A CAMPING site on the west shore of Loch Lomond is being targeted in a radical new campaign aiming to cut down on the dumping of human waste in the National Park.
Campers at the Suie Field site will be asked to "bag it and bin it", in the same way they would with dog poo.
People camping overnight will be provided with a pack that includes biodegradable poo bags as well as an outer ‘modesty’ bag with information on how to pack out their waste.
A hygienic drop bin will be on site for campers to drop their used poo packs into. The poo bin will also have awareness raising information and advice printed on it.
It's part of a bold new pilot scheme launched by the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority aiming to encourage 'responsible toileting' in the park by telling people what to do when they need a poo.
Elsewhere in the park, at Three Lochs Forest Drive in the Trossachs, campers will be provided with trowels to bury their poo, in line with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code guidance.
And next to Loch Earn, eye-catching posters will be displayed, encouraging people to do the right thing and pointing them towards the nearest public toilets.
Nik Turner, litter prevention manager for the National Park Authority, said: “Talking about human waste can be awkward and it’s understandable that people are squeamish about it.
"But it is a conversation we need to have if we want to make a difference to protect and preserve some of the most popular locations in the National Park.
LATEST HEADLINES: Competition hots up among Helensburgh's opticians as Specsavers confirms move to town“No one wants to be confronted with someone else’s poo when they’re camping or enjoying a picnic. Not only is it gross and unsightly; improper disposal of human waste can be harmful to the environment, wildlife and people.
"It really puts other campers and visitors off and costs a considerable amount of time and resources to deal with.
“Everyone poos, but not everyone knows what to do when they need a poo in the great outdoors. Many people are just too embarrassed to ask about how to toilet responsibly, so our campaign is aimed at helping people understand the right thing to do, in a light hearted and informal way.
"As well as sparking a conversation to raise people’s awareness, by trialling three different methods and gathering feedback from campers at these sites we’ll be gaining valuable insight into what works best in tackling this issue.”
LATEST HEADLINES: Former Helensburgh 'citizen of the year' dies aged 69Throughout the trial, the park authority will also be running an online campaign to raise awareness of the issue, including encouraging visitors to ‘go before you go’, and highlighting a map of all public toilets in the area.
National Park rangers will also be talking to visitors, providing advice and information about responsible toileting.
The trials will be closely monitored and at the end all the information from each site will be evaluated and compared to data collected in previous years to see what, if any, intervention worked best and could potentially be used more widely across the National Park in the future.
To find out more about the trial or for advice about responsible toileting, visit
www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/needtopoo
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