0:00:21 > 0:00:25Hi, I'm Jonathan Sutherland, husband, father and urbanite.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29I'm pretty lucky to be living in the central belt of Scotland,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31alongside 2 million other people.
0:00:31 > 0:00:34It means that within an hour I can be at the beach,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37or I can be here, at the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park,
0:00:37 > 0:00:39door to door in 35 minutes.
0:00:39 > 0:00:43Let's just hope that the other 2 million people
0:00:43 > 0:00:45aren't parked around the corner.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52'The park covers 720 square miles,
0:00:52 > 0:00:55'so there should be enough space for everyone.
0:00:55 > 0:00:59'And there's a huge number of recreation activities on offer,
0:00:59 > 0:01:02'enough to keep the whole family happy.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08'The entire area is managed by the National Park Authority.
0:01:08 > 0:01:10'It's their job to make sure the land,
0:01:10 > 0:01:14'wildlife and the environment is protected for our enjoyment.'
0:01:22 > 0:01:25One way to enjoy the park is to go camping,
0:01:25 > 0:01:26it's great family fun
0:01:26 > 0:01:29and it helps generate money for the local economy.
0:01:31 > 0:01:36It has over 20 campsites, including this commercial one on the East Loch Lomond shore,
0:01:36 > 0:01:40where there's plenty of space for camper vans, caravans and tents.
0:01:45 > 0:01:50'A few miles along the loch side is a non-commercial campsite.
0:01:50 > 0:01:53'Sallochy is owned by the Forestry Commission,
0:01:53 > 0:01:55'it only holds 10 tents,
0:01:55 > 0:01:58'and no caravans or campers are allowed here.
0:01:58 > 0:02:04'The facilities are minimal, and not very glamorous.'
0:02:04 > 0:02:07I'm heading to the hills to meet someone who avoids
0:02:07 > 0:02:11all campsites, and the luxuries they provide, wild camper, Hebe Carus.
0:02:19 > 0:02:25- Hi there, Hebe.- Hi. - Hebe, what is wild camping?
0:02:25 > 0:02:28Wild camping is basically getting away from it all,
0:02:28 > 0:02:32spending a night having an adventure away from roads,
0:02:32 > 0:02:36away from people, and just being at one with nature, really.
0:02:36 > 0:02:40Under the Land Reform Act you have a right to access,
0:02:40 > 0:02:43as long as it's done responsibly, and that covers wild camping,
0:02:43 > 0:02:46but it doesn't cover informal camping, but that's not to say
0:02:46 > 0:02:50you can't do informal camping, which generally is beside the road,
0:02:50 > 0:02:52it's easily accessible.
0:02:52 > 0:02:55You can do it with a big tent, pile everyone out of the car,
0:02:55 > 0:02:57you don't have to walk very far,
0:02:57 > 0:03:00whereas proper wild camping is about lightweight tents,
0:03:00 > 0:03:03you basically carry everything on your back,
0:03:03 > 0:03:07and it's about carrying everything in, carrying everything out.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11So, with wild camping, can you pretty much camp anywhere?
0:03:11 > 0:03:14There's certain areas where you can't do it, which are specified
0:03:14 > 0:03:17in the Land Reform Act, and in the Access Code,
0:03:17 > 0:03:18which is where to have a look,
0:03:18 > 0:03:21but it's pretty much governed by common sense.
0:03:21 > 0:03:24Places you wouldn't do it are things like airfields,
0:03:24 > 0:03:29school playing fields, right next to somebody's house,
0:03:29 > 0:03:33in a field of cattle, in a field where there's crops growing.
0:03:33 > 0:03:35So, there's certain restrictions,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37but usually if you apply a bit of common sense,
0:03:37 > 0:03:39it's covered, what's in the code.
0:03:39 > 0:03:42And are there any age restrictions when it comes to wild camping?
