Published: Tuesday, 30th June, 2009 11:00am

A special place

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I READ in the paper recently that Loch Lomond was among the top five tourist destinations for Scots not planning to travel abroad this Summer.

In 2005, a poll conducted by Radio Times magazine voted Loch Lomond as the sixth greatest natural wonder of the world.

These poll results encourage us to reflect on the beauty right on our doorstep.

When asked about my constituency, I often describe the industrial heritage that shaped the area and boast that the great Cunard liners, including the QE2 and the Royal Yacht Britannia were built in Clydebank, home of the Titan Crane, at one time the strongest crane in Scotland.

In many ways the local economy is defined by the transition from a dependence on heavy industry and the regeneration of areas where traditional industries have declined.

Aggreko"s recent decision to remain in the Dumbarton area and retain 250 highly skilled jobs marked an important success in this transition.

But speaking of Dunbartonshire"s industrial past does little to portray the outstanding natural beauty it has to offer.

Visitors are drawn to the area for many reasons - hundreds of people from Scotland and abroad came to Dumbarton in May for the Scottish Pipe Band Championships and the Titan Crane is now positioned as a top visitor attraction in the area.

Visitors, who often come expecting a landscape of industrial blight, are blown away by the splendour of Loch Lomond.

Ben Lomond, still snow-capped at this time of year, towers over the landscape. From the heights of the Titan Crane the views of the Clyde Firth rival any viewpoint in Scotland.

Environmentally, we are very fortunate to live in Dunbartonshire and it is important that we protect the environment so we can all benefit.

That is why I was so keen to establish Loch Lomond and the Trossachs as Scotland"s first National Park back in 2002.

The National Park is administered by the National Park Authority with a mandate to conserve and enhance its natural and cultural heritage.

The protection offered by national park status has made Loch Lomond a quieter and more regulated environment for locals and visitors to enjoy.

The beauty of the natural environment also represents an important commercial advantage to the area.

As well as its responsibility for conservation, Loch Lomond"s National Park Authority also exists to promote sustainable social and economic development in the area.

Early in the new year, I made a video for my website about the business opportunities available in Dumbarton and the surrounding area. I interviewed Bruce Malcolm, the chief operating officer of the BBC Scotland Studio at Lomondgate, and he was clear that one of the biggest advantages of the site was the opportunities it offers for location filming.

David Hastings, chief executive of the Strathleven Regeneration Company, was keen to emphasise the commercial potential of the area as a popular centre for tourism.

You can see the video at http://tiny.cc/JohnMcFallTourism.

The natural environment of Dunbartonshire makes it a very special place to live, an attractive place to visit and offers unique business opportunities.

We are very fortunate to call it home.