Warning as campfires abandoned while alight and human waste found at Scottish reservoirs

The antisocial behaviour of visitors to Lintrathen Loch and Backwater Reservoir has given cause for concern.

placeholder image — The antisocial behaviour of visitors to Lintrathen Loch and Backwater Reservoir has given cause for concern.

Rubbish left behind by visitors has included barbecue and camping equipment, and even chairs

Visitors to Scotland’s reservoirs are being urged to “think carefully” about their behaviour, with rangers finding abandoned camp fires that are still alight – as well as human waste.

Scottish Water said visitor numbers have increased at many of its 300 reservoirs, which attract tens of thousands of people over the year.

But it complained of recent incidents of anti-social behaviour at the Loch of Lintrathen and Backwater reservoirs north of Dundee; Gladhouse south of Edinburgh; reservoirs at Milngavie north-west of Glasgow; Cocksburn near Stirling; Carron Valley and North Third in Stirlingshire; the Kilpatrick Hills in West Dunbartonshire; and Megget in the Scottish Borders.

Rubbish left behind by visitors has included barbecue and camping equipment, and even chairs.

HTML code Want the latest Scottish headlines sent directly to your phone? Sign up to our new WhatsApp Channel

There have also been incidents where people have hacked down trees for firewood, while rangers have found campfires which were still “slightly alight” close to woodland.

Human waste has also been found near to the shorelines of reservoirs.

Scottish Water’s team of four reservoir rangers are said to be increasingly frustrated by the situation.

Donna Mills, land strategy team leader at Scottish Water, said: “We are urging those people who have behaved in an anti-social way at any of our reservoirs to think about their actions and the impact they are having on the environment and local residents and to stop this behaviour immediately.

“We want everyone to be able to enjoy the amenities around the reservoirs and to do so in a responsible way.

“Nobody wants to encounter other people’s waste and nobody wants to see fires left unattended or not properly extinguished, with the obvious risk of fire spreading, especially during dry weather.

“Scottish Water has a small team of reservoir rangers who patrol the reservoirs to help visitors enjoy them and protect the natural habitat, and they urge the public to take away all their belongings and litter and leave no trace of their visit.

“But our rangers can’t be everywhere all the time and we really need visitors to hear our call and think carefully about their behaviour and how it impacts the environment and other people.”