IT is famed as the peaceful village at the heart of 'Take the High Road'.

But residents of Luss are complaining their streets are being swamped by hundreds of thousands of visitors and their cars, making it dangerously congested.

Now a new council parking scheme is being proposed but locals believe it will not help the situation in the village on the shores of Loch Lomond.

Simon Miller, chief executive of Luss Estates Company, said although the village, which featured in the STV series, is home to just 120 residents and a number of businesses, it attracts more than 750,000 visitors and their cars every year.

Argyll & Bute Council voted earlier this month to consult on a proposal for a new parking scheme which will mean parking by permit for residents only in the core village area, while visitors would be required to pay and display elsewhere.

But Mr Miller claimed there had not been proper consultation and the proposal would not remove a single car from the village.

"The proposed parking scheme does not address the fundamental issue, which is traffic congestion, not parking," he said.

"This solution may allow Argyll & Bute Council to make money out of existing traffic, but it will do nothing whatsoever to get the traffic out of the village which is what is required.

"Often residents can't park in the village; the emergency services, if required, would often be quite unable to get through the congested streets; and there is a constant safety risk to families and older people."

Mr Miller said the estate spent two years developing the Luss Strategic Development Framework which had broad support from all the community and stakeholders, including the council. It included new parking areas surrounding the village to accommodate visitors' cars displaced from the centre.

He said the council's plan was not the answer proposed and would not improve the traffic problem in the village.

"I also don't accept that a proper consultation process has been held," he said. "The village was given four days' notice of a 'drop-in consultation' event on March 31 2015 where only two options were on the table: do nothing, or accept the parking scheme."

But a spokesman for the council said the new parking arrangements reflected the views of elected members, the local community council and the members of the public who engaged in the process.

"We do not accept the accusation that we did not hold a proper consultation," he said.

He added that the council would consider any representations received prior to finalising the plans.

"People will be able to have their say if they disagree with any of the plans."

But he said: "The local community council is fully supportive of the plans which will make it easier for both residents and visitors to park in and around Luss."