Description of local environment

Air quality

For baseline air quality information regarding residential, community and commercial receptors in the area, refer to ‘Population and Human Health’ section below.

The scheme does not fall within 10km of an Air Quality Management Area (AQMA) (Scotland Environment).

No Air Quality Monitoring Stations (AQMS) are located within 10km of the scheme (Air Quality in Scotland). Stations nearest to the scheme record air quality to be within the ‘green zone’ (Low Index 1-3).

One Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI) site (which records air pollutant releases) is located within 10km of the scheme (Scotland’s Environment). Barr Environ, Auchencarroch L/F, Jamestown is a waste and waste management facility which lies 9km southeast of the scheme and is noted for monitoring a range of carbons and hazardous substances.

Baseline air quality for this scheme is primarily influenced by traffic along the A82 trunk road and recreation activities associated with shore of Loch Lomond.

Cultural heritage

A desktop study using Historic Environment Scotland’s PastMap has identified the following cultural heritage features within 300m of the scheme:

  • Rossdhu Garden & Designed Landscape (GDL00330) lies 15m east of the scheme.
  • Rossdhu Lodge, North Lodge with Gatepiers and Railings (LB14454) is a Category B Listed Building and lies 25m east of the scheme.
  • Port of Rossdhu, Mill (LB43991) is a Category C Listed Building and lies 130m southwest of the scheme.
  • Port of Rossdhu, Mill Bridge (LB43990) is a Category C Listed Building and lies 180m southwest of the scheme.
  • Elan-Rossdhu, Crannog 250m WSW of Rossdhu House (SM7772) is a Scheduled Monument and lies 300m east of the scheme.

Of lesser cultural heritage value, several Historic Environment Records (HERs) and National Records of the Historic Environment (NRHE) lie within 300m of the scheme. The nearest of these is an HER of a military road which lies within the scheme extents.

There are no World Heritage Sites, Conservation Areas or Battlefields within 300m of the scheme.

Landscape and visual effects

The scheme is situated within Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park (LLTNP) (NatureScot Site Code: 8621). LLTNP has the following Special General Qualities:

  • A world-renowned landscape famed for its rural beauty
  • Wild and rugged highlands contrasting with pastoral lowlands
  • Water in its many forms
  • The rich variety of woodlands
  • Settlements nestled within a vast natural backdrop
  • Famous through-routes
  • Tranquillity
  • The easily accessible landscape splendour

The scheme is located within Loch Lomond National Scenic Area (NSA) (NatureScot Site Code: 9135). The Loch Lomond NSA shares the same Special General Qualities as LLTNP.

The Landscape Character Type (LCT) within the scheme extent is recorded as ‘Lowland Loch Basin – Loch Lomond & The Trossachs’ (LCT No. 263) which has the following key characteristics:

  • Expansive loch basin rising to steep-sided hills and mountains to the east and west, and a low ridge to the south.
  • Rivers flowing into the loch and their floodplains, with associated gently undulating valley sides, forming an integral part of the basin.
  • Indented shores and some pronounced broad promontories on the west coinciding with alluvial fans from water courses flowing into the loch.
  • Shoreline of rocky promontories and sand or pebble beach.
  • Many wooded islands in the Loch appear to coalesce with shoreline promontories, breaking down the expanse of water visible in loch or shore views to form narrow straits and more intimately scaled areas of water.
  • Extensive native oak dominated woodlands fringing the eastern side of the loch and wisps of birch threading up through narrow gullies which cut deeply into bracken/rough grass covered hill slopes.
  • Well-settled loch margins with tourism and recreation developments such as chalet parks, golf courses and hotels, some accommodated in former estates.
  • A number of small, planned estate-influenced settlements on the shores of the Loch and the southern Luss small planned estate village. The settlement of Balloch has a more urban character.
  • Loch shores a focus for estates and their designed landscapes with mixed policy woodlands and parkland contributing to the diversity of the loch basin. Twisting deadend road providing access on the east side of the loch, contrasting with the heavily trafficked A82 aligned close to western side of the loch. Views from these roads to the Loch often restricted by shoreline vegetation. Tourist facilities located close to these routes.
  • Boating activities including sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and power boats and other sport activities such as jet skis on Loch Lomond. Ferries are a feature of the waterbodies.
  • Highly scenic landscape composition of island, water and indented shoreline, especially when viewed from surrounding hills and the south of the loch.

