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The glamping site would be next to the West Highland Way.
Plans for glamping pods and a new car park beside Loch Lomond have been backed by a conservation charity.
Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs have supported the proposals for Balmaha.
The plans will be decided by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park Authority, and the Friends say there is an urgent need to address the growing car parking problem on east Loch Lomondside following the loss of over 300 spaces on in the last 15 years and the introduction of clearways and police no parking signs.
They have welcomed proposals by Sandy Fraser of the Oak Tree Inn to provide a temporary 70-space car park on waste ground at the northern edge of the village which is earmarked for future development.
Friends chairman James Fraser said: ‘’The growing popularity of Balmaha and nearby Conic Hill following improvements in visitor facilities and footpath path upgrades in recent years has led to substantial growth in visitors arriving in the area by car and the area is simply not coping leading to traffic congestion and dissatisfaction amongst local residents and visitors.
“In the absence of any initiative by the public sector to provide additional parking or improved public transport services, it is encouraging that a local businessman has decided to step in to help address what is a very unsatisfactory situation in one of the national park’s top visitor destinations where a more pro-active and positive visitor management regime is urgently required.’’
The Friends have also supported plans by the local Bannerman family to develop eight glamping pods in a field next to the West Highland Way and within a short walk of the village as they consider there is currently a shortage of good quality glamping facilities for West Highland Way walkers and other visitors in the Balmaha area.
They also see the development as a good example of ‘light touch ‘ tourism, in line with their current eco-tourism initiative, which is geared to stimulating the development of more glamping facilities to enable visitors to connect with the national park’s natural heritage and develop sustainable businesses.
Details of both applications are on the national park’s website – the reference number for the car park is 2019/0252/DET and the glamping pods are 2019/0230/DET
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