A CROWDFUNDING appeal saw a woman raise more than £1k in a week to help buy a life-saving defibrillator in Loch Lomond.

Lucy Fraser ran a very successful guest house at Ben Lomond Cottage in Rowardennan until recently and has raised over £1,000 with the help of guests who stayed with her over the years.

The Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs charity then stepped in to provide a top-up grant of £750 from funds raised through the 'Friends of OUR park visitor giving scheme' by local businesses such as Cruise Loch Lomond and St Mocha Coffee Shop.

Lucy said: “This is a very popular visitor destination with a growing number of walking enthusiasts tramping along the West Highland Way or climbing Ben Lomond and I was keen to improve public safety with the provision of a life-saving defibrillator here as the nearest ones are some distance away.

“I was delighted with the amazing response from my previous guests who reacted so quickly to my online funding appeal and made very generous donations to help with the purchase of a defibrillator.

"I was also pleased to receive prompt support from the Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs and Trossachs Search and Rescue to make this happen so quickly.”

The defibrillator has been installed by the Trossachs Search and Rescue beside the busy Ben Lomond footpath and West Highland Way in the village. They have also agreed to maintain the life-saving equipment regularly.

The kit can be used to save the lives of those suffering from cardiac arrest.

James Fraser, chair of the Friends, said: "I have nothing but praise for Lucy who has taken the initiative to raise funds for a lifesaving defibrillator at such a busy outdoor recreation spot at the foot of Ben Lomond which is remote from the nearest hospital.

"We were pleased to support this initiative and it is great that Trossachs Search & Rescue have agreed to regularly maintain the defibrillator, along with dozens of others, which is helping to make the National Park a safer place for the millions of visitors who annually enjoy the special scenic qualities of the area."