Patrols around Perthshire beauty spot start up for summer season in attempt to promote responsible camping trips

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Patrols clamping down on ‘dirty camping’ in Perthshire are due to start on Friday, March 31.Leaflets to keep visitors to lovely Loch Rannoch on the right track and to tackle the issue have been designed and are being widely distributed.The patrols involve Forestry Land Scotland (FLS), Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) and Loch Rannoch Conservation Association (LRCA).Kinloch Rannoch Fire Station Commander James Black said: “Our Camper Patrols will commence with these three partner agencies on March 31 and hopefully council rangers will be in place later in the coming weeks to join us.“We will be offering advice on wildfires, camp safety and regulations alongside water safety and taking care of our countryside.“This is the fifth year the crew of Kinloch Rannoch Community Fire Station have been providing camper patrols and year on year we have learnt more and hopefully improved and increased our service.”Patrolling historic dirty camping ‘trouble spots’ regularly to meet the public is part of an education campaign to create awareness of the risk of starting fires, the dangers of leaving litter, antisocial behaviour and also a push for water safety.Working in partnership with Scottish Fire and Rescue Services, Forestry and Land Scotland, PKC Visitor Management and the Loch Rannoch Conservation Association secured a Nature Restoration Fund grant from the Scottish Government.This is to be used to address some of the issues that have occurred round Loch Rannoch over the last couple of years due to an increase in visitors using the loch side.Funding will be used to purchase native trees and hedgerow plants, materials for temporary fencing and employing local contractors to do some work on sites particularly damaged by