0:03:42 > 0:03:45There's not actually any specific age restrictions within
0:03:45 > 0:03:48the Land Reform Act, or the Scottish Outdoor Access Code,
0:03:48 > 0:03:51but it's certainly advisable, if you're under 18,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53to take an adult along with you.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56So, we've heard about the restrictions, Hebe,
0:03:56 > 0:03:58what are a wild camper's responsibilities?
0:03:58 > 0:04:00There's three main responsibilities.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03You need to respect the needs of other people,
0:04:03 > 0:04:05whether that's other people camping,
0:04:05 > 0:04:08if you're on a big hillside, you don't want to go and camp
0:04:08 > 0:04:12right next to them, and the needs of landowners as well.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15They might have cattle or sheep that they're keeping,
0:04:15 > 0:04:17that they need to look after.
0:04:17 > 0:04:21Also, it's about respecting the environment.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25If it's nesting season for birds, or it's about thinking about erosion,
0:04:25 > 0:04:28not leaving any mark where you've been camping.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31The final thing is really about safety.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34It's about taking responsibility for yourself.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37For example, you wouldn't want to camp below a cliff where
0:04:37 > 0:04:41there's rocks falling off, or near cattle, that sort of thing.
0:04:46 > 0:04:50So, Hebe, how do you find the perfect spot to set up camp?
0:04:50 > 0:04:52That's part of the adventure of wild camping.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55You need to get your map out, and figure out the best spot,
0:04:55 > 0:04:57obviously an area of slightly flatter ground.
0:04:57 > 0:05:02BIRDS SINGING
0:05:04 > 0:05:07Right, Hebe, this looks like the perfect place for our tent.
0:05:07 > 0:05:09How do we go about setting up a fire?
0:05:09 > 0:05:11Right, lighting a fire is actually quite
0:05:11 > 0:05:15an important issue to consider when you're camping, in terms of,
0:05:15 > 0:05:17you can either cut down live wood, which is actually not legal,
0:05:17 > 0:05:20or you can pick up some dead wood,
0:05:20 > 0:05:23which would seem like a good idea, but the problem with that is,
0:05:23 > 0:05:25that it's a really important,
0:05:25 > 0:05:27and quite a rare habitat for some insects.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29So, we try to avoid that.
0:05:29 > 0:05:33In general, you should think carefully about fires.
0:05:33 > 0:05:36The preferable approach is to use a stove.
0:05:41 > 0:05:42I've been to various campsites
0:05:42 > 0:05:48and there's always toilet facilities, what do we do here?
0:05:48 > 0:05:51OK, when you are wild camping, you have to have one of these,
0:05:51 > 0:05:55- a trowel, and one of these, a resealable plastic bag.- OK.
0:05:55 > 0:06:00The trowel is for digging a 10 or 15 centimetre hole somewhere,
0:06:00 > 0:06:02and then, basically, you have to poo in the hole,
0:06:02 > 0:06:05and then cover it over, because there are little microbes in the soil
0:06:05 > 0:06:08that will break it down really quickly,
0:06:08 > 0:06:10so that's the best way to deal with it.
0:06:10 > 0:06:12The plastic bag is for your toilet paper.
0:06:12 > 0:06:15When used, you want to put it in there,
0:06:15 > 0:06:17and it's got to be resealable,
0:06:17 > 0:06:19because you want to keep the smell inside.
0:06:19 > 0:06:21And, basically, you have to carry that out,
0:06:21 > 0:06:23and dispose of it when you get home.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26Very good. Any other advice?
0:06:26 > 0:06:29In general, if you're unsure about anything,
0:06:29 > 0:06:32it's best to ask to make sure.
0:06:32 > 0:06:35Ask your local ranger, or your access officer.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37There's the Scottish Outdoor Access Code,
0:06:37 > 0:06:38which you can look at online,
0:06:38 > 0:06:42and that gives you guidance about various sides
0:06:42 > 0:06:44to the responsible access issues.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53Over 3.5 million people
0:06:53 > 0:06:58visit the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park every year.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01Could the park be a victim of its own success?
0:07:03 > 0:07:07I discussed the matter with Bridget Jones, the Senior Access Officer.
