A83 INVESTMENT A KEY PRIORITY

Argyll & Bute Council is continuing to keep up the pressure on the Scottish Government to ensure there is a permanent solution delivered for the major A83 Rest and Be Thankful road improvement as soon as possible.

Medium-term plans to improve the resilience of the temporary diversion route by making improvements to the Old Military Road are progressing while consultants press on with the £11.3 million contract to design the long-term replacement for this challenging section of the A83 which provides a vital link between Central Scotland and Mid and South Argyll.

The trunk road has been plagued by landslides for many years and, during heavy rain, traffic has regularly to use the single-track Old Military Road diversion.

Caledonian Sleeper Future Secured

The iconic Caledonian Sleeper that connects London to Scotland, with several stops along the scenic West Highland Railway in the National Park, is set to be nationalised this summer to safeguard its future.

The Scottish Government has decided to terminate current operator Serco’s contract to run the franchise seven years early to provide certainty about the future of the service, which runs every night of the week apart from Saturdays.

Uncertain market conditions, travel behaviours and ongoing UK rail reform all contributed to the decision by the Scottish Government to terminate the franchise and for the service to be nationalised in line with their Operator of Last Resort duty.

The service includes stops at a number of communities in and around the National Park including Helensburgh, Garelochhead, Arrochar & Tarbet, Ardlui, Crianlarich and Tyndrum and the decision to nationalise and safeguard the service has been widely welcomed by local residents and business owners along the route at a time when there is a move to encourage accessing the Park in more sustainable ways.

After a five-year campaign and hard work by the Cormonachan Woodlands Ltd, the charity which manages the Cormonachan Community Woodlands between Lochgoilhead and Carrick Castle, are about to open the latest phase of the Atlantic oak and hazel woodlands path network with a new path link to spectacular waterfalls and an old settlement with additional car parking.

The completion of this £253,000 project marks the realisation of the wishes of the first Chair of the Woodlands Association, Liz Evans, who sadly died of a short illness in 2017. The assembly and delivery of the project has only been possible due to the sheer hard work by her partner, Dee, who took on the challenge with the help of other office-bearers to see the project through to completion following extensive fundraising efforts.

The charity raised £253,000 from a public appeal and grants from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, NatureScot and donations of £18,400 from Lochgoil Community Trust, the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and other supporters.

Securing the funding and delivering the project, due to some of the grant funders conditions, was challenging and there were a number of setbacks along the way which