Campers will soon be able to plan their trips to Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park, with booking for Park Authority sites set to reopen from next week.
Camping has become an increasingly popular way to enjoy the National Park and with staycations likely to be popular again in 2022, National Park staff are preparing for a busy visitor season ahead.
Camping management by-laws cover popular lochshore areas of the National Park from March 1 to September 30 every year. In these areas campers can choose between staying at one of the National Park Authority’s campsites, booking a permit for one of the seasonal lochshore permit areas or at one of many private campsites around the National Park.
Bookings opened this week for anyone looking to stay at the camping permit areas during the Spring and summer months.
Due to the damage caused by Storm Arwen, Forestry and Land Scotland have advised that the Three Lochs Forest Drive will remain closed until April 1 in order to carry out felling operations and ensure sites are safe. Camping permit areas on the Drive will open on April 1.
For the National Park Authority’s campsites at Loch Chon, Loch Achray and Inchcailloch, bookings will open on March, prior to the sites opening on April 1.
The pricing structure of the National Park’s campsites and camping permit areas is changing for the first time since 2017, with a “moderate” increase in fees to take effect from March 2022.
The cost of a camping or motorhome permit will rise from £3 per night to £4 per night, while the cost of a campsite pitch at Loch Chon and Loch Achray campsites will rise from £7 per adult per night, to £9 per adult per night. An additional charge of £3 for car parking at the Loch Chon and Loch Achray campsites is also being introduced. Children under 16 will continue to camp at the campsites for free.
The cost of camping at the designated campsite on the National Nature Reserve Inchcailloch will rise from £5 per adult per night to £9 per adult per night.
Campsites and permit areas have seen a significant increase in the number of visitors since 2017, with the number of campers using permit areas more than doubling in that time from 15,000 to 34,500.
Kenny Auld, the Park’s head of visitor services, said: “Camping is a great way to enjoy the National Park and our campsites and permit areas are incredibly popular, attracting thousands of visitors every year.
“Last year 93 per cent of people responding to our camping surveys said they would be likely to recommend camping in a permit area, 99 per cent said they would recommend Loch Chon campsite and 97 per cent said they would recommend Loch Achray campsite.
“Our staff are looking forward to welcoming campers again this year and we will continue to offer a low-cost camping experience, including keeping our campsites free of charge for children.
“This is the first time in five years that we have changed pricing and there has been a considerable increase in operational costs during that time. The moderate increase in fees will ensure we can continue the same level of service visitors have come to expect and enjoy.”
Booking in advance is recommended for campsites and permit areas and is available up to four weeks in advance. For bookings, more information on camping in the National Park and a list of National Park Authority and private campsites, visit the camping section of the National Park Authority website at www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/camping