0:07:09 > 0:07:11Bridget, the park's had its fair share of problems
0:07:11 > 0:07:14in terms of just dealing with the sheer number of visitors.
0:07:14 > 0:07:16What had been the major issues?
0:07:16 > 0:07:20The major issues in the national park have predominantly been linked
0:07:20 > 0:07:24with the over-use of the park, so the capacity for visitors,
0:07:24 > 0:07:29particularly on a busy, sunny weekend during the summer holidays.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Also, an element of misuse, caused by a minority of people
0:07:33 > 0:07:36that engage in, perhaps, a bit of antisocial behaviour,
0:07:36 > 0:07:39and have a negative impact on the majority of people
0:07:39 > 0:07:41coming to enjoy themselves.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46Mainly linked to alcohol, people coming in to have a bit of a party,
0:07:46 > 0:07:50bringing in drink, leaving behind litter,
0:07:50 > 0:07:55and rubbish behind, having a fire, and using green wood.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58Cutting down the trees that are still growing.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02- So, what did the Park do to solve this problem? - We did a bit of research,
0:08:02 > 0:08:05and that's when we got an idea that it was maybe younger folk coming in.
0:08:05 > 0:08:08Talked to the local community, talked to landowners, the police,
0:08:08 > 0:08:11the council, looked at a number of different measures to try
0:08:11 > 0:08:15and tackle it, one of which was the introduction of camping bylaws,
0:08:15 > 0:08:19which we have progressed, and the council progressed
0:08:19 > 0:08:22the introduction of alcohol consumption bylaws.
0:08:22 > 0:08:25These Loch Lomond camping bylaws restrict camping activity.
0:08:25 > 0:08:28Essentially, within the restricted zone,
0:08:28 > 0:08:31which runs just north of Drymen, just north of the Rowardennan,
0:08:31 > 0:08:34you're not allowed to pitch a tent, a wigwam,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38or even a bivouac at any time between 1st March
0:08:38 > 0:08:39and 31st October.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42Have these new restrictions been successful?
0:08:42 > 0:08:44From our rangers out there enforcing the bylaws,
0:08:44 > 0:08:46and from the police, they're getting the same feedback.
0:08:46 > 0:08:50Where they are coming across groups, the groups are being receptive,
0:08:50 > 0:08:52accepting that, OK, we were in a restricted zone,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55we move on, and out of that area.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00We're already seeing the recovery of the habitats in the areas.
0:09:00 > 0:09:02The vegetation is starting to grow back,
0:09:02 > 0:09:05where before it never got a chance.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08So, early days, but so far it's looking very good.
0:09:13 > 0:09:19I met two French hikers on this very road one evening. They'd been moved on by a ranger.
0:09:19 > 0:09:22They had no idea where to go, what they were supposed to do,
0:09:22 > 0:09:24only that they weren't supposed to camp here.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25They had no information.
0:09:25 > 0:09:28Luckily, I met them, and told them they could go further down the road.
0:09:28 > 0:09:33And they did. That's not the message we want to be sending back to France, or anywhere else.
0:09:33 > 0:09:35We want to welcome people into Scotland.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39How detrimental an effect could this blanket ban have,
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- in terms of people coming to the park?- Absolutely.
0:09:41 > 0:09:44The message will get out, they'll go home,
0:09:44 > 0:09:46go on internet forums for outdoors, and they will say
0:09:46 > 0:09:49"we had problems when we went there," and send people to other
0:09:49 > 0:09:52long-distance tracks in other countries. We don't want to do that.
0:09:52 > 0:09:57Barman, Jason Dobie works in a hotel in the West Highland Way,
0:09:57 > 0:10:02and he's witnessed the effect the overindulgence of alcohol has had on the area.
0:10:03 > 0:10:07The police would need to be called quite regularly at weekends.
0:10:07 > 0:10:09They would need to be up and move people on.
0:10:09 > 0:10:13Moving people on back then was just really awkward.
0:10:13 > 0:10:15So it was a bad situation.
0:10:15 > 0:10:17How much of a difference has the by-law made?
