company Members, other small businesses and organizations, again we respectfully invite new or renewal membership donations in line with their size and standing, at their discretion, but suggest from £20 and upwards as a bare minimum. Please use the form provided earlier in the magazine, for applying / renewing.

NAVIGATION AND GENERAL PURPOSES FUND DONATION Originating in a joint venture with the LL&TTNPA to provide lit buoyage on the River Leven, the fund includes support of Loch related good causes. If you use the waters, please add a donation to your subscription with our sincere thanks. LLA Life Members are similarly invited to make a donation to this fund.

1

LLA CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2016HOW pleasant it would be to reflect on a summer of long warm sunny days spent on calm waters but, alas, Loch Lomond is seldom like that nowadays climatically. Neither is it thus metaphorically due to the management climate imposed on the Park by the National Park Authority (NPA). Its autocratic control regime is reflected in some very unenlightened new byelaw proposals being imposed by the NPA. These set out to destroy the outdoor recreational rights of enjoyment of many visitors, as conferred by the Third Aim of the National Parks’ Founding Act 2000, within the Park limits, but also beyond these boundaries, because of the wider national precedent they will set in future across Scotland.

The fate of these proposals lay with Aileen MacLeod, SNP Scottish Government Minister for the Environment, who had the power to accept, reject or change these NPA proposals. In the end, she chose to approve the NPA camping byelaw proposals, with only the most minor of changes.

Her decision attacked the long-sought public land-use rights and access freedoms conferred by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC). The present Scottish Government Administration has thus far failed badly to grasp the nettle of general land-owner opposition to further Scottish land reform. Indeed many land-owners would wish to reduce even such public rights as now exist under current legislation, far less see any of those rights extended. MacLeod’s

hammer strikes home the first coffin nail in our freedom to freely use our Nation’s land, without first asking permission, or having to pay for the priviledge.

The NPA, knowing the ambivalence of its political masters, has aligned its policies to cooperate with the self-serving land-owners’ aspirations. It similarly encourages those commercial schemes which often depend on land-ownership or land-tenancy, to render them financially or otherwise viable. The NPA’s policies are undoubtedly influenced by the fact that they own virtually none of the land which they aspire to manage, a peculiarity virtually unique to UK National Parks. They are thus obliged to kow-tow to land-owner demands, with unhealthy results for social democracy, and our long term public land access rights. It will not be long past 2017 before we are once more embroiled in another battle to maintain our rights to use the loch islands for recreation.

The LLA has spent much discussion time over the past year attempting, via meetings with Park officers, to convince them that some types of Open Water Swimming (OWS) commercial events require regulation on public safety grounds. The NPA for their part insist that they do not have the necessary authority in law to impose such regulations or bans.

Let us immediately clarify here that the annual Great Scottish Swim, held in late summer each year at Drumkinnon Bay, is not seen by the LLA as a contentious swimming event firstly because it is well managed and tightly controlled, and secondly because it is contained within a small and well-delineated area, which is buoyed-off and closely patrolled by many support boats or kayaks closely superintending that the swimmers are not made vulnerable at any point due to chance encounters with the many categories of powered craft which share these waters with them.

The LLA is most particularly concerned with the type of OWS event, exemplified by the Loch Lomond Inch by Inch Swim Run, which took place in September 2015 and is scheduled to occur again this year, but with much greater numbers. We consider this to be inherently dangerous to its swimmers, and to other Loch boat users, and we see it as being wholly irresponsible in its nature. Last year it ran

with 28 pairs of swimmers, and this year predicts 100 pairs, of varying abilities. These are strung out right across the loch from Arden to Balmaha, and back to the main island group off Luss over a period of eight hours.

There is no way this can be adequately or safely supervised by support boats to protect those in the water. Nor is it safe or reasonable to other boat users to have swimmers continually crossing and re-crossing the narrow navigable channels within the islands. It is hard enough already to pass other boats normally in narrow channels, without having unexpected swimmers popping out of the bushes at the shoreline and jumping into the water. Large cruise boats which also use The Narrows simply cannot stop to accommodate swimmers, or the wind would quickly push them onto the nearby rocks, thus endangering passengers lives. Those kinds of events would be much safer for all concerned by holding them on one of the Parks several lochs with no powered craft to contend with.

We have agreed this year to partner with the NPA in part-sponsoring safety leaftets, and signage at key swimming points. The leaflets will carry similar safety messages to those issued by the Lake District National Park Authority. The leaflets will offer key guidance to both powered boat users, and to swimmers, on best practice for avoidance of accidents. Due to different printing schedules from NPA we have published our cartoon version of both leaflets, as our magazine centre-spread, and the partnering version in a slightly different format will be issued later by the NPA. We would urge boat owners and swimmers to read these and consider these messages well.

Peter Jack Reviews A Year Past - Full Of Uncertainties

Loch Lomond Association

A G M 7.00pm

Wednesday 4th May 2016

To be held in the LL & TT NPA HQRobert Grieves Room

(by kind permission of the Authority)

Carrochan,Balloch G83 8EG

All interested persons may attend and express a view on Loch Lomond affairs, but only pre-paid

Life, Individual or Family Members may vote. NB voting rights will not be acquired by joining the

Association on the night of the AGM

Peter Jack - LLA Chairman

The LLA wishes all Loch users a safe / enjoyable 2016.

