A NATURE enthusiast dedicated to keeping paths in tip-top condition for walkers in Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park has been named Volunteer of the Year.

James Gillies has worked tirelessly to repair routes suffering from erosion caused by the thousands of hikers who enjoy the park's scenery every year.

James has also ‘adopted’ Ben Ime, the highest mountain in the "Arrochar Alps", by helping to conserve the fragile upland landscape by reporting on erosion damage and potential path issues.

James, from Glasgow, received the award at the annual public meeting of the Outdoor Access Trust.

He first started volunteering with trust's flagship project, The Mountains and the People (TMTP) in June 2016.

Meanwhile, the trust named retired meteorologist James Brownhill, from Aberdeen, as Volunteer of the Year in Cairngorms National Park.

And shopkeeper Euan Ramage, from Alloa, won the award for Most Conservation Days, having volunteered on 14 different conservation work parties in both of the national parks.

A large turn-out at the meeting heard of the work the trust does in conserving and protecting natural heritage and environment.

Amongst the talks, presentations, discussions, tool-box talks and demonstrations, there was one aspect of the evening that stole the show – the hardworking and tireless volunteers who work with the trust throughout the year on the TMTP project.

Clearing blocked drainage ditches, improving path surfaces, vegetation management, invasive species control and repairing fences and stiles are just some of the tasks this small army of volunteers get involved with.

In the past 18 months, 178 people have volunteered on conservation tasks, giving 2,710 volunteer hours, helping to improve 30 paths across the two parks.

The Outdoor Access Trust for Scotland (OATs) was formed in April 2008.

Among its aims are conserving and protecting the natural heritage and environment of the areas it works in by encouraging, developing and implementing access management projects and facilitating and maintain public access.

The Mountains and The People project is the largest project of its type both in terms of the £5.2m budget as well as the partner profile.

TMTP aims to preserve and improve the unique upland habitats of the national parks, recognising that the lure of the

mountains as a recreational, social and, at times, spiritual retreat brings not only great benefit to those visiting, but also has a physical impact on the landscape itself.