0:10:17 > 0:10:20Massive. A huge difference.
0:10:20 > 0:10:22It's a lot cleaner.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25A lot more families are coming up.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29Generally, it's just a nicer place. Definitely a lot less rubbish.
0:10:31 > 0:10:32Hello there.
0:10:34 > 0:10:37- How are you doing?- Fine, thank you. - I'm the national park police officer.
0:10:37 > 0:10:41My colleague is a special constable, who's also a national park ranger.
0:10:41 > 0:10:42Nice to meet you.
0:10:42 > 0:10:46We're doing some patrols in the park just to speak to people
0:10:46 > 0:10:47who are coming out camping.
0:10:47 > 0:10:52When I work in the park, it is generally operational work I work on.
0:10:52 > 0:10:57Dealing with anti-social behaviour, which can range from drinking
0:10:57 > 0:11:00in areas you're not supposed to,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03people camping inappropriately, hacking trees down.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05There have been more serious crimes,
0:11:05 > 0:11:08like assault and attempted murder, in some cases.
0:11:08 > 0:11:11In 2011, since the by-laws have come in,
0:11:11 > 0:11:14we've seen a marked reduction in the amount of serious incidents
0:11:14 > 0:11:15we've had to deal with.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19And we've seen a lot of families coming back to this area of the park
0:11:19 > 0:11:23that were maybe put off before because of some of the incidents and bad reputation that built up.
0:11:23 > 0:11:28More families are coming and they are enjoying the park for the purpose we want them to do.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36Graham Slater, the general secretary of the Pike Anglers' Club of Great Britain, has concerns
0:11:36 > 0:11:38about the camping by-law.
0:11:38 > 0:11:41I think the message that's being sent very clearly,
0:11:41 > 0:11:44by the amount of signage about, is very negative indeed.
0:11:44 > 0:11:48We're turning people away when we shouldn't be.
0:11:48 > 0:11:51What we should be doing is encouraging people,
0:11:51 > 0:11:53"enforcing", perhaps, is a better word,
0:11:53 > 0:11:56that people take the rubbish away with them.
0:11:56 > 0:11:57That's the answer to it.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01Not the blanket ban that the camping ban has introduced.
0:12:01 > 0:12:04It's to educate people and make them take the rubbish away.
0:12:04 > 0:12:09To those concerned about access rights, we're saying this is an area
0:12:09 > 0:12:13where the problems had got to such an extent that we had to break the cycle.
0:12:13 > 0:12:17It's not something we took on lightly. There was a lot of consideration.
0:12:17 > 0:12:22In the long term, it'll bring a better experience for people
0:12:22 > 0:12:27and we will provide semi-formal camping opportunities within the restricted zone.
0:12:27 > 0:12:30So it doesn't prevent you camping in the area,
0:12:30 > 0:12:33but where you do camp, it's in a managed situation.
0:12:38 > 0:12:44It's the national park's natural beauty that attracts us here in the first place.
0:12:44 > 0:12:48There's a huge amount of work being done to keep that beauty pure.
0:12:48 > 0:12:51Is it heavy-handed? That depends on your point of view.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08I'm at the northern end of Loch Lomond.
0:13:08 > 0:13:11The view, as you can see, is much admired.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14The loch an icon of the Scottish tourism industry.
0:13:14 > 0:13:17Today, any developments around this treasured landmark
0:13:17 > 0:13:21are controlled by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.
0:13:21 > 0:13:26Nothing happens here without the park authority's say-so and approval.
0:13:26 > 0:13:28But this hasn't always been the case.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31The national park has only been in existence since 2002.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Different times have different needs.
0:13:34 > 0:13:41Loch Lomond provided other more useful opportunities to a Scotland emerging from World War II.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45The mountains around Loch Lomond had already been surveyed
0:13:45 > 0:13:49and now engineers and road builders arrive to build access roads
0:13:49 > 0:13:51into the mountains above Loch Lomond.
