ONE of Scotland’s premier beauty spots has been flooded with daytrippers as a turn of good weather coincided with the slight easing of lockdown restrictions and the beginning of Easter weekend.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park has seen some of its car parks fill up as people head to the park, but police have warned that people should still not be traveling outside their local areas.

The Scottish Government’s Covid restrictions today changed from “stay at home” to “stay local”.

Loch Lomond and the Trossachs’ Balmaha car park, from which people walk to the popular Conic Hill viewpoint, is reportedly full, with the overflow car park along the road also being “busy”.

Rowardennan, the car park from which people normally begin the climb up Ben Lomond, has been listed as “full” since at least 9:30am this morning.

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The Milarrochy Bay car park, which sits between the two full sites, is also marked as “busy” on the National Park website.

The south side of Loch Lomond sits inside the West Dunbartonshire council area while the east side, where the full car parks are located, is in the Stirling council area. The west side of the largely falls into the Argyll and Bute council area.

Stirling Police issued a statement urging people not to leave their local authority area.

Chief Superintendent Alan Gibson said: “The coronavirus regulations have had a significant impact on our lives and I would like to thank the vast majority of people who are sticking to the rules and doing the right thing to avoid the spread of the virus as we move through the easing of restrictions.

“People should not travel outwith their local authority area except for essential purposes. While Easter weekend is traditionally a time for visiting friends and family, I would urge people to stay local and follow the regulations on gatherings.

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“If you are visiting beauty spots within your local area, do so safely and respectfully – leaving no trace of your visit. Please also park responsibly to allow emergency access.

"Our approach throughout the pandemic has been to engage with the public, explain the legislation and encourage compliance, but we will not hesitate to use our enforcement powers as a last resort."

West Dunbartonshire Police issued a similar statement, urging people not to travel outside their own local authority area although it may be “tempting to visit the beautiful countryside”.

West Dunbartonshire MP Martin Docherty-Hughes asked people to remain "mindful of restrictions" when planning trips over the weekend.

Weather across Loch Lomond has been particularly sunny, with no rain expected until Sunday April 4.