Fore... hundreds of golf balls fished out of Gladhouse reservoir in Midlothian
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The eagle-eyed family, who were canoeing at Gladhouse, noticed the balls at the bottom of the reservoir.
The family began collecting the golf balls, knowing they were not supposed to be there and the damage they would cause the aquatic wildlife. They were shocked to end up with 250.
The visitors contacted Scottish Water, which owns the reservoir, to explain that they had spent several hours collecting the balls.
Dougie Scott, Senior Reservoir Engineer at Scottish Water, said: “We find all sorts of things in our reservoirs – but we have never seen such a single haul of golf balls.
“There isn’t a golf course nearby so someone must have mistaken Gladhouse for a driving range. Not only is that dangerous in terms of hitting someone but, and many people don’t
know this, these balls can be very harmful to the environment.”
He continued: “They are very unlikely to be picked up and degrade and fragment in the water and can leach chemicals and microplastics into the water. This can be harmful, in fact fatal, to fish and other wildlife in the water.
Gladhouse, near Penicuik, is the largest area of freshwater in the Lothians and supplies Edinburgh and the surrounding area with drinking water.
Scott added: “We are really grateful to this eagle-eyed family for swinging into action to collect these balls while they were out enjoying time at Gladhouse. We have sent them some water bottles to help them stay hydrated when they are out and about as a thank you.”
Scottish Water is reminding visitors to pick up their litter, not to light fires, or to wild camp in restricted areas.
Local residents collected over eight bin bags of waste that had been left at Gladhouse.
A spokesperson said: “We are delighted when people visit our reservoirs and act responsibly but they are not the place for budding Tiger Woods to practice their putting and using them as driving ranges is below par – please tee off somewhere else.”