FLS parking site expansions easing visitor pressure across Bridge of Orchy and Glen Lochy

Upgrades to popular Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) parking sites in iconic Bridge of Orchy and Glen Lochy areas are helping to kerb dangerous parking on often busy roads.

The increased parking spaces at Bridge of Orchy, Glen Orchy, Glen Lochy and Strone Hill mean fewer vehicles are pulling up on the side of the road while extensive improvements to facilities also mean visitors are able to enjoy their experiences more.

The work – funded by the Scottish Government’s Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund via Argyll and Bute Council and Visit Scotland – has delivered increased car and motorhome parking at the car parks across the glens and has seen the installation of waste disposal facilities at the Bridge of Orchy and Strone Hill sites.

FLS Visitor Services Forester Sarah Hunt said:

“This area is rightly very popular with visitors to the west of Scotland for the rich history, pristine waters, mountains and ancient pinewoods. However, this popularity had been putting pressure on the existing facilities and leading to unsafe parking. 

“The Bridge of Orchy site has had a major facelift. It has been transformed from being a small informal pull-in area to supporting six campervans or self-contained motorhomes for overnight stays, more than 16 car parking spaces and offering a chemical waste disposal facility. These improvements make the Bridge of Orchy car park the perfect base for people to begin their non-motorised adventures in the glen. 

“The Glen Lochy and Strone Hill car parks have doubled in size to accommodate more visitors.

“Since the completion of the work and the increased capacity of FLS car parks along the A85 we have noticed a significant decrease in the number of cars parking along the side of the road.”

In addition to providing more space for visitors to park and waste disposal facilities, there have been path improvements linking the car parks to the surrounding area. Bike racks allowing riders to lock their bikes have been installed and new interpretive panels have been put in place to tell the history of the area and provide information on the wide variety of plants and wildlife to be found in the glens and surrounding mountains.   

The Bridge of Orchy, Strone Hill and Glen Lochy sites are part of FLS’ popular ‘Stay the Night’ scheme. These are a selection of car parks across the country remaining open for visitors in self-contained campervans and motorhomes (with all facilities including toilet inside the vehicle and crucially used inside) looking for an overnight stopping place this winter.

Sarah added:

“The upgrades and new work will enhance people’s experience of this stunning Scottish landscape of mountains, Scottish rainforest including mature oakwoods and Caledonian pine forests, rivers, waterfalls and Gaelic history.

“We have already seen how it has begun to help ease parking issues risks and the hope is that next summer, pressure from campervans will be reduced through Glen Orchy and Glen Lochy with visitors making use of the expanded sites.”

Notes to editors

1. Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) manages forests and land owned by Scottish Ministers in a way that supports and enables economically sustainable forestry; conserves and enhances the environment; delivers benefits for people and nature; and supports Scottish Ministers in their stewardship of Scotland's national forests and land.
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