2

REMEMBER ! If you want to keep using the Loch's islands and shores in future:

LEAVE NO SIGN BEHIND THAT YOU WERE EVER THERE! The LLA says: Take all your litter home - Don't cut / lop living trees for firewood - Extinguish all fires before leaving - Properly bury excrement/toilet paper - Keep dogs on a lead - Don't disturb birdlife - Stay on beach in breeding season (April to July) - Strictly observe (no wash) speed limits within the islands - Camp responsibly and keep noise and music volume down - especially at night

A warm welcome awaits at Balloch’s family run Inn,

a favourite with both local’s and visitors alike.

Come & try our range of draft & bottled beers or sample ourextensive selection of malt whiskies & liqueurs. Home cooked

meals & home baking daily.

We also have spacious luxury bedrooms all ensuite, each onecombining traditional elegance with a flair for modern design, at

remarkably affordable rates.

Why not come and visit?

Waterhouse Inn & Café Bar

The Waterhouse Inn & Café BarThe Square, Balloch, Loch Lomond G83 8LE

Tel: 01389 752120 www.waterhouseinn.co.uk

CorriesLicensed Restaurant

50 Balloch Road, Balloch G83 8LE

• Licensed Restaurant• Varied Homemade Menu• Takeaway• Outside All Weather Eating (smoking)• Kids Play Area, Dogs Allowed• Disabled Facilities / Baby Changing• Private Parties• Coaches Welcome (prior bookings)

Tel: 01389 753552 Email: slossg@yahoo.co.uk

23

2. The measures are “not a ban on camping”: – this statement is pure and utter nonsense.. Camping will only be allowed in pre-specified sites and/or circumstances, and is banned elsewhere within management zones from 1/3/2017, as a result of this Ministerial approval.

3. The essence of the Land Reform Act is that law-abiding citizens should be free to choose where they want to camp and when, and should not be subject to artificially imposed NPA or Ministerial dictat and conditions in doing so. The latter seek to criminalise families along with the real law-breakers, despite most decent people camping perfectly respectfully. Nor do most campers seek a ‘managed’ camping experience, likely far-removed from their chosen favourite spots, often by lochsides. Who, for example, wants to camp by Loch Chon (where?). The NPA has announced their first (and only so far) 50 camping places there! Also, a scheme of permits is fundamentally incompatible with public access rights, and is no substitute for the latter. The entire point of access legislation is to confer automatic public rights of access to land, and not to have to ask for permission, or to have to pay the landowner to camp.

4. The Minister is either very judgementally inexperienced, or very badly advised, or is apparently otherwise badly disconnected from reality, in concluding thus. It could not be more obvious that her approval (like the NPA proposals) are flagrantly incompatible with the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2003, for the reasons stated below, and she draws on no credible evidence to support her contentions.

5. It is also clear that the great majority of Park visitors do, when camping, exhibit these very same virtues of good and respectful behaviour to which the Minister alludes. Only the law-breaking minority do not. Instead of requiring the NPA and Police Scotland to use the plentiful existing criminal law against these few criminals, she instead chooses to attack and undermine the hard-won Scottish Land Reform legislation, and the SOAC Code. Both of these are internationally admired for their enlightened thinking in respect of popular land access public rights. It is clear that she would rather play footsie with the dubious underlying exclusionary motives of large landowners by restricting public access rights to their land, than to extend and develop new and additional public access rights via further major land reform legislation, as was promised to the public in Scotland by our government representatives until late last year.

6. In her 3rd para, the Minister claims that: to allow camping to continue would “risk these special places being lost to future generations”. This is blatant exaggeration and hyperbole, and is completely unsupported either by science, or any credible fact-based environmental assessment evidence. Natural vegetative regeneration over late autumn and early spring each year largely obliterates the signs of the previous season’s use by walkers, campers etc. Equally ridiculous is her assertion that those on foot, or camping, or indeed using motorhomes or caravanning come to that, somehow “negatively impact” on local communities or business. This comment reveals a nimbyist suburban attitude shared in common with the NPA and some local lochside community members and businessmen who want to keep their cash-registers ringing, but only on their terms i.e. “spend all your money in my till - but then push-off somewhere else”.

7. The walkers, climbers, anglers, and boat owners who camp around Loch Lomond directly create and maintain local jobs and commercial business revenues, and help to make local shops and businesses viable, just like all other visitors to the Park do. No-one has done any credible research on camping having an adverse impact on businesses, to support the Environment Minister’s ridiculous contention.

8. The Minister asserts that without the new camping byelaw, the Park’s reputation both at home and abroad as a premium tourist destination is put at risk. The LLA, on the contrary, sees that reputation as at far greater risk from the manner in which the NPA is being run, which is widely seen as a disgrace to Scotland. It’s previous Vice-Convenor and the Chair of the Planning Committee, was reportedly dealing in the shares of Cononish Gold Mine, (without discosure of these facts), whilst ultimately responsible for approving it’s planning permission - he later resigned. Secondly, after discovery, neither the Convenor nor the Park Board immediately sought a police enquiry into any potential criminality behind these circumstances. Subsequently, at a key meeting of the Board on 27th April 2015 to approve the Camping Byelaws, the Park Convenor and certain other Board members failed to declare personal interests in owning properties within the very Camping Management Zones, which the board was approving that day. They then attempted to falsify the meeting’s subsequent Minute to state that their interests had been duly disclosed at the start of the meeting. On this being challenged by attending members of the public after the meeting of 27th April, the Convenor was forced to withdraw the original falsified Minute, and re-issue a truthful version. As of late March 2016, no action had yet been taken against any potential culprits in these matters.

