A multi-agency response is required to tackle issues of anti-social behaviour at Clunie Loch on the outskirts of Blairgowrie.
That’s according to local resident and Perth and Kinross councillor for Blairgowrie and the Glens, Tom McEwan.
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Cllr McEwan was speaking at an online meeting attended by nearly 30 people on Friday evening last week.
Those in attendance included a number of local residents as well as those from further afield who use the loch regularly for outdoor activities such as swimming, kayaking and paddle-boarding.
The meeting was chaired by Perth and Kinross Strathtay councillor, Grant Laing – who also lives in the area – and was called following an incident which saw a 57-year-old man require hospital treatment after an alleged serious assault in the early hours of May 31.
Local residents said they felt “under siege” recently as hundreds of visitors descended on the east Perthshire beauty spot, which is just under five miles from Blairgowrie, on what was one of the hottest weekends of the year so far.
Police have since pledged to increase patrols at a number of locations in the region, including Clunie Loch, in a bid to clamp down on a spike in anti-social behaviour.
However, those at the meeting feel more needs to be done to ensure that responsible access to the loch is not restricted.
Suggestions of measures that could be taken in the short-term included increasing signage around the area highlighting responsible access – and that any anti-social behaviour will be reported to the police – as well as restricting parking on the north side of the loch and increasing the number of bins provided.
It was also suggested that some activities that affect the ecological stability of the loch – which is a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), alongside neighbouring Marlee Loch – could be restricted on environmental grounds.
Lisa Fincham lives near the loch and was at the meeting.
She said: “The problem is not people using the loch, it is the misuse of the area – the rubbish, the waste, cutting down trees.”
Also speaking at the meeting, Cllr McEwan said: “Overnight stays around the loch are problematic – there are no toilet facilities, for example, and some people are just leaving their waste, which is a health hazard.
“Using engines of any type on the loch is already prohibited but needs to be enforced.
“There needs to be a multi-agency response to this involving the police, the community wardens, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, and council departments such as the greenspace and roads teams.”
Cllr Laing added: “This is obviously a subject that is affecting a lot of people.
“Clunie Loch is part of many people’s lives and there are lots of competing interests around the loch.
“This has been an ongoing situation for years now but that weekend at the end of May was a perfect storm of factors.
“It was a horrible incident and we need to act now. The community has to come together to report incidents to the police and to record their response.
“Perth and Kinross Council is looking at introducing bylaws at Loch Rannoch, such as banning drinking on the shore, which is something that could be looked at here as well.
“As a council I think we can learn a lot from what has happened at Loch Lomond and in the Trossachs. We are a tourist area and we want people to come here, but to be responsible when they are here.”
