HELENSBURGH residents have been praised for complying – mostly – with Scotland's new lockdown limits amid concern around overcrowding at other visitor hotspots.
The town saw a rise in visitor numbers over the weekend, but according to most accounts, the town was not overcrowded, and social distancing was generally well observed.
It was the first weekend since lockdown restrictions were slightly eased by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon after more than two months.
The widespread adherence to the rules in Helensburgh itself was in stark contrast to tourist hotspots a short distance away on the shores of Loch Lomond.
Areas including Luss, Arrochar and Balloch were swamped with visitors, which prompted Ms Sturgeon to issue a warning at the Scottish Government’s daily briefing on Monday.
Argyll and Bute Council leader Aileen Morton praised the efforts of people in the town for looking out for each other and behaving sensibly in the warm and sunny weather after Scotland entered phase one of its route map out of lockdown.
She said: “There were clearly a small number of people over the weekend who chose to ignore the advice given on staying local and avoiding beauty spots or overcrowded locations but in the main people seem to have behaved sensibly in Helensburgh.
“And I think the key thing now is to continue to be sensible – to stay local and ensure social distancing.
READ MORE: Extra wardens to be sent to Luss this weekend to tackle anti-social behaviour
“It would also be good to see people respect the beautiful countryside we have on our doorstep and clear up their own litter.
“The community of Helensburgh has done a fantastic job in looking after each other, now is the time to continue to think about others as well as yourself.
“There’s still a need to exercise a degree of caution whilst the risk of infection remains high.”
Helensburgh Community Council convenor Norman Muir was also positive about the town’s activity on its first weekend coming out of lockdown.
READ MORE: Helensburgh and Lomond ranked in community Covid-19 risk index
He said: “My personal observations have been that folk in the town are behaving extremely responsibly and maintaining the social distancing requirements very well.
“I see no reason why we should not welcome visitors to the town if they behave equally responsibly.
"If they do not, it should be incumbent on the community to remind them of this social requirement as part of our welcoming process.
“I have no reason to doubt that most folk in Scotland will respond to the logic of the situation and adhere to the community approach.”
READ MORE: Check out all the latest news headlines from around Helensburgh and Lomond here
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here