THE sun is set to shine on Helensburgh and the surrounding area for at least part of the Easter holiday weekend – meaning you should expect local roads to be busier than usual.

Following in the footsteps of TV presenter Phillip Schofield, actress Helen Flanagan and footballer Scott Sinclair, all of whom have posted pictures on social media showing them enjoying the 'bonnie banks' in recent days, thousands are expected to flock to Loch Lomond to enjoy the weekend – and the last few days of local schools' spring holiday.

However, if you're planning to head out and about yourself to enjoy the scenery around Helensburgh and Lomond, a good piece of advice will be to wrap up warm, as cloud cover on Saturday and Sunday is expected to make temperatures cooler than of late.

The best of the sunshine in the local area is forecast to be on Saturday and Easter Monday, meaning journey times on the main routes to Helensburgh and Loch Lomond are likely to be longer than usual.

An RAC spokesperson said: “We’re expecting Easter traffic to peak on Sunday when many families will be heading home after a short seasonal break.

“Combined with the inevitable day trip traffic we’d expect, this will likely lead to some delays on the road network.”

The general forecast for Helensburgh over the holiday weekend, as predicted by the Met Office, is as follows...

Friday - Showers easing in the course of the morning, with some sunny spells interrupted by the occasional light shower during the afternoon. Max temp 9 degrees Celsius.

Saturday - Mostly cloudy in the morning but with some sunnier spells in the course of the afternoon. Occasional showers possible in the morning, but these should die away by lunchtime. Max temp 8 degrees Celsius.

Sunday - Sunny spells with one or two light showers possible during the day. Cloud cover will increase in the course of the afternoon. Max temp 7 degrees Celsius.

Monday - The best of the holiday weekend weather, with clear skies and sunshine expected for much of the day, clouding over slightly into the late afternoon and early evening. No rain forecast. Max temp 10 degrees Celsius.