AS a resident of the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, I have every sympathy for Ruth McLusky (Letters, November 2) and other local residents who have had to put up with encampments of people staying for lengthy periods and the consequences that can have on the community and immediate environment. There are however existing laws to address this problem, for example the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994, and the question for local people is why the national park has not worked effectively with landowners and the police to make this work.

I agree with Ms McLusky that displacement is an issue. At Ardentinny in the Cowal peninsula, also within the national park, a loch shore car park and picnic site is now described as a campsite in local press reports. While the police to their credit appear to be taking action against anti-social behaviour, that campers are in the place long enough to be caught does not necessarily mean that they are the culprits of some of the crimes attributed to them. The picnic area proximal to the beach and picnic tables are regularly trashed during holiday periods, which suggests the litter, fire scars and damage are as likely to be due to picnics, smoking, dog walkers and people just parking and dropping their litter as camping. Unfortunately this is a feature of the concentrated use of popular localities for leisure purposes. The national park should refocus its attention on mitigating impacts of all visitors instead of proposing to criminalize all camping.

To do this it, together with Forestry Commission Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland and councils, must also demonstrate exemplary good practice in every aspects of conserving the quality of the national park. I recently visited Rowardennan – where camping has been banned for four years and car parking charges are levied. The lack of care for the surrounding environment and visitors’ convenience was striking. I picked up a bag of litter from around my car and the toilets were closed at 5pm Unfortunately when a place looks uncared for there is less chance visitors will treat it with respect and facilities should be available when they are needed.

Excellent provision for camping, where demand is greatest, is a prerequisite for a quality visitor experience. Harassing responsible visitors with threats of legal action unless they “buzz off” and camp somewhere else will undermine public support for our national parks.

Nicholas Halls,

Otter's Pool, Ardentinny, near Dunoon.