0:13:51 > 0:13:55They've come to reach a small stretch of water called Loch Sloy.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01This was the start of the ambitious plan to build hydro schemes
0:14:01 > 0:14:04throughout the glens of Scotland.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08In May 1945, the ground at Sloy was ceremoniously broken.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14For the next five years, the workforce drilled and blasted.
0:14:17 > 0:14:21They suffered 21 fatalities before the dam was complete.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Through a network of pipes and aqueducts, water from all around
0:14:27 > 0:14:31was brought into Sloy, doubling the size of the loch,
0:14:31 > 0:14:36providing a vast and deep basin of energy ready to be released.
0:14:38 > 0:14:41By 1950, that power flowed.
0:14:42 > 0:14:45Within 20 years, the Hydro Board had constructed a vast network
0:14:45 > 0:14:48of hydro schemes throughout Scotland,
0:14:48 > 0:14:52making Scotland's waterways some of the most managed in the world.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54But then, in 1978,
0:14:54 > 0:14:58the Hydro Board turned its attention to the much-loved Ben Lomond.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03Their aim to run a series of hydro pipes down the mountain's face to Craigroyston was too much
0:15:03 > 0:15:08and, for a growing number of Scots, constituted an act of vandalism.
0:15:08 > 0:15:13A protest group called the Friends Of Loch Lomond formed ranks and rallied for a fight.
0:15:14 > 0:15:16The charity grew rapidly.
0:15:16 > 0:15:21200,000 signatures were produced on a petition fairly swiftly.
0:15:21 > 0:15:24The plans were fought and the scheme was withdrawn in the end.
0:15:24 > 0:15:29So Ben Lomond had been saved for the nation and for the world, really.
0:15:29 > 0:15:31I remember studying that when I was a student,
0:15:31 > 0:15:34the pump station that was proposed on Ben Lomond
0:15:34 > 0:15:38was what gave birth to the Friends Of Loch Lomond.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41That was eventually abandoned for a number of reasons,
0:15:41 > 0:15:46including the strength of local feeling about the impact on Ben Lomond.
0:15:46 > 0:15:50I can't see anything like that being contemplated within the park
0:15:50 > 0:15:53and certainly anything that's going to be a massive impact
0:15:53 > 0:15:57on the landscape would be difficult for us to encourage or support.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00You might think the National Park Authority arrives,
0:16:00 > 0:16:06the Friends Of Loch Lomond says that's great and supports the formation of the national park
0:16:06 > 0:16:08and would then quietly disband.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11But we've discovered the opposite is the case.
0:16:11 > 0:16:15Because the National Park Authority is simply a branch of Government
0:16:15 > 0:16:20and when the minister says "do this", that is what that organisation will have to do,
0:16:20 > 0:16:23because they're being instructed by their employer, effectively.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27While there's excellent protection for Loch Lomond and The Trossachs,
0:16:27 > 0:16:29thanks to the National Park Authority -
0:16:29 > 0:16:33masses of fantastic work all over the national park -
0:16:33 > 0:16:35there are areas where there are significant dangers.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39The national park plan is a key thing for us.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43These are the points at which a small charity like ours, with limited resources,
0:16:43 > 0:16:47can actually influence the future of the national park for five-plus years.
0:16:47 > 0:16:51Because if we can get things set into that park plan in writing,
0:16:51 > 0:16:54in stone, as it were, then they generally will happen,
0:16:54 > 0:16:58because that's an adopted plan, the Government has approved it,
0:16:58 > 0:17:00the board of the national park have approved it.
0:17:00 > 0:17:03It's here at the headquarters of the National Park Authority
0:17:03 > 0:17:07that the different points of view are evaluated and considered
0:17:07 > 0:17:11as the final work on the national park plan is completed.
0:17:11 > 0:17:13The national park plan is an important document.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16It's our management document for the next five years.
0:17:16 > 0:17:17It guides us and our partners.
0:17:17 > 0:17:21It's on our website. It's through our Facebook page.
0:17:21 > 0:17:22You can find it on Twitter.
0:17:22 > 0:17:27Physical copies are in our offices and libraries.
