Fasten your seatbelts, please, for today's flight down memory lane in our Archive Hour.

We reported back in January 2004 how Canadians could soon be flying in to pilot seaplanes around Loch Lomond. But the romantic flights were at risk of being grounded by strong opposition.

Loch Lomond Seaplanes applied for planning permission for sightseeing and charter flights to depart from the south side of Loch Lomond.

They offered contracts to three pilots from the west coast of Canada to fly the plane and had already sold 100 flight tickets to eager customers.

But the national park authority decided that the firm needed permission to take off and land on the loch — and an environmental group strongly objected to it being granted.

The Friends of Loch Lomond lodged an official objection to the plans and contacted the Civil Aviation Authority to check out the legal and safety requirements.

Chair of the environmental group George Boyd said: “A national park is really an area of peace and tranquillity for residents and visitors alike and to have a noisy service like this is just out of order. We reckon that there will be a likely danger to other users of the water.”

Loch Lomond Seaplanes founder, Captain David West, said there were several other locations in mind without the same “sensitivity”.

The Helensburgh-based company was awaiting delivery of its £350,000 six-seater Cessna 206 plane which was being fitted out in America.