9. The Minister’s approval letter suggests that the whole rationale for the new Park byelaws is for the control of (a) excessive volumes of such camping visitors to the National Park, (b) for the control of environmental damage within the Park, and (c) to control anti-social behaviour within the Park. The first two of these issues - (a) and (b) - are NPA self-inflicted wounds which may be remedied at a stroke i.e. by stopping promoting the Park as an outdoor recreational destination, since such visitors (including boat owners) are viewed as a nuisance and a problem anyway by the Authority, rather than as a major tourism benefit, greatly enhancing the attractions of the destination. The third strand, (c), is purely and simply a policing problem, or more accurately, a non-policing problem. The Minister’s own Government have made such a total hash of decimating police budgets, resources and numbers over the past two years in the planning and implementation of the Police Scotland unitary policing authority, that they can police neither the existing nor proposed byelaws. Virtually all the local rural police offices are now closed, or hugely de-manned, to the extent that the only nearby officers left are in traffic division cars, and I can safely predict that they will not be patrolling the western shores of Loch Lomondside in the rain on a dark night looking for wrongly-criminalised campers., no matter what the new nonsensical camping byelaws may have to say on the matter

10. The real camping ban agenda is this. (a) NPA shuts down all free camping at popular spots, and opens chargeable (£5.00 pppn) campsites or permits to camp. (b)The NPA Rangers are sent out as sheepdogs to round up all stray camper sheep in the Management Zones and force them into landowner’s ‘approved’ paying camping sites, or sell them permits (again probably £5.00 pppn). Non-compliance earns you a £60 illegal-camping ticket fine, and makes you and your family/friends criminals. Business looks good at 800 campers per night in season across the Park. There you are! A nice little earner for everyone, except you of course. That’s why they call you a wild camper - because you’ll know only too well when you’ve been ripped-off big-time by your friendly NPA and ‘the Minister’.

LLA ANALYSIS..... (cont’d from previous page)

22

Dear (NPA BOARD Convenor)

APPLICATION BY LOCH LOMOND & THE TROSSACHS NATIONAL PARK AUTHORITY FOR CAMPING MANAGEMENT BYELAWS

Further to your letter of 18 May 2015, I am writing to advise that, after very careful consideration, I have decided to approve, subject to modification, the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority’s application for new camping management byelaws across four proposed management zones within the National Park.

I am very much aware of the significant level of interest and strength of feeling which has been expressed in relation to these proposals by both supporters and objectors alike. Many will welcome the decision but I know that some (see LLA Note 1) will be left disappointed. Having visited the Park on a number of occasions over the summer months to see for myself the range of issues being faced, and from meeting key representatives on both sides of the debate, many of whom acknowledge the existence of problems, I am left in absolutely no doubt that steps must be taken to manage issues more effectively and that proportionate camping management byelaws are an appropriate and necessary part of the solution. I fully acknowledge that the Park has sought to manage issues related to environmental damage, volume camping and instances of irresponsible behaviour in a variety of ways over the last 13 years and that the current proposals, building on the success and experience of the camping management byelaws at East loch Lomond, have not been arrived at without detailed and thorough consideration.

During my visits to the Park and from the photographic evidence, I have been struck by the extent of damage to some areas of the Park. I believe that year-on-year pressure in the same areas would, if left unchecked, risk these special places being lost to future generations, continue to have a negative impact on local communities and business, risk the Park’s reputation both at home and abroad as being a premium tourist destination, and undermine the statutory aims of our National Parks as set out in the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000.

As you know, a wide range of views have been submitted to me during this process, including concern about access rights and a perceived ‘ban on camping’. Clearly, these are important issues but I am satisfied that the measures are not a ban on camping (see LLA Note2) but, rather, they will provide the means to manage camping on a long-term basis to safeguard fragile environmental areas of the Park via a more sustainable approach to visitor management. The ability to camp by a range of users will be enhanced via investment in improved facilities, bookable pitches and the availability of permits within the camping management zones (see LLA Note 3), and the ability to ‘wild camp’ outside the limited management zones all-year and in the management zones out of season are unaffected by the measures. I do not consider that the measures are incompatible with the right to responsible access provided via the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 (see LLA Note 4), which is clear that access rights are dependent on responsible behaviour, respect for privacy, safety, livelihoods and Scotland’s environment (see LLA Note 5).

Formal Modification Seasonality. I have decided to reduce the proposed period of operation of the byelaws by 1 month. This means that the byelaws will operate between 1 March to end September (7 months) in any one year, rather than 1 March to end October (8 Months) as previously envisaged. This modification will also have the effect of reducing by 1 month the operation period of the current East Loch Lomond Byelaws which are to be covered by one of the new proposed management zones.

Implementation Date. In addition, I have decided that the byelaws should not be implemented until 1 March 2017 and this date will be specified on the face of the byelaws. I welcome the Park’s assurances on the provision of an initial 300 camping places by this date and the addition of more provision in subsequent years which forms part of the Park’s Camping Development Plan. This implementation date provides more than a year from the date of approval for the Park to complete this initial phase of camping provision.

Administrative Conditions Attached to Approval Formal Report to Ministers. Ministers should be provided with a formal report of a review of the operation of the byelaws no later than 3 years after implementation. The report should consider how effective the new camping management measures have been in reducing the instances of environmental damage and irresponsible behaviour as a direct result of implementation.

Annual Update to Ministers. I would like the Park to provide Ministers with an annual update on the implementation of the byelaws.

I should be grateful if the Park would continue to liaise with my officials over final wording of the byelaws which should take into account the formal modification outlined above together with any other points of detail.

