A scheme to keep the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond litter-free has been launched ahead of the summer season.

The 'Adopt a Bonnie Banks Bin' project aims to gather 10,000 bags of litter over the first full year from the lochside by funding 20 new bins at tourist hotspots around the area, with a particular focus on the A82 along the west shore of the loch.

The move is being coordinated by conservation charity Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs and comes after a pilot layby litter scheme last year was branded a "runaway success".

Financial backing for the new bins has been provided by nine local businesses as well as local land owner Luss Estates, the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, Argyll and Bute Council and ENVA, with costs reaching £26,000.

James Fraser, chair of the Friends, said: "We were convinced the introduction of bins in busy lochside laybys with regular emptying and monitoring would greatly improve the situation and this has proved to be the case with more visitors now treating the area with more respect and helping to keep the bonnie banks almost litter-free.

"We are delighted that so many partners have come on board to sponsor bins and ensure the continuing success of the bin scheme.

"It is to the great credit of local tourism business owners that they have stepped in to help with funding at a time that they are in an early stage of business recovery, following the loss of substantial trading income due to Covid 19 closures and trading restrictions, but it reinforces how strongly they feel about ensuring the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond are kept that way for the benefit of visitors and local residents.''

Over the original nine-month pilot period, 25 tonnes of litter was collected and an impressive 97 per cent of this waste was recycled with much of it being baled to help fuel steelworks.

Local MSP Jackie Baillie said: "I wish to congratulate the Friends of Loch Lomond on this scheme which has already produced such positive results. I also wish to thank the partners who have provided their wholehearted support.

"Sadly, litter on the A82 at the lochside is a serious problem and has been for a number of years.

"It is exacerbated during the summer months when we welcome tourists from home and abroad to see our beautiful area and I am hopeful that, with 20 new bins in the area this summer, we will see a huge benefit and the area will be at its' best for visitors and residents alike to enjoy."