The scheme extent is situated within an enclosed landscape characterised by woodland-dominated land use, intersected by rectilinear fields and farms (HLAmap). Loch Lomond lies to the east of the scheme and comprises a large-scale open landscape beyond the A82 roadside tree shelterbelts at the scheme extent.

The A82 trunk road, within the North West Network Management Contract (NMC), connects Alexandria with Crianlarich, Fort William and Inverness. It commences immediately north of Tullichewan Roundabout in Alexandria leading generally northwards for 243 kilometres to its junction with the A9 at (but excluding) Longman Roundabout in Inverness. The A82 is predominantly single carriageway along its length, with some lengths of ‘2+1’ carriageway. It is single carriageway throughout the scheme extent.

Biodiversity

Loch Lomond Woods Special Area of Conservation (SAC) (Site Code: 8298) lies

approximately 620m northeast of the scheme at the nearest point. 

Loch Lomond Special Protection Area (SPA) (NatureScot Site Code: 8531) overlaps

with Loch Lomond Woods SAC and also lies approximately 620m northeast of the

scheme.

Loch Lomond Ramsar (NatureScot Site Code: 8437) lies approximately 3.6km east of the scheme.

Due to the ecological connectivity between the schemes and Loch Lomond Woods SAC, Loch Lomond SPA and Ramsar, a Habitats Regulations Appraisal (HRA) has been undertaken. Refer to the relevant assessment section below for details.

There are no locally or nationally designated sites for biodiversity such as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), National Nature Reserves (NNR) or Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) within 300m of any of the sites (SiteLink).

The NBN Atlas holds no records of invasive plants or injurious weed species (as listed in the NMC) using the same search criteria as noted above.

Transport Scotland’s Asset Management Performance System (AMPS) confirmed no records of invasive and/or injurious plants (as listed in the NMC) along the A82 within the vicinity of the scheme extents.

The scheme extent lies within an area surrounded by high-value habitats, comprising mixed woodland and Loch Lomond, which lies approximately 30m to the east of the scheme. The surrounding woodland provides structurally diverse habitat, including mature trees, understory vegetation, and potential resting and foraging opportunities.

Woodland flanking the A82 at the scheme extent is recorded on the Ancient Woodland Inventory (AWI) as ancient woodland of semi-natural origin and long-established woodland of plantation origin (Scotland’s Environment).

There are no trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order (TPO) within 300m of the scheme (LLTNP).

An Ecological Constraints Survey (ECS) was undertaken by the BEAR Scotland Environment Team on 13/02/2026 for a separate works package, covering the majority of the scheme buffer. However, areas along the southern extent of the scheme were not surveyed. These areas are characterised by surrounding residential development, arable land, and extensive amenity land associated with a golf course.

Geology and soils

The scheme extent is not located within a Geological Conservation Review Site (GCRS) or SSSI designated for geological features.

The local soil type is recorded as brown soils and mineral podzols (Scotland’s Environment).

The scheme extents traverse the following superficial deposits (BGS Geology Viewer):

  • Alluvial fan deposits-sand, gravel and boulders
  • Till-Diamicton.
  • Glaciofluvial ice contact deposits-gravel, sand and silt.

The bedrock within the scheme extent is comprised of the Bullrock Greywacke Member (psammite and pelite), which is a metamorphic bedrock (BGS Geology Viewer).

Soils within the scheme extent are recorded as being ‘Class 0’, as displayed on Scotland’s Peat Map. Class 0 are mineral soils with no peat present.

Works will be restricted to previously engineered ground within the A82 trunk road boundary. Therefore, this receptor has no constraints (as identified in Environmental Baseline) that are likely to be impacted by the proposed works and as such, ‘geology and soils’ is scoped out and is not discussed further within this RoD.

Material assets and waste

The proposed scheme is required for general maintenance of the A82 and its drainage system. Materials used will consist of:

  • TS2010 10mm aggregate
  • EME2 40/60 Binder
  • Milled in road studs
  • Thermoplastic road marking paint
  • Bituminous emulsion bond coat

The value of the scheme exceeds £350,000 therefore, a Site Waste Management Plan (SWMP) is required and will be completed as part of these works.

The site compound if required and will be positioned within TM on the A82, with the site access gained through TM.

Wastes are anticipated to be primarily planings from the carriageway surface course which will be reused off-site to improve local farm roads.

Noise and vibration

Residential, community and commercial receptors – refer to the ‘Population and Human Health’ section below.