0:17:27 > 0:17:30It's the best way to get people together to see where we're going.
0:17:30 > 0:17:35It's not just about the National Park Authority, it's about everyone involved in the park.
0:17:35 > 0:17:37It's a great process for involving people.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Something that is important every five years to get right.
0:17:40 > 0:17:44We do think there's a lot of scope for hydropower within the park,
0:17:44 > 0:17:47particularly smaller schemes, run-of-the-river hydro schemes
0:17:47 > 0:17:49that can be integrated into the landscape
0:17:49 > 0:17:54and offer benefits to local estates and communities.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59Indeed, a number of projects are under way within the park of that scale.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05One such project is under construction on the Glenfalloch estate.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08It started off, as all these things do,
0:18:08 > 0:18:11with quite a lot of questioning
0:18:11 > 0:18:14from the authorities about what we were planning to do,
0:18:14 > 0:18:17the mess we might make on the hillside,
0:18:17 > 0:18:20the impact it would have on the environment.
0:18:20 > 0:18:23But they quickly came to understand that what we wanted to do
0:18:23 > 0:18:26was to achieve the same objectives as them,
0:18:26 > 0:18:30which was to have a good project with minimal impact on the environment.
0:18:30 > 0:18:31That, I think, we've achieved.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37The idea is we've piped water and as it drops 180 metres down the glen,
0:18:37 > 0:18:42the pressure increases and the velocity increases the water.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46When it comes down to the lower regions of the scheme,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50the water comes through the pipe into the powerhouse behind us.
0:18:50 > 0:18:53The pressure and speed of the water turns the turbine
0:18:53 > 0:18:57then it falls back through the turbine and into the river.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59In this scheme, we're using two kilometres of pipe.
0:18:59 > 0:19:05This pipe behind me. That equates to 250 lengths connected together.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07All the pipe is buried underground
0:19:07 > 0:19:10and fully reinstated after the job is completed.
0:19:10 > 0:19:12So we hope, within two or three years,
0:19:12 > 0:19:17there will be no trace of the hydro scheme above ground.
0:19:17 > 0:19:21Everyone in the Glen and in Crianlarich, and further afield,
0:19:21 > 0:19:24who is employed or who has benefited from the work,
0:19:24 > 0:19:29from the people working here, has been very, very supportive.
0:19:29 > 0:19:33On a scheme of this size, we generally employ 15 men on average.
0:19:33 > 0:19:38This rises to 20 to 25 men towards the end of the contract.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42We hope to have this scheme finished in June 2012.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45We hope in the future these schemes will escalate,
0:19:45 > 0:19:49particularly in this area, as they're becoming more popular.
0:19:49 > 0:19:56These estates in Scotland run on very low levels of income, historically.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01The sort of income we would be able to create from the scheme when it's up and running
0:20:01 > 0:20:06will be a complete game-changer in terms of the amount of income we get in
0:20:06 > 0:20:09and, therefore, are able to plough back into the estate.
0:20:09 > 0:20:12Working with Scottish Natural Heritage and the national park
0:20:12 > 0:20:17to achieve their objectives in terms of environmental management and habitat development,
0:20:17 > 0:20:22and also, for ourselves, in terms of doing the things we want to do -
0:20:22 > 0:20:26maintenance on the estate and bringing the estate up to the place it should be.
0:20:26 > 0:20:30So it would seem the plan has helped Glenfalloch estate build a future
0:20:30 > 0:20:34that is in tune with the aspirations of the national park.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37Back in 2002, the year the park started,
0:20:37 > 0:20:40things were less clear for Captain David West.
0:20:47 > 0:20:54Captain West had an inspiration - to use a seaplane to fly passengers in and out of Loch Lomond.
0:20:55 > 0:20:59The market place was ready for it, it was something new and exciting.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02We felt there was wide acceptance of the idea.
0:21:02 > 0:21:05On the other hand, of course,
0:21:05 > 0:21:09we had certain groups, certain people, who were very much against it.
0:21:09 > 0:21:12Mostly because they didn't have the information.
