Who are we?
We are a community-based registered charity driven by local people who are passionate about ensuring Balloch Castle Country Park is a regenerative, welcoming haven for nature and everyone who visits. both locally and from afar.
With over two hundred acres of woodland, parkland, burns, beaches, and more, all situated right on the bonnie banks of the world-famous Loch Lomond, the Park almost has it all, but it also needs our help.
Our Vision
Our vision is to bring stakeholders and Park users together to restore nature, heritage and recreational assets and explore sustainability opportunities. Our focus is on health, wellbeing and enhancing biodiversity in the Park.
We hope to encourage people of all ages to become involved and give younger generations an interest in enhancing the Park for the future. If you’d like to be involved, please do get in touch!
If you’d like to know more about how we operate, read our mission statement and our constitution. You can also read our Nature Restoration Plan for 2023.
Why do we care?
The Park has an annual footfall of around 1.2 million (plus 300,000 dogs) every year, including a third from outwith the region, and as far afield as Australia.
Our mission is informed by Our Park Users survey in 2022 which confirmed people mainly visit the Park to enjoy the natural environment, but they want more facilities.
In response to this, we are working with West Dunbartonshire Council and other stakeholders to restore the natural environment and built assets to help provide those facilities and tackle a range of issues affecting the Park.
There are few accessible toilets, the castle is closed, and invasive, non-native species, (including bamboo, conifers, Himalayan Balsam, Japanese Knotweed, Rhododendron Ponticum and Skunk Cabbage) are reducing biodiversity in the Park. Littering, over exploitation flooding and erosion also undermine the natural environment and paths alike.
We think there are huge opportunities to tackle these issues and improve the Park with your help.
Meeting Agendas
You can view all our meeting agendas.
Meeting Minutes
You can view all our previous minutes.
Resources and Further Reading
A summary of park users responses to a survey BCCPRG undertook in July 2022, which attracted 246 responses. The survey highlights people’s main motivation for visiting the Park is to spend time in nature with friends, family and pet dogs, while highlighting a desire for additional facilities such as toilets, a café, and the restoration of the castle. The results are also available as a presentation.
Commissioned by the Loch Lomond & Trossachs Countryside Trust. An essential reference for anyone interested in the natural environment of the Park. However, BCCPRG is seeking funds to update the Woodland Management Plan with a new focus on the invasive non-native plant species (INNS) that are spreading rapidly in the Park and threatening its native and designed woodland.