Don't Let Balloch Castle Country Park Sink
Investment project code: 3
https://ballochparkregen.co.uk/
Immerse Balloch Castle Country Park's one million annual local & international visitors in nature recovery by putting Riverwoods action & education at the heart of this unique Park's critical restoration. Harness the local community's love of the Park to help achieve healthy, vibrant riparian woodland networks in the world famous Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
This 217 acre country park almost has it all:
- river, burns, loch lomond, beaches, slipway;
- extensive native woodland, outstanding veteran trees, designed parkland, walled garden;
- red squirrels, an array of wild fish species;
- A-Listed castle, gatehouses, playparks; &
- easy access by train, bus, bike and car from Glasgow.
Yet while annual visitor numbers have soared from 400,000 in 2003 to an estimated million now, this vast Park is suffering a rapid 'managed' decline - abandoned & sunken watercraft, riven with problem non-native, self-seeding conifers & bamboo, erosion undermining woodland, mature trees and paths. Anti-social behaviour & littering, no café, accessible toilets or shop, deteriorating fenced off castle, minimal organised education, events or volunteering opportunities, & substantial negative impacts associated with a huge increase in footfall.
The Park and its bonnie banks are visitor magnets but these outstanding natural & capital assets currently generate no income for reinvestment in the Park. As well as international visitors, it serves some of the most deprived areas of Scotland. Owned by Glasgow City Council and leased to West Dunbartonshire Council, Balloch Castle Country Park is sinking and desperately needs vision and resources now.
https://www.facebook.com/Ballochcastlecountrypark
Our Balloch Park: https://vimeo.com/764966107/3a04ec5a56
Location: Balloch Castle Country Park is the accessible southern gateway to the world famous Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park
Documents (3)
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Download file
Park Users' Survey Results
VND.OPENXMLFORMATS-OFFICEDOCUMENT.WORDPROCESSINGML.DOCUMENT | 2.8 MB -
Download file
West Dunbartonshire Council Letter of Support
PDF | 140 KB -
Download file
Loch Lomond Angling Improvement Association Letter of Support
PDF | 600 KB
Good luck Balloch Park
Sorry to see this beautiful spot looking so neglected. It is a great asset to the people of Scotland and a magnet for tourists. I would like to see it receiving the funding and attention it needs to restore it to its former glory.
I just love this park, it’s big enough that even on holiday weekends you can find a quiet spot to just sit and feel happy to be in nature. The wild life from insects to swans brighten my day and the variety of trees and outlooks make you appreciate being in Balloch. It certainly needs funding to improve it and as the proposal is for funding to take some pressure off the council, a tea room in the Castle, if it could be restored would be a great asset. The volunteers work hard to help keep down the invasive species and plant new trees. There’s a mountain of work to be done, and a bit of funding will,make it easier to undertake. Already, the children who get to participate in the organised activities that take place, will be more likely to help protect the natural world than destroy it. Do hope the funding comes this way!,
Thank you for your heartfelt comments Joan. Please do get in touch with us through the BCCPRG website if you'd like to get involved, or just keep up-to-date with progress. We'd love to hear more about your thoughts for the future of the Park.
Good luck to Balloch Park and the community working hard to save the park from further decline and improve the park for all users.
Thank you Friends! Hoping to emulate some of your success.
Good luck Balloch - would be great to see this lovely green space in the National Park regenerated
Good luck! Spent a works volunteering day helping clear non native plants and could see how much work and how little resource there is to keep this beautiful park the way it should be
Thank you for all your hard work in the Park! The invasive trees and plants are taking over again......hopefully more volunteering days will be organised in 2023.
Good luck Balloch Park. We live just beside the park and walk round it in the morning on a daily basis with our two dogs and love seeing the variety of wildlife and trees as we go round; a fabulous start to each day.
Thank you Aileen. We estimate the Park hosts around 300,000 dogs every year! Do drop us en email if you'd like to get involved with the campaign to restore the Park.
The Walled Garden is a rare gem and has been kept in superb condition, the park is a historic asset for the City of Glasgow, local community and tourists who can access the Loch side. However more work is needed to keep this asset in good shape. Such a shame the National Park and their Partners are seemingly not on board with this project. Balloch park is a worth beneficiary.
Good luck Balloch
I love Balloch park it’s got so much potential, may we co-create with it to make it as beautiful as possible
Thank you ufc-mckenna. Please do get in touch with our Regeneration Group if you'd like to help us build those partnerships that will be essential to realising the beautiful vision!