0:21:12 > 0:21:16Its green credentials are absolutely fantastic.
0:21:16 > 0:21:18It needs no runway, the water's there.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22We are just making use of a very natural part of the park.
0:21:22 > 0:21:27It leaves nothing in the water. There's no bilge pumps. It doesn't discharge anything,
0:21:27 > 0:21:30apart from it does have an engine and there is an exhaust on that engine.
0:21:30 > 0:21:34The noise we went through, and we explained to people,
0:21:34 > 0:21:36it was something like 30 to 40 seconds a day.
0:21:36 > 0:21:42No more than, perhaps, motorbikes going past on the main road through the park.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48The Friends Of Loch Lomond had a view to how the loch should be used
0:21:48 > 0:21:51and a seaplane certainly wasn't part of that.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54We tried to present to them at a meeting,
0:21:54 > 0:21:59but, again, very closed ears and it really was not taking in the facts.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02It was just, "We're not having the seaplane, that's the end of it."
0:22:02 > 0:22:05The Friends did what they did a little bit at that time,
0:22:05 > 0:22:09which is as a pressure group, a charity, without paid staff,
0:22:09 > 0:22:14they took a look at the proposal and said, "Oh no, help!" and objected.
0:22:14 > 0:22:17And objected, as I understand it, on almost every front,
0:22:17 > 0:22:24without, perhaps, the detailed analysis of what the proposal really involved environmentally
0:22:24 > 0:22:28for the tourism and visitors, which is something we want to support.
0:22:28 > 0:22:32So there was a bit of a jerk-of-the-knee "we'll say no".
0:22:32 > 0:22:35It would happen differently now in a number of ways.
0:22:35 > 0:22:40Those pressure groups were pressuring the committee
0:22:40 > 0:22:43on the national park and the planning department
0:22:43 > 0:22:48and brought forward a lot of different hurdles we wouldn't have otherwise had.
0:22:48 > 0:22:50The proposal for the seaplane
0:22:50 > 0:22:56came early in the life of the national park, when it was just coming together as a park board.
0:22:56 > 0:23:01No policies, no plan, et cetera. It was a difficult thing to deal with on the hoof, as it were.
0:23:01 > 0:23:05Effectively, when the seaplane is on the loch, it's a boat,
0:23:05 > 0:23:08so it has to abide by speed restrictions and everything
0:23:08 > 0:23:10that other boat users have to do.
0:23:10 > 0:23:13When it's in the air, it's governed by aviation regulations.
0:23:13 > 0:23:17I think what's come out of this is we all need to be respectful of the park,
0:23:17 > 0:23:21whether you're a walker, cleaning up, taking rubbish to the bin.
0:23:21 > 0:23:27Whether you're running a two-stroke boat and considering going across to an electric engine.
0:23:27 > 0:23:32We have all got to take responsibility and that's the way it should be.
0:23:34 > 0:23:38So a happy landing in the end for David.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48The rising price of gold has encouraged new investment
0:23:48 > 0:23:51in an abandoned mine that was first opened in the 1980s.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55But, in 2010, Scotgold's application to reopen the mine
0:23:55 > 0:24:01at Cononish, near Tyndrum, was rejected by the National Park authority.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04This came as a great disappointment to those in the village,
0:24:04 > 0:24:08who believed the mine would bring a much-needed boost to the local economy.
0:24:08 > 0:24:13When the National Park Authority recommended refusal,
0:24:13 > 0:24:18some weeks before the hearing, that was devastating in itself.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23The application was narrowly refused by 12 votes to ten
0:24:23 > 0:24:27and largely on the grounds of landscape and visual impact.
0:24:27 > 0:24:31Why is that part of Scotland in the national park?
0:24:31 > 0:24:35Because it is a most beautiful and wonderful place. Ben Ledi, Cononish Glen, etc.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38The developer knew the goldmine was in the national park
0:24:38 > 0:24:40when they bought the rights to operate the mine.