Kind regards (Signed: Scottish Government Minister for the Environment)

LLA ANALYSIS OF THE MINISTER’S LETTER CLAIMING JUSTIFICATION OF HER CAMPING BAN APPPROVALThe Minister for the Environment’s letter has been high-lighted in blue, in places and our response to each Note Number is below:

1. For ‘some’ read the overall majority of consultation consultees, who actually rejected NPA proposals, or had their responses wilfully ‘re-interpreted in whole or in part’ by the NPA, to suggest that they did indeed support the byelaw proposals, when they actually did not

TEXT EXTRACT OF SCOTTISH MINISTER’S LETTER TO NPA APPROVING CAMPING BAN BYELAWS

3

Commercial Boat Operators - Cruises & Waterbus ServicesA brief review of what's happening today in Commercial Boat Operations in 2016 on the Loch

After a wet winter, summer can’t come quick enough for the Loch Boat Operators.Sweeney’s Cruise Co will be operating

their normal one and two-hour cruises from Balloch village and Loch Lomond Shores, along with Waterbus services from Balloch to Luss, and Luss to Balmaha.

Cruise Loch Lomond are operating their normal range of Cruises and Waterbus Services from Tarbet to Inversnaid, Rowardennan, Luss and new for 2016, they have announced a new cruising experience on Loch Lomond with a luxury Linssen motor cruiser, in Partnership with Linssen Boating Holidays. The Directors of the family run business officially launched the new venture at the Dusseldorf Boat Show in February.

The high quality Linssen Grand Sturdy 36.9 motor cruiser offers style and serenity with two en-suite cabins, and a saloon finished in luxurious wooden panelling and leather upholstery. Based at Cameron House Marina the vessel will be available for 3,4 or 7 day boat charter. The vessel can also be chartered for half or full day skippered charters, to discover the Loch’s less accessible tranquil locations.

This initiative coincides with the Scottish Governments Strategic Framework for Scotland’s Marine Tourism Sector

- “Awakening the Giant”. The strategy was launched by the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism, Fergus Ewing MSP in March 2015. The strategy outlines the

potential and opportunity to grow Scotland’s reputation as a world class marine tourism destination, on both coastal and inland waterways in and around Scotland. Dr Mike Cantly, Chairman of VisitScotland, has stressed the opportunity this provides for Loch Lomond, the boating fraternity and local businesses, as well as the significant role stakeholders can play to improve the customer journey, in providing an authentic experience and build capabilities. The vessel will be shipped onto the Loch in April, and be available for charter from Loch Lomond Boating Holidays in May.

MacFarlane’s Boatyard in Balmaha will, as usual, be operating their popular Mailboat cruise, stopping at various island destinations around the Loch. They also operate the ever popular, Inchcailleach ferry service giving access to the Nature Reserve and the historical remains on this fine island just off Balmaha.

Island Cruises in Luss are continuing with their cruises through the famous Narrows, and around the spectacularly beautiful main Islands Group just south of Luss. These islands are designated both here and internationally as sites of special scientific interest (SSSI), and European Special Protection Areas (SPA) for their wildlife, and for their Atlantic Oak trees. These cruises ‘get up close and personal’ with nature, and are an essential destination for the visitor to this National Park.

Sweeney’s ‘Astina’ Cruising off Inchmurrin Island

Sweeney’s ‘Silver Dolphin’ Cruising off Cameron House

A Linssen Grand Sturdy 36.9

A CLL boat passes behind Tarbet Isle

Boat registrations on loch lomond continue to plunge2015 FIGURES HIT A 10-YEAR LOW SINCE 2005 - WITH A LOSS OF 1,620 VESSELS

Regular readers of this magazine will know that, particularly since 2005, boat registrations on Loch Lomond have been on the slide. The extent of the slump in recent years has become such an annual embarrasment to the National Park Authority that they have recently ceased publishing them altogether in their yearly ‘Mainsheet’ leaflet for boat owners. Similarly, boat launching statistics and their corresponding revenues for these services at the Balloch and Milarrochy public slipways, have been far below budgeted expectations. These too are not published in ‘Mainsheet’, and have to be sought by Freedom of Information Requests (FOI), or by ploughing through lengthy annual reports buried amongst NPA Board Meeting Papers.

As is their custom, the NPA have blamed inclement weather for these declining boat numbers. However, poor summer weather patterns are nothing new on the Loch, and

much more credible explanations exist for the on-going loss of boating popularity, and their large accompanying cash spend on and around Loch Lomondside.

No! The truth of the matter is that boat owners are fed up of being the constant target of the NPA’s executive and Board-level mostly false and vitriolic accusations against them with regard to litter, anti-social behaviour, toileting, damage to natural environments, and disturbance of wildlife and habitats. The Rangers of the NPA, or SNH, are sent to regularly patrol the Islands shores in summer, to repeatedly re-deliver unasked-for advice to many who have respectfully used the islands for generations, and certainly have far greater experience of good outdoor practices than most of the young and only seasonally employed rangers sent to instruct them.

They are told, quite unnecessarily, not to light a small campfire nor burn

windfall timber, tons of which are left to rot. Indeed these same authorities have failed to prevent acts of public vandalism by landowners conspiring with SNH to poison hundreds of mature healthy trees on one heavily protected loch island. The NPA will be introducing new extended byelaws next year preventing wild camping on much of the Lochside, and beyond. We also know of Park Board Members who just can’t wait to have these byelaws extended to cover the Loch Islands. They also just can’t wait to further decimate the popularity of recreational boating, by criminalising those legal and respectful users of the Park who want to give their kids the same pleasure of enjoying the great outdoors as they and their parents and grandparents enjoyed before them. That is part of the Cultural Heritage of the Park which the NPA are charged with defending, but instead are seeking to deny and diminish.

