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Daily Record
09-05-2025
- Daily Record
The hidden gem loch just outside Glasgow near 'best fish and chips in Scotland'
The secluded beauty spot is more popular with fisherman than it is tourists. When the sun is shining, a trip to the coast is a great idea. While Scotland has many spectacular seaside beaches, its lochs are also a great place to spend an afternoon. The Daily Record is back with another Walk of the Week, and this time it is a hidden gem loch not far from Glasgow. Every week, we choose one hike or beauty spot from around Scotland and delve into what makes it unique, and this time it is Loch Rusky. Loch Rusky is a tiny freshwater loch situated near Callander in Stirling. It is found on the edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, around 40 minutes from Loch Lomond. While Loch Lomond understandably gets much of the attention, Loch Rusky is the perfect place to head if you want a bit more peace and quiet. You are unlikely to come across anyone else while admiring the views. There is a there-and-back trail that will take you to the edge of the loch, with plenty of opportunity to snap incredible photos out over the water. According to hiking experts at AllTrails, the route is 4.5 kilometres in length and should take around just over an hour to complete. Loch Rusky was also named one of the 10 "Scottish lochs you must see" by Forest Holidays. The holiday specialists praised the beauty spot for its secluded location and limited number of visitors. Forest Holidays wrote: "This one's a quiet tip from Jack Black, the Forest Ranger at Strathyre, and a man who knows the local area like the back of his hand. Hidden away on the very edge of the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Loch Rusky is a beautiful and peaceful little loch which hosts more fishermen and photographers than tourists." Once you are done with your hike, there is one more stop you should consider before heading home. The Tasty Fry fish and chip shop in Callander is a great way to cap off your day, with the takeaway being described by one customer as the "best fish and chips in Scotland". Read on for a selection of photos of Loch Rusky. A few of the Daily Record's previous Walks of the Week can also be found here: More On Walking and climbing Stirling Discover Scotland Food Loch Lomond
BBC News
22-02-2025
- BBC News
Hamsterley Forest holiday park plans spark hundreds of objections
Hundreds of objections have been lodged against plans to build a £36m holiday park in a forest containing ancient England, Forest Holidays and Adventure Forest want to build 70 cabins, a campsite and a Go Ape rope course in Hamsterley Forest near Bishop Auckland, County Bainbridge, from the Hamsterley Forest Action Group, said the plans would turn the area "into a theme park" and harm local England said its vision was for Hamsterley Forest to remain "fit for the future, balancing the needs of visitors, wildlife, and the local community". Ms Bainbridge, who lives in one of about 20 homes located in Hamsterley Forest, said about 350 people had objected to the plans."At the moment there are trout, there are salmon, there are otters in the water - that is going to go," she said."Overnight the forest is going to go from very few occupants to being bigger than Hamsterley village." Hamsterley Forest was created by Forestry England in the 1920s and sections are used for lumber production, but the 2,000ha (4,942-acre) forest is also popular with walkers and the plans, Forest Holidays wants to build cabins on a section of commercial woodland while Forestry England wishes to open a camping ground on former farmhouse land and construct a new visitor centre and car Forest also plans to open a Go Ape rope course in a section of Windy Bank Wood. The Hamsterley Forest Action Group believes the development would require sewage and electricity infrastructure to be built in the area, meaning boreholes would need to be drilled in the Woodland Trust has raised concerns the rope course would be within ancient woodland, while Durham Bird Club said the development would disturb animal breeding residents have objected on the grounds it would create traffic and put added pressure on the area's limited water Raby Estates, which owns a range of properties in County Durham, supported the plans as a means of boosting tourism. Forestry England said the development would help meet the demand for overnight stays in the region, create 135 jobs and contribute £6m a year to the economy."We acknowledge the objection from The Woodland Trust. However, the area which Go Ape partially uses is non-native species, with no ancient woodland value," a spokesperson organisation said County Highways had confirmed the existing roads could accommodate additional traffic from the site.A spokesperson for Forest Holidays said: "The proposals offer a new way to experience Hamsterley Forest through peaceful overnight stays immersed in nature."They will also contribute to long-term habitat enhancement, benefiting both the forest and its wildlife, while boosting the local economy." Adventure Forest has been contacted for comment. Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. Send your story ideas here.