0:24:40 > 0:24:44If they had screwed their brains in and looked carefully, they would have realised
0:24:44 > 0:24:48it was not an open-and-shut case as to whether they would get permission to operate.
0:24:48 > 0:24:54The application was for a facility that would contain 800 tonnes of mining waste.
0:24:54 > 0:24:59Our issues with that were the sheer scale of the structure in the glen,
0:24:59 > 0:25:02which is a natural, semi-wild glen.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06We also felt that the restoration proposals,
0:25:06 > 0:25:12and the proposals to grow the vegetation back once the mine was closed, were not thought through.
0:25:12 > 0:25:14We weren't convinced they would work.
0:25:14 > 0:25:18A lot of noise was made about visual impact,
0:25:18 > 0:25:21but who's being visually impacted?
0:25:21 > 0:25:26I don't believe the critics spend very much time up there throughout the year.
0:25:26 > 0:25:32The resource at Cononish contains around 160,000 ounces of gold,
0:25:32 > 0:25:36and just under 600,000 ounces of silver.
0:25:36 > 0:25:42That's worth, probably, £170-odd million at current prices.
0:25:42 > 0:25:49The mine itself will provide 50 job for locals
0:25:49 > 0:25:54and jobs at quite a high rate of pay relative to the tourist industry,
0:25:54 > 0:26:00and even apprenticeships, career opportunities in hard-rock mining, for the young people,
0:26:00 > 0:26:02which will tend to keep them here.
0:26:02 > 0:26:07And, in some ways, it will counteract the cyclical nature of tourism,
0:26:07 > 0:26:09with all that that entails.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11If it's to be allowed to go ahead,
0:26:11 > 0:26:16it must be done in the absolutely best, best way possible for the environment.
0:26:16 > 0:26:21And, at the first planning hearing, we were quite unconvinced that was the case.
0:26:21 > 0:26:25It was very disappointing that the application was refused.
0:26:25 > 0:26:30Since then, we've worked constructively with the planning authority
0:26:30 > 0:26:34to hopefully address the majority of their concerns.
0:26:34 > 0:26:39We did continue to engage with Scotgold to discuss the issues that led to the refusal
0:26:39 > 0:26:42and the main issues of concern.
0:26:42 > 0:26:46That has led to a long process of Scotgold revising its proposals.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50The main feature is that the tailings management facility
0:26:50 > 0:26:53is now about half of the size than the previous one
0:26:53 > 0:26:57and the design of it is far more sympathetic.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00It has more rounded contours, it's generally smaller, lower profile.
0:27:00 > 0:27:05The actual techniques to restore vegetation that replicates what's around it
0:27:05 > 0:27:08have been taken more seriously this time.
0:27:08 > 0:27:14We have had reassurances about the gold market and that the mine would operate constantly
0:27:14 > 0:27:18for the ten-year period and would be off site within the time proposed.
0:27:18 > 0:27:23But it will still be an operating mine with noise and activity in a quiet glen.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26My personal experience of mines
0:27:26 > 0:27:29is that there's no such thing as a green mine.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33They have a very heavy impact on the environment.
0:27:33 > 0:27:36And I just don't think that a national park,
0:27:36 > 0:27:42when the national park has a remit to protect the environment in the national park...
0:27:42 > 0:27:45Goldmines and national parks, to me, don't go together.
0:27:45 > 0:27:47This thing is going to come and go
0:27:47 > 0:27:53and there will be tremendous efforts to restore it to the original form.
0:27:53 > 0:27:57And nature is a tremendous regenerator in its own right.
0:27:57 > 0:28:03So I think it'll be a moment in time.
0:28:03 > 0:28:04So what do you think?
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Is there enough gold already in the world that we don't disturb this glen?
0:28:08 > 0:28:11We can leave it in peace and quiet for the hill walkers to enjoy?
0:28:11 > 0:28:17Or should we be using this mine to provide an income and jobs for the local community?
0:28:17 > 0:28:19It's a big question to answer.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22There are hundreds of big decisions that have to be made all the time.
0:28:22 > 0:28:26I guess that's why we have the National Park Authority.
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