What’s happening

Love it like a local

Guest blog by Ross Pollock, Business Adviser - Tourism, Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority

Scotland is experiencing a never before seen level of littering following the easing of lockdown. Nowhere is it more upsetting to see than in the National Park where people come to enjoy the outstanding scenery and natural beauty. The Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park Authority have launched a new campaign with the aim of promoting positive visitor behaviour and reducing the impact of litter. Through recent engagement with businesses and communities of the National Park, the issue of litter being left by visitors in the area has been highlighted as a real concern and a priority to be tackled.

We have been developing a new strand of our ongoing 'Respect Your Park' messaging to address this littering behaviour. We are now pleased to introduce our new campaign: 'Love It Like a Local.'

This is a collaborative campaign working in partnership with Local Authorities and featuring some of the communities who live in specific tourist hot spots around the National Park to urge everyone to respect the area and treat it as they would want their own home to be treated. The ask is simple: we want everyone to show their respect to the Park and those who live here by binning their litter or taking it home with them.

The ‘Love It Like A Local’ communications campaign that will be seen both online and physically throughout the Park. Signs are being put up in specific areas around the National Park to remind people to do the right thing when it comes to their rubbish. In gateway villages, these signs show images of National Park residents welcoming responsible visitors back to the area and reminding everyone to treat the area as if they live here too. This strand of messaging is designed to give the majority of people, who are largely responsible when visiting the Park, a gentle nudge to correctly dispose of their litter.

Alongside these prompt signs which welcome positive behaviour, a second strand of messaging will be used in targeted locations, which will highlight the disapproval everyone who loves the Park feels towards littering. These signs are placed at key locations that have a history of littering and put a face to the National Park and local authority staff who have to deal with the aftermath of those inconsiderate people who leave their waste at these beauty spots.

We have pulled together a series of materials that can be downloaded from our website that businesses and communities can display in premises and the local area to show support for the principles (see link below for further information).

We need your help!

We are working hard to urge everyone who enjoys the area to respect the National Park and to visit responsibly. We can't do this alone though. Here are some of the ways that businesses can get involved and encourage everyone to 'love it like a local':

Share our materials: Support the campaign by putting up posters and materials on your premises or in your area to encourage everyone to bin their litter or take it home. You can download our signage toolkit from our website. Let us know that you are supporting the campaign by emailing pictures of these in-situ to feedback@lochlomond-trossachs.org. You can also tag us in any pictures on social media by using @lomondtrossachs or #LikeALocal.

Get in touch: Have an idea for a key location where we should put up signs, or want to be the face of the campaign in your area? Drop us a line at feedback@lochlomond-trossachs.org to discuss how we can support you to encourage others to 'love it like a local.'

To get involved with this campaign, or for further information, please visit the National Park’s website.