BOAT TYPE 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015Fishing 754 802 776 778 798 718 789 713 630 583 604 592 545

PWC 686 769 780 782 796 715 772 821 681 575 590 634 637

MotorBoat

248 240 248 248 219 200 247 224 215 197 228 212 185

MotorCruiser

875 923 911 872 874 784 884 761 809 707 744 769 753

Speed Boat 1,806 1,8624 1,900 1,908 1,907 1,579 1,693 1,504 1,266 1,111 1,109 1,077 992

Tender 391 427 449 489 525 522 560 493 437 384 427 384 357

Trade Plates 20 25 24 21 28 2 0 9 18 20 11 11 24

Yacht 283 279 297 287 276 271 292 243 234 191 205 188 183

Other 340 322 329 306 262 328 442 385 370 369 419 370 418

TOTALS 5,403 5,649 5,714 5,691 5,685 5,119 5,679 5,153 4,660 4,137 4,337 4,237 4,094

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Canoeing and KayakingBoth Canoeing and Kayaking continue to be popular recreational water sports on Loch Lomond, and will no doubt continue to increase their participant numbers, especially if we are lucky enough to get some decent weather in which to enjoy the great outdoors. In 2015 it was good to see ‘paddlers’ of all ages, male and female, out on the water, whether individually, or as part of a family or larger group.

Whilst you are likely to encounter paddlers pretty well anywhere on the loch (or indeed almost any Park loch), the islands group just south-east of Luss remains a firm favourite whether as just a rest or picnic spot, or as a camping venue for one or more overnight stops for the paddling tourer.

Whilst they are in general a hardy lot that can cope with most things, the LLA would ask all reasonable users of powered craft on Loch Lomond to respect their greater vulnerability to large wakes caused by planing too close to individuals or groups in these very small craft. Please remember to give them a wide berth on open water, and to slow right down when passing in channels or other confined areas.

The LLA was saddened to lose the services, due to retirement at the start of 2016, of its Committee paddling representative Peter Baker, who similarly retired from the NP Local Access Forum at the same time. Peter joined us several years back first as the SCA appointee to our

committee, prior to his becoming their Recreational Director. He subsequently became the LLA’s own paddling representative as which he did an excellent job. He was also very committed in his pursuit of the Loch being the open and accessible recreational place which was intended by its founding legislation, but is rapidly becoming less so. Thank you, Peter.

NEWS SNIPPETS• The Carrick (the Golf, SPA, and Lodge) component of the Cameron

House Resort, situated 3 miles north of the latter on the A82, is said to be planning to build a new 152 bedroom hotel to complement its existing facilities there. The former owners Q Hotels sold out to American investment company KSL in the autumn of 2015. It would be good to also see the existing Carrick Pier being upgraded for use by the Loch boating community so that they could visit the Claret Jug restaurant as an extra watering hole.

• We understand that a new marina is under consideration for placement at Tarbet, 16 miles north of Balloch on the west shore of Loch Lomond. Tarbet is also the operating base for Cruise Loch Lomond (CLL), one of the two largest Ferry and Cruise Operators on the Loch. Tarbet is understood to be the only remaining new location on the lochside at which the NPA would be ready to consider a new marina development.

• A new private landing pontoon is to be installed immediately to the north of the former steamer pier at Balmaha. The owner will be Frasers of Balmaha and its main purpose is to facilitate ferry passengers to access the Oak Tree Inn.

• This is the latest update on old news. Another year has passed in which the NPA has yet again failed to use its planning enforcement powers to require Scottish Enterprise (the Planning Applicant concerned) to rectify the mis-placement of its latest club mooring pontoons on the west bank. These have been laid 10 feet too far out into the River Leven navigable channel (not the club’s fault), and they represent a serious hazard to large passing vessels.

Coming soon the NEW Yamaha Waverunners

6

Loch Lomond Rowing Club - UpdateFounded in 1827

Reflecting on 2015 it probably rates as one of the more challenging years for Loch Lomond Rowing club in terms of getting out on the water. The autumn and winter certainly rated as some of the windiest seasons in many a year and whilst I’m sure our sailing friends no doubt relished the gusts, for rowers they are anathema!

Earlier in the year however the club continued to develop its membership and the growing band of junior rowers saw success in various races including producing Scottish Champions in Women’s Ju13 single, double and quadruple sculls as well as Scottish Schools champions in Girls Ju14 and Boys Ju16 double sculls. At the British Champions the club fielded entries in MJu16, WJu14 and MJu14 events producing B finalists in each category – not bad for a small club

up against the might of much larger and better resourced clubs from elsewhere!

At the senior level our Masters rowers have again competed on the World stage with medals galore for our top female rower at Masters races at Henley and at Hazewinkel in Belgium.

The club continues to lead the drive towards creating a Community focussed watersports hub on Loch Lomond and the build of a new facility which will enable rowers, kayakers, swimmers, triathletes, waterskiers and any other related watersports clubs to have a home for their activities and to be able to promote safe use of the Loch’s waters by all. For LLRC in particular as we see the River Leven becoming ever more crowded with moorings our concern grows that our ability to safely transit the river is becoming

more and more limited. Whilst pontoon moorings do at least provide a more stable site for motor boats etc to tie up without the risk of dragging a weighted mooring, the inevitable effect is that the navigable channel becomes narrower and faster flowing – not an effect that a person using an oar propelled boat really wants.

But as rowers, whilst we may partake in our sport sitting down looking backwards, this coming year we look forward to Rio and this being another landmark year for Great Britain’s most successful Olympic sport! So be it racing, touring or just being out on the water with a bunch of friends, Loch Lomond and Loch Lomond Rowing Club can offer it all. As the 2nd oldest Rowing Club in Britain, we’ve being doing it for a very long time now - so what’s stopping you having a go too?!

