Tarbet Pier: Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park work planned

The park authority has submitted a planning application for a series of improvements at and around Tarbet Pier as part of plans for a series of sites around Loch Lomond and the Trossachs.

The ‘masterplan’ for the pier’s popular picnic site would include the expansion of visitor facilities and the establishment of an active travel hub.

It would see £1.5 million of improvements made to the site over the next two years.

Originally envisaged as a spot for day visitors arriving by car and coaches, the number of visitors has increased considerably in recent years.

Combined with the growing popularity of campervans and motorhomes, this has created a number of issued.

The masterplan will also include improvements to the main car park, encouraging better flow of vehicles, and better drop-off facilities for coaches and shuttle buses.

Electric vehicle charging points will be installed, as well as the provision of easier access to public transport.

Tarbet Pier is one of a number of sites across the National Park which are receiving significant investment this month.

A complete upgrade of the path at Conic Hill is currently being carried out, with the route remaining closed until March 31.

Work is being carried out to strengthen the path at Conic Hill (Image: Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park)

Work is also under way at Callander’s Bracklinn Falls, with the installation of a replacement bridge in progress.

The National Park saw an unprecedented number of visitors during the Covid-19 pandemic, with numbers remaining high in 2022 as people continued to enjoy its sites and tourists returned.

Stuart Mearns, the park’s director of place, said: “The National Park is one of Scotland’s most popular visitor destinations and alongside ongoing work to support visitors, land managers and communities during the peak season, we are developing longer term plans to improve visitor services and infrastructure.

“These plans include upgraded facilities, paths and access routes, as well as projects which will over time ease visitor pressures and enable car-free travel.

“This month projects in some of our busiest locations, at Conic Hill, Tarbet and Bracklinn Falls, have all taken significant steps forward, helping prepare us for what we expect to be another very busy visitor season ahead.

“At Tarbet, while we make structural improvements to alleviate visitor pressures, we will also be improving biodiversity at the site and helping visitors embrace low emission travel.

“Beyond these three projects, we continue to review priorities for future investment throughout the Park and for ways we can encourage, and collaborate with, partners to upgrade their visitor sites.”

Subject to planning approval, the work at Tarbet Pier is likely to begin towards the end of 2023.