Latest news with #LochKenTrust
Daily Record
05-08-2025
- Daily Record
Loch Ken Trust organising family fun day to raise water safety awareness
There will be lots to do for all ages including rescue demonstrations, water safety and nature activities and kids funfair rides. The Loch Ken Family Water Safety Day will take place next week. Loch Ken Trust is organising the event, in collaboration with the emergency services and other local organisations, to raise awareness of water safety. It will take place in Parton in the field next to Loch Ken Holiday Park between 11am and 3pm on Tuesday, August 12. A day of family fun is in store, as well as the chance to learn how to stay safe on and around the region's rivers, lochs and coast. There will be lots to do for all ages including rescue demonstrations, water safety and nature activities and kids funfair rides, with the chance to meet local branches of the emergency services and the community ranger service. There will be free rafted water canoe trips and mini water safety sessions run by instructors at the Galloway Activity Centre – drop in on the day to sign up by the Galloway Activity Centre flag – and local wild swimming group, Swim Queens, will also be attending. Loch Ken Trust manager, Lindsay Stewart, said: 'Following the success of last year's event, we are pleased to be working once again with the emergency services and many local organisations to highlight water safety and promote the Water Safety Code. 'There will be lots of fun activities for all the family, with important messages on how to enjoy water safely.' The trust will be running a free return bus from Castle Douglas with Galloway Community Transport. Buses will leave Market Hill Castle Douglas at 10.30am, 11.30am, 12.30pm and 1.30pm, returning at 1pm, 2pm and 3pm. If the last bus is full there is also the 520 service which leaves Parton at 3.20pm and 4.12pm. The trust was awarded the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Events Charter certificate for this event, by taking steps to be low carbon, nature positive, and to raise awareness of the region's UNESCO Biosphere designation. Catering will be available on the day from local businesses including Ballards Butchers Catering, The Crepe Bar and Glen Urr Ice Cream.
Daily Record
23-07-2025
- Climate
- Daily Record
Extended patrols ensure Loch Ken is wildfire free during hot weather
Loch Ken Trust's ranger service and volunteers made sure the beauty spot was safe when an extreme wild fire risk was issued earlier this month. Extended patrols ensured Loch Ken was free from wildfires during the recent hot weather. Loch Ken Trust's ranger service and volunteers made sure the beauty spot was safe when an extreme wild fire risk was issued earlier this month. The Scottish Fire and Rescue service had asked people to avoid barbecues and campfires, as avoiding using naked flames can help reduce the risk of wildfires. And those on patrol were delighted to see many people out enjoying the outdoors responsibly – with no fire found around Loch Ken. The trust recently began joint patrols with Police Scotland in a bid to tackle irresponsible behaviour. Feedback has been very positive, and these joint patrols will continue. Head ranger, Leanne Pumpr, said: 'I enjoyed meeting with so many visitors and locals over the weekend who were having a great time in the outdoors, acting responsibly and leaving no trace.' Many bags of litter were collected over the weekend, but the majority of users acted responsibly around Loch Ken. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Thanks goes to the Loch Ken Trust ranger volunteers for helping with patrols and water safety advice during the good weather. A huge thank you goes to the Loch Ken Trust Ranger volunteers for assisting with patrols and water safety advice during the spell of great weather.
Daily Record
09-05-2025
- General
- Daily Record
Campers leave piles of rubbish at Dumfries and Galloway beauty spot over Bank Holiday weekend
The western shores of Loch Ken were so busy it looked "like Blackpool beach" with the removal of layby bins leading to large amounts of litter. Campers left piles of rubbish on the banks of Loch Ken over the Bank Holiday weekend. And locals have blamed the council for contributing to the problem by removing bins from laybys. Three bins were recently taken away after councillors agreed to remove layby bins across the region as part of a cost cutting measure. But after the good weather and May Day bank holiday led to an influx of campers in the Glenkens, local resident Robin Hood and Loch Ken Trust have blasted the move. Mr Hood, who lives beside the loch between Mossdale and New Galloway, said: 'I've lived here 38 years and I'd never seen it so untidy. 'Along Loch Ken there were three bins and now there's none. 'There were 50 people camping on the west bank of Loch Ken over the weekend – when I looked out on Saturday morning it was like Blackpool beach. 'As I was walking down, I saw the rubbish and wondered where the bins had gone. I rang someone in New Galloway and he said they'd been taken away. 'I've cleaned it up because it'll encourage rats – a few years ago I had rats around and they got into my car and ate all the wiring. 'It needs a couple of empty dustbins to put it all in – but if I put it in my bin I won't be able to get my household waste in.' A spokesperson for the trust's board – who have also expressed concern about wildfires when a warning is in place – said: 'The Loch Ken Trust are concerned by Dumfries and Galloway Council's decision to remove all litter bins from the laybys surrounding Loch Ken. 'We are a charity set up to look after Loch Ken and the surrounding areas and support our communities. 'We already see a high level of littering around the loch and are concerned about the negative impact the removal of the bins will have on the surrounding environment, particularly as a lack of bins appears to encourage people to leave their litter behind, rather than take it with them or dispose of it safely.' Both the budget proposals from the SNP – which was voted through with backing from Labour councillors – and the Tories included plans to remove bins from laybys outwith 30mph zones, a move it is claimed will save £42,000 a year. However, Mr Hood said: 'They've cut some expenditure and cut all the waste bins – how about the people that live here? 'If we have the Galloway National Park its going to get worse. 'There used to be a bin at the top end of the water and there was that much rubbish people left bags beside it. The binmen were absolutely brilliant, they loaded it all in the bin. 'It's not an easy run this and they always go out of their way. I'm not criticising them, they always do a great job. 'It's the people who have decided to get rid of the public waste bins. It's absolute madness. 'If you leave all that rubbish there, the red kites will be scavenging amongst the waste. 'It's no good for the wildlife and it's no good for the area.'
BBC News
03-03-2025
- Climate
- BBC News
Glenkens severe weather reponse efforts put to the test
A staged mock emergency is to be held in the south of Scotland to test how well the local community is prepared for the impact of severe comes in the wake of Storm Éowyn in January which saw many parts of the region without power for several hour-long scenario will be played out at the Throughgate in Dalry between 11:00 and 12:00 on has been organised by the Loch Ken Trust, Dumfries and Galloway Climate Hub (DGCH), and the community council's resilience team. Jenna Cains, from DGCH, said they would make it as realistic as possible."It is going to be quite a chaotic scene - we hope not too alarming - but it is going to include a set-up of casualties and a vehicle and emergency services and the resilience team," she said."It will be a real test of what do you do when it really comes to the crunch - what are you prepared to do, what are you ready to do?"These are the thoughts that we need to be considering in the face of a changing climate." Ms Cains said she did not want to "give the game away" but the scenario could be quite similar to the issues faced by the area during Storm Éowyn."The bottom line is the communities in the Glenkens have quite a strong awareness of resilience and some of them have strong plans, such as Dalry," she said."It is really a test of those resilience plans and those resilience reactions as well."She said that needed to take into account everything that could happen in an extreme weather event - and in the days that followed it."Electricity can sometimes be knocked out for a number of days," she said."You need to really be aware of who are the vulnerable people in your community and what are their needs."Are there people in your community that need home carers, are there people who are vulnerable in different ways?"These are all the things that you need to be thinking about in your resilience plan."