Contact: secretary@lochlomondrowingclub.co.uk

Loch Lomond Regatta - 1896 (when LLRC was a mere 69 years old)(Courtesy of: www.llrc.co.uk)

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THE QUEEN HONOURS THELOCH LOMOND RESCUE BOAT

In September of 2015, Her Majesty bestowed the honour of the QUEEN’S AWARD FOR VOLUNTARY SERVICE on the Luss-based Loch Lomond Rescue Boat (LLRB). The QAVS award was presented to The Charity by the Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire Rear-Admiral Michael Gregory OBE at a ceremony held in Clydebank Town Hall. It consists of a certificate and a crystal emblem (below). The QAVS is the top honour for the voluntary sector, equating to the MBE in the personal awards bestowed in the Queen’s honours lists.

The LLRB was formed in 1977, and its all volunteer crew of 20 perform many rescues 24 x 7 every year, in all weather conditions from fierce gales to fog, to snow and ice, both on water and on remote road-less shores.

The LLRB takes the view that this award is to all past and present crew, and to all those others who support the on-going operation of a wholly voluntary based service through the gift of their time and efforts.

The crew train every Wednesday evening and Sunday morning through the year, sometimes along with Fire & Rescue, Mountain Rescue, and the Search And Rescue (SAR) Helicopter Service of the MCA, to retain top professional standards.

RESCUE  BOAT  EMERGENCY  CALLOUT  PROCEDURE  

• DIAL  999,  ASK  FOR  THE  POLICE,  THEN  FOR  THE  LOCH  LOMOND  RESCUE  BOAT  • GIVE  :  YOUR  NAME,  POSITION,  NUMBER  OF  PERSONS  ABOARD  • STATE  THE  NATURE  OF  THE  EMERGENCY,  GIVE  YOUR  MOBILE  NUMBER  TO  THE  OPERATOR  

TO DONATE TO OUR ALL-VOLUNTEER CHARITY PLEASE VISIT: THE LOCH LOMOND RESCUE BOAT - ON FACEBOOK

LOCH LOMOND

RESCUE BOAT Training in 2014 at Luss with Strathclyde Fire & Rescue Service

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Join the RYA – Why?RYA training sets standards for boat-handling under power & sail, as well as in navigation, pilotage, VHF radio skills, diesel engine maintenance and many other areas. UK Training centres are listed in the RYA website below.

RYA Powerboat Level 2 is widely recognised as the standard for basic competence in handling both high-speed and low-speed power craft. Higher level courses also exist for more advanced skills and safety vessel operation.

We act to represent UK national, Scottish, and wider recreational boating community interests by checking on planning applications that may impact on boating, providing advice nationally and regionally and to harbour authorities. Also we respond to consultations from governmental bodies like Marine Scotland, Harbour and National Park authorities.

They don’t always take our advice but they are much better informed from our efforts! RYA Scotland is a separate part of the RYA dealing specifically with Scottish matters.

The more of us are members, the bigger our voice is! RYA advice on boating safety is highly regarded, drawing on years of experience in all boating activity areas.

Take a look at the Safety Advice Notices on the RYA website to get a feel for it. And there are direct member benefits, like discounts from many equipment suppliers and retailers. Worth considering?

See the RYA website – www.rya.org.uk

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Loch Lomond Sailing Club 2016 – News & Update From Commodore Glen Carrick

FLYING FIFTEENS TAKING OFF AT LOCH LOMOND

Buoyed by the Scottish Championship win of one of the Club’s home boats, the summer of 2016 is looking great for the Flying Fifteen (ff) fleet at Loch Lomond Sailing Club. A possible 6 new boats and crews hoping to join the Club this Spring will bring the total number of these timeless, elegant Uffa Fox-designed small keelboats to sixteen. The launching and retrieval facilities on a good slipway at the club make this an ideal base for the Fifteens.

The Flying Fifteens have a busy programme of races from April to October alongside the dinghies and cruisers of Loch Lomond Sailing Club. The climax of the fifteens’ season is the Open FF and Keelboat Weekend in October when boats gather from all over Scotland and Northern England for some very competitive racing. Look out for some great sailing and a fleet of beautiful boats on the 1st and 2nd of October, racing to the west of Milarrochy Bay, just North of Balmaha.

Extreme sailing!

Speed records tumbled last year as Foiling Moth Pilot, Paul Hignett “flew” his super-light Moth named “Sprocket Rocket” around the race course at LLSC. With enthusiasm building around this type of craft we now have 8 regular foiling moths and some upgrades by owners.

The flat-water conditions and deep, clean waters make the Loch a great playground for these extreme boats, which can achieve speeds above 25 knots with the hull out of the water.

Junior Training

The Club’s enthusiastic gang of young sailors tasted success when racing at other clubs in 2015. They will be aiming for more of the same this season as they master their Optimists and Toppers within the Club’s Junior Training programme.

2015 saw the Club host a very successful open event for junior sailors run by the RYA and open to new juniors to

the sport of sailing. This brought over 100 young sailors from surrounding clubs together to enjoy the sport in a friendly way.

With the stepping stones of amateur club sailing, training and involvement of our junior section it’s good to see some of our members progressing to Scottish and UK National squads. Involvement in the squads is a massive commitment for young members, their parents and coaches. This was recently recognised at the Royal Yachting Association (RYA) awards, where club members took awards for Coach of the Year (Duncan Hepplewhite) and Class Academy Sailor of the Year (Calum Bell). Well Done!

