MORE than 100 bags of litter were cleared from one of Scotland’s most scenic tourist routes last week during a two-day spring clean.

Staff from Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority joined forces with a team from Argyll and Bute Council to tackle roadside litter head on and picked up a total of 124 bags of waste from a stretch of the A82.

Armed with litter pickers and safety gear, the group covered the busy section of road between Duck Bay and Luss, with items cleared on the day including furry dice, underwear and bottles and bags filled with human waste.

Just under half of the bags were filled with plastic bottles and cans that will be recycled.

Recently appointed litter prevention manager for the National Park Authority, Nik Turner, has been instrumental in the campaign and also took part in the litter pick.

Read more: National Park hires litter prevention manager for Loch Lomond

She said: “The A82 is one of the major routes into and through the national park, and roadside litter not only creates a negative first impression but it is also dangerous and expensive to clean up.

“The amount of litter we discovered on just one stretch of the A82 was shocking but by working with Argyll and Bute Council we want to create positive change and make sure the national park remains a place of outstanding beauty.

“We’re committed to tackling this issue and by working alongside our partners to take direct action we want to drive home the message that it’s unacceptable to drop litter anywhere, least of all in a National Park.”

Councillor Roddy McCuish, Argyll and Bute Council’s policy lead for roads and amenity services, said: “It really is shameful that anyone would choose to leave litter anywhere, let alone at a location as beautiful as Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park.

“We are very fortunate to have such wonderful natural beauty across Argyll and Bute and we want to make sure we are all playing our part in keeping it that way.”

The litter pick is the first of a series of events planned by the National Park Authority to remove litter from key sites as part of Keep Scotland Beautiful’s “Spring Clean 2019” campaign.