Parkswatch has long campaigned that most visitor facilities in the National Park should be kept open year round (see here). There are sufficient people, including tourists from abroad, visiting the National Park every day of the year that it no longer makes sense to close facilities over the winter. There are signs from the latest circular that the LLTNPA has started to recognise this, albeit reluctantly. They they still have some way to go.
On the plus side, keeping the toilets at Inveruglas, Tarbet and Rowardennan open daily is a important step forward.
What “open daily” means is not explained. In my view all the public toilets in the National Park should be open 24 hours, as they have been over the summer, and not locked from say 4pm to 8am (at considerable cost).
Keeping toilets open 24 hours, as at present, would allow hillwalkers, who often set out at dawn and come back after dark in winter, or people travelling up the A82 at night to stop off and use toilets rather than having to crap outdoors. The LLTNPA used to lock toilets at night over the summer but after public pressure were forced to open them 24 hours. That was another welcome change but they now need to extend that approach to winter.
On the minus side, the announcement fails to mention of plans for the toilets at Firkin Point over the winter. Presumably the LLTNPA hopes to keep them locked, despite this being a popular place for day visitors . Moreover, the toilets at Milarrochy and Duncan Mills slipway in Balloch will only be open at weekends. That makes no sense. The Milarrochy toilets are in-between those at Rowardennan and Balmaha and therefore, whoever is maintaining those toilets, could look after Milarrochy too. The Duncan Mills slipway is only ten minutes from the LLTNPA HQ.
The LLTNPA’s general reluctance to help visitors is illustrated by their approach to the facilities at their two campsites, at Loch Chon and Loch Ard. The reference to “an extended opening” during October betrays their state of mind. The LLTNPA’s baseline is that their job is only to provide facilities during the summer and anything more is an “extension”, code for an “unwelcome cost/too much bother”.
Both these campsite have toilets, installed at great expense and paid for out of public money. They should be kept open too, for use both by the general visitor and those wanting to wild camp.
If the LLTNPA’s facilities are only going to be open half the year, then perhaps it’s time the senior managers responsible for that decision are only paid half the year too, like their seasonal staff?
Some good news on the toilet front! However, I was somewhat surprised to note that on the list of National Park Facilities that all facilities are free. I blogged on Parkswatch on June 1st 2020 ‘New Investment in Visitor facilities on East Loch Lomond – at a price!’ This referred to LLTTNPA News back on 21st January 2020 which stated – ‘At Balmaha Visitor Centre the toilets will be reconfigured and modernised, increasing the number of toilets available and installing new paddle gates to take contactless card payments.’ In the same News are Notes to Editors stating – ‘Once the construction work is completed there will be a 50p charge to use the toilet facilities at the Visitor Centre. Funds collected will go towards the continued maintenance of visitor facilities.’ I haven’t visited Balmaha since the refurbishment but the 50p charge was a considerable increase from previously. I can only assume that the reconfiguration included access from outside the Visitor Centre as previously the only means of access was from within the building itself. It would be great if the List of Facilities is correct and facilities are free when you need to ‘go’ and not even have to ‘spend a penny’ !!
Just to point out the Duncan Mills Slipway Most boaters are charged 80 pounds for the full year or 20 pounds each launch A part from toilets their are no facilities not as much as a tea room Duncan Mills Slipway is very popular spot on the Loch. Scottish tourism at it best in a National Park
Hi Bill,
I have been informed that normally over the winter the toilets at the Duncan Mills slipway at Balloch are open while the office is open on weekdays. It appears, therefore, that either what was sent out in the LLTNPA email was wrong or that facility is going to be cut this year.
Nick
I head north for recreation weekly and for the first time this year I got caught short and stopped at the Tarbet facilities. Very quiet with people early morning but I opened five portable loo doors in a row all with disgusting backed up poo. No way I was using them. Facilities are no good unless the toilets can properly deal with the human waste.
Same thing with Forest and Land Scotland’s “stay the night” scheme – it doesn’t operate in winter for some reason. Whether or not this means you would be moved on from an F&LS carpark in the middle of nowhere or not I don’t know.
Hi does anyone know if the access gates at Loch Chon are open during the winter. Was hoping to camp over the holiday period but wasn’t sure if I could drive into the official campsite. I had previously spoken to a park Ranger and they had informed me that “their boss hadn’t decided if he would allow the gates to stay open in winter”.
Whether or not the gates are open, you can camp there as, outside the byelaw season, the land comes within access rights. It is great other people are asking if the facilities are open over winter – they should be and the LLTNPA’s failure to do so is an example of just how short-sighted their approach to camping has been. Develop campsites at vast expense and then keep them locked!