As always we look forward to some great action on the water in 2016 whether racing in our structured Saturday and Sunday race programme or afterwards enjoying the full breadth of the Loch as we cruise by sail and play in the stunning beauty of our surroundings. Visiting islands with friends and relaxing and socialising is all part of the enjoyment.

With the club boats wrapped up and the poor weather over the winter there was an occasional day where the still weather allowed some of our members to take to the water in alternative craft. With the high December rain fall a small group of members took the opportunity to canoe from Drymen to Milarrochy, following an unusual route across fields and fences at the time of flooding.

It’s been great to see a steady interest in our sport from new members over 2015 and we already have a number of requests for the 2016 season. Why not join the fun and get involved in the sport of sailing by becoming a member, whether that be to helm your own boat, crewing with friends or wanting to gain some more confidence on the water with other like minded people.

A visit to our website, www.lochlomondsc.org or Facebook is well worthwhile with lots of reports

and photos of our activities - just search for “Loch Lomond Sailing Club”.

If you wish to get involved in a local sailing club in a relaxed friendly manne r please contact email llscsecretary@gmail.com for further information.

Flying Fifteens - Photos: D. Protheroe

Racing Moths on a fine Spring Day - Photos: D. Protheroe

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#Cut along perforation to use LLA Membership Renewal Form overleaf

THE LOCH LOMOND ASSOCIATIONHONORARY PRESIDENT: HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF MONTROSE

ASSOCIATION AIMS

The Loch Lomond Association (LLA) aims to represent all recreational water-users, clubs, riparian owners, companies and others providing shore-side facilities and services on and around Loch Lomond, in accordance with its Constitution. It further aims to:

- represent and protect it’s Members’ legitimate interests for the greater good, and advise / lobby authorities in achieving practical, sensible & safe solutions, where proposed change conflicts with public interests and rights, or conflicts with National Park Aims

- promote understanding of environmental and conservational issues and interact with others as necessary to influence, advance or challenge these

- promote and defend all legal and responsible recreational uses of the Loch and its shores, whereby the rights and safety of all users are respected and not infringed, and so that conflicts arising may be identified and resolved. The LLA seeks to influence National Park Authority (NPA) decision-taking in matters of byelaw-setting and review, policing, boating safety and competence. It has similar heritage-preservation interest in riparian Planning & Development matters on the NPA’s Loch Lomond shorelines. It supports projects aimed at navigational safety, and better facilities for boat use. Additional donations may be put to such purposes. Our “Navigation and General Purposes Fund” depends fully on your donated generosity, given additional to subscription, which is greatly appreciated. Loch Lomond suffers regular vandalism and other serious on-shore anti-social behaviour issues. The LLA seeks to promote the best practical workable solutions to all problems of management of Loch Lomond’s waters and shores, by scrutiny, suggestion, and discussion with the authorities of all proposals impacting on recreational water-use.

The LLA web-site and forum is at: www.lochlomondassociation.co.ukThanks to all new and renewing past members for their support.

CONSERVING THE WATERS - PROTECTING YOUR RIGHTS

THE LOCH LOMOND ASSOCIATION

Hon President His Grace the Duke of Montrose

• Defending public access & loch-shore camping

• Protecting water use for sport & lawful recreation

• Resisting 'blanket' & other needless bans

• Supporting respectful use of Loch Islands

• Monitoring byelaws for need & fairness

• Guarding scenic beauty from bad development

Join us now - Membership Form below

9

Fishing on Loch Lomond in 2015Report by Malcolm MacCormack - Chairman, Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association

What a difference a year makes! In 2014, following a dry Sumer and Autumn, many anglers were writing off the salmon fishing on Lomond. The funny thing is that no one told the fish and in 2015 I recorded the best catch on Lomond in over a generation. In total 178 salmon were declared at an average weight of just under 10 Lb.

Why should one year be so poor, and the next a bumper year? Well, we all have our theories, but what we do know is that the heavy rain that we experienced throughout the spring and early summer led to extremely healthy runs of salmon and sea trout heading up the River Leven and into the Loch, from April through to August. With the Loch full of water and fish there was every chance that 2015 would be a good year, but just how good only became apparent when the catch returns came in.

There were, as always, several large salmon caught on the Loch. The biggest last year was landed in September and weighed in at around 25Lb, we don’t know the exact weight because the fish was returned to spawn in the winter.

It wasn’t just the salmon fishing that

broke recent records, the sea trout catch was very encouraging as well. In total 659 sea trout were recorded from the Loch last year, which again was the best recorded catch in a generation. The standard of sea trout remains high with fish averaging 2 Lb each. What is more important is that anglers on the Loch returned 97% of these fish, and are doing their bit to ensure that stock numbers remain high.

All in all then, 2015 was a great year for the Loch angler, with the most salmon and sea trout recorded since the 1980s. What is more remarkable is that these catches were made by probably the fewest number of anglers that have ever been on Lomond. Loch Lomond is not just a salmon and sea trout fishery though, it is also one of the most diverse coarse fisheries in Scotland. It is probably best known for it’s pike, however, there are also large numbers of perch, roach, bream and carp in the Loch as well as the famous powan which is one of the rarest fish in the UK. The Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association has recognised the importance of this fishery and is actively protecting these fish with as much vigour as we protect our salmon and sea trout stocks, and have received support in this by national

coarse fishing bodies.

Readers should be aware that angling on the Loch is controlled and protected. If you want to fish you need to have a permit and our bailiffs have been active throughout last autumn and this winter enforcing our rules and the relevant fishery law. This year our bailiffs will be particularly active on the Loch so if you intend to fish make sure you have a permit. At £185 for a full membership which covers salmon and sea trout through the spring, summer and autumn as well as coarse fish throughout the year this represents great value for money, particularly when any children under the age of 18 can fish free with you. If you are not interested in fishing for salmon and sea trout an annual coarse fishing permit can be purchased for £50 for the year, again great value for money. Day tickets are also available if your fishing trips are limited to a couple of days throughout the year.

