A STRONE resident was left shocked by her discovery on bank holiday Monday after campers had left a pile of waste behind on the banks of Loch Eck.
In a post on social media, Rebecca MacRaild shared her disgust at what had been left behind at the Cowal beauty spot, with faecal matter among a long list of things dumped on the shore.
Other items included a tent, bottles, cans, food, toilet roll and inflatable camping mats.
Earlier that day, Rebecca had enjoyed a day in the sun and had seen those responsible for the items doing the same; however, when she returned later in the evening, she was surprised to see everything left on the lochside.
In her social media post she said: “[We] were honestly disgusted by what we found.
“The tent had been completely abandoned along with all their rubbish, food, belongings, cans and glass bottles — everything just left behind on the shore to bake in the heat.”
Rebecca attempted to clean up what had been left, but was inadequately equipped to clear the mess, which included some items of clothing.
She added: “It was heartbreaking to leave such a mess in such a beautiful place.
“It’s really sad to see people treat somewhere as stunning as Loch Eck this way. Places like this are there for everyone to enjoy, and it only stays beautiful if people respect it and clean up after themselves.
“To the people responsible, please think about the example you’re setting.”
Rebecca contacted the council to inform them of the incident.
Since then, an Argyll and Bute Council spokesperson said: “That anyone would choose to leave litter or fly-tip in Argyll and Bute is shameful.
“Investigating and removing this waste costs valuable staff and financial resources that the council can ill-afford. We have many waste and recycling facilities across the area, so there is no excuse for this behaviour.
“We are committed to ensuring our public spaces are maintained to a high standard and ask that any fly-tipping is reported to us. The fixed penalty notice for fly-tipping is £200. If it is not paid, prosecution could result in a fine of up to £40,000. We would ask anyone who has a concern about fly-tipping to let us know either by reporting it online or by calling 01546 605514.”
This comes after local police released a statement on social media condemning recent instances of fly-tipping in Dunoon.
Speaking on social media, Police Scotland and West Dunbartonshire said: “Officers in Helensburgh and Dunoon are aware of recent fly-tipping which has occurred on April 26 and May 10 respectively.
“Members of the public are encouraged to report issues of fly-tipping with their local council.
“Fly-tipping damages Scotland’s environment, harms wildlife, burdens councils with costly clean-ups and blights communities. Everyone should dispose of waste responsibly.”