The works do not fall within a Candidate Noise Management Area (CNMA) as defined by the Transportation Noise Action Plan (Road Maps) (TNAP) 2024 - 2028.

Modelled day-evening-night average noise levels (Lden) along the A82 within the scheme extent range between 60 dB and 70 dB (Scotland’s Environment).

The baseline noise and vibration levels at the scheme extent is primarily influenced by vehicles travelling along the A82 trunk road and recreation activities associated with the shore of Loch Lomond.

Population and human health

Four properties, including associated outbuildings, are located within 300m of the proposed scheme. The nearest of these, Oakbank Cottage, lies approximately 120m southwest of the scheme and is screened by woodland.

There are no junctions or direct access points along the A82 within the scheme extents. The nearest junctions providing access to local roads are located approximately 180m north and 190m south of the scheme extents. In addition, two flag-stop bus stops, Loch Lomond Golf Course (IDs 54724936 and 54727423), are situated within the scheme extents.

Core Path RCR40 runs parallel to the scheme. The closest section of the path is located approximately 15m from the southbound carriageway of the A82 and is separated from the road by a tree shelterbelt (LLTNP).

There are no walking routes (WalkHighlands) or National Cycle Network Routes (OS Maps) within 300m of the scheme extents.

The A82 within the scheme extents is a single carriageway road with the national speed limit (60 mph) applying throughout. Transport Scotland's traffic count site ‘ATC08084 – A82 Arnburn Farm, Loch Lomond’, located approximately 120m south of the scheme extents, recorded an Annual Daily Traffic (ADT) flow of 10,478 vehicles in 2025, of which 9.3% were heavy goods vehicles (HGVs).

Road drainage and the water environment

Loch Lomond (South) (ID: 100257) is a classified waterbody by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) under the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC (WFD) and lies 30m east of the scheme. Loch Lomond (South) was assigned a condition of ‘moderate’ in 2024.

Several minor, unclassified waterbodies - such as Arn Burn and Port Burn, unnamed tributaries, ponds and drainage channels - are culverted beneath the A82 within the scheme extent and within 300m of the scheme. All of these watercourses ultimately discharge into Loch Lomond, located to the east of the scheme.

The ‘Cowal and Lomond’ (ID: 150689) groundwater body which has been classified as being in ‘Good’ category by SEPA underlies the scheme extents (SEPA). The following Drinking Water Protected Areas (DWPA) underlies the scheme extents (Scotland’s Environemnt):

  • Loch Lomond (ID: 100257) (surface)
  • Finlas Water (ID: 10159) (surface)
  • Cowal and Lomond (ID: 150689) (ground)
  • Loch Lomond and Leven Valley (ID: 150766) (ground)
  • Balloch (ID: 150651) (ground)

The SEPA Indicative Surface Water Flood Map identifies sections of the A82 within the scheme extent as being at high risk of surface water flooding and from small watercourses, with an annual exceedance probability of 10% (i.e., a 1-in-10-year chance of flooding at these locations) (SEPA).

Climate

The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘The Act’), and its subsequent amendment under the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act 2019, sets the framework for the Scottish Government to address climate change. The Act has an ambitious target to reach Net Zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, with any residual emissions balanced by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. This is five years earlier than the rest of the UK due to the greater potential for carbon sequestration in Scotland.

The Act was amended to replace interim targets with carbon budgets. Carbon budgets are legally binding caps on greenhouse gas emissions in Scotland over fiveyear periods. In line with the Act, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) published advice on the level of Scotland’s four carbon budgets, covering the period 2026 to 2045, recommending what the Scottish Government sets its carbon budgets at for annual average levels of emissions. These recommendations are based on an ambitious but credible route to Net Zero for Scotland by 2045.

Emissions reductions from surface transport are the largest contribution to meeting the first two carbon budgets. The pathway for surface transport emission reduction is primarily driven by the uptake of electric vehicles, in addition to measures to enable a shift from car use to public transport and active travel, which all play a role in reducing emissions from fossil fuel cars. Ensuring efficiency of existing transport infrastructure and improving/providing new active travel facilities is therefore important to support these carbon reduction budgets.

Transport is the largest contributor to harmful climate emissions in Scotland. In response to the climate emergency, Transport Scotland are committed to reducing their emissions by 75% by 2030 and to the above noted legally binding target of netzero by 2045. Transport Scotland is committed to reducing carbon across Scotland’s transport network and this commitment is being enacted through the Mission Zero for Transport (Mission Zero for transport | Transport Scotland).