If you are interested in joining us on the Loch or want to find out more about the fishing available in the Lomond system please have a look at our web site at www.lochlomondangling.com or alternatively view us on Facebook.

Two fine grilse taken by Malcolm

on the same August day last year.

The National Park HQ is the venue for most meetings of the Park Board, which are held quarterly, mostly on Mondays at 2.00pm. As members of the public are permitted to attend and listen, but not to speak (the latter cautions alone took the Convenor 5 minutes to cover), there is amusement to be had from observing the often secretive wrigglings and squirmings which surround the processes by which the Park business is conducted by its Convenor and 17 Board Members. The NPA has been in bother recently for manipulating Minutes of previous Board meeting to misrepresent what was or wasn’t said at the actual meeting. The latest information- avoidance secret ploy would appear to be to hold the ‘real Board meeting in camera’ (no public present) in the morning of each Board meeting day, and these of course are not Minuted. Then, at 2.00pm the supposed real meeting starts with public present (or more usually not, other than LLA and ParksWatchScotland observers). This seeming exercise in amateur theatrical drama, then manages to blast its way through a formidable agenda of items for decision at the March

2016 meeting (including the Camping Byelaw Proposals and Ministerial Approval Response, the 2016 NPA Budget, the NPA 2016 Operational Plan, + various other major items), with little discussion, and barely a serious question being asked (other than what sounded like planted ones, congratulating NPA staff for their fine work). This whole turgid exercise was done and dusted in 90 minutes flat, from start to finish, and it’s Minute, upon issue will naturally record nothing to rock any Park Board boats. To find other similar analysis of NPA Executive and Park Board democracy in action, visit: ParksWatchScotland.co.uk/blog/ .

There you will find independent analysis of National Park management issues, and information obtained by Freedom of Information (FOI) requests made to the NPA, which lift the lid on what you weren’t meant to discover.

National Park HQ

To discuss your requirements,please contact Stan Prosser on 01389 467373 or 07515 575420, email at stan.prosser@sunseekerscotland.comor visit www.marinesalesscotland.comCameron House Marina, Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire G83 8QZ

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To discuss your requirements,please contact Stan Prosser on 01389 467373 or 07515 575420, email at stan.prosser@sunseekerscotland.comor visit www.marinesalesscotland.comCameron House Marina, Loch Lomond, Dunbartonshire G83 8QZ

Hard workdeserves rewards

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#Cut along perforation to use LLA Membership Renewal Form

MEMBERSHIP FORM - THE LOCH LOMOND ASSOCIATION

Name ............................................................................................................

Address .........................................................................................................

........................................................................... Post Code .........................

Email Address* .............................................................................................. (*not disclosed to third parties)

Life membership is now closed, other than at committee discretion. Existing Life Members are however invited to donate to the Navigation & General Purposes Fund (N&GPFund).

Associate Membership remains discontinued, in favour of Individual Membership. Corporate Members or Clubs (formerly with Associate Members) are now invited to subscribe on the basis of a voluntary donation commensurate with their financial standing or membership size, at their discretion (∞). Whilst there is no longer a minimum donation, we invite the generosity of all who support LLA aims, to secure its on-going financial viability.

I WISH TO RENEW MY MEMBERSHIP

I WISH TO JOIN THE ASSOCIATION

I WISH TO DONATE TO THE N & GP FUND

Cheque / Postal Order to value of £ ....................... is enclosed

TYPE OF MEMBERSHIP (please tick below & enter amounts above) Individual - £8 Family - £15 Corporate (∞)

PLEASE SEND THIS FORM, WITH CHEQUE MADE PAYABLE TO:THE LOCH LOMOND ASSOCIATION, PO BOX 373, DUMBARTON, G82 5YG

N.B. Please don’t return this form to the National Park Registration Office, nor anyboat registration form to Loch Lomond Association. Many Thanks.

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In 2015, the LLA put great time and effort into discussing OWS and its focal issues, both internally and with National Park management. The sport, when conducted sensibly and responsibly, is to be welcomed as another healthy and enjoyable outdoor activity on the Loch, and it is growing in public popularity. For this reason we have appointed not one, but two LLA OWS Adviser / Reps to the sport on our Management Committee. One is Chris Sifleet of Swim4Miles, a long-experienced accredited local trainer in the sport, and the other is Morag Scott of Inchmurrin Island, who is a seasoned practitioner in OWS, and a regular user-participant in Loch-based swimming events. She also brings great practical experience of the key issues.

The major underlying concern is that of all boat users whether commercially or recreationally involved. It is that, in certain light and wave conditions, it is near-impossible to spot swimmers in the water, and before-long, there is going to be a fatal accident due to a lack of observance of best safety practice, whether on the part of the swimmer or the boater. The NPA has agreed with us that it is essential for all concerned that best-practice should be understood and enacted by swimmers, boaters, and event organisers alike, in a multi-use Loch like Loch Lomond.

We have thus mutually agreed to cooperatively issue a safety leaflet for swimmers and boaters. Because our magazine goes to print first, we have used our cartoon-based format overleaf in the centrefold to ‘get the show on the road’, so as to speak. The joint NPA/LLA leaflet version will follow shortly thereafter, with a slightly different format, but just the same key safety messages. We ask all boaters and swimmers to read these, think about the issues covered, and put the key messages into practice this season, to reduce the risks.

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