# Worried about Western Isles



## bigdogsdevon (Apr 9, 2010)

We are due to go to the Western Isles on Monday and had planned to stay at Barra, Uist, Harris and then onto Syke. I am getting very worried as there appears to be a lot of negativity about motorhomers on the island. Has anyone been there recently and can advise??


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## fishy & Nina (Apr 10, 2010)

2 years ago it was fantastic - ferry prices kept the number of motorhomers down and there were no problems.

We travelled all the way up through the islands and found everyone very friendly and helpful.  However, in October (ish) 2008 the ferry prices were reduced by up to 50% and this had the effect of more people travelling to the islands.  Some areas were very busy with some people having little respect for their surroundings. 

I believe that the crofters have held meetings to see if they can invoke charges for people stopping in their motorhomes (they have charged £5 per night on Vatersay for some time) - I am not sure how this went, but I have also heard that stopping beside Barra Airport has now been stopped - this was one of the busiest places.

All this being said, it is a beautiful place and the people are very friendly.  I suspect that they have become victims of their own success and need to adjust things accordingly.

Hope that this helps a bit and that you enjoy your trip


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## Belgian (Apr 10, 2010)

*No worries*

We have a very distinguishest member overthere;
"Guernsey Donkey" he knows it al about the isles 
"Allo Donkey, are you awake" ?


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## sagart (Apr 11, 2010)

No problems here on Skye and people are amazingly cooperative if you need help.
Just been working on the Uists, Harris & Lewis and have had no problems though some areas, often overused in the past do have restrictions.
One on Harris, with superb views to Taransay, has been fenced off because motorhome and car owners were ignoring a "Do not park, soft ground" notice...so it pays to be cautious (and don't use cemetery or church carparks...the first is regarded as irreverent and the second may mean you are jammed in on a Sunday or if it's Communion Week!


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## Guernsey Donkey (Apr 11, 2010)

Belgian said:


> We have a very distinguishest member overthere;
> "Guernsey Donkey" he knows it al about the isles
> "Allo Donkey, are you awake" ?



Hi and yes I am awake - I update the Western Isles pages as soon as I get info through. I have been so concerned about recent posts on this site and letters in MMM that I have emailed Barra Press and the Barra community web site asking for a statement regarding campers on the Island, the main question I asked was are M/Hs and campervans welcome. Tomorrow I will asking the local MP for his comments on the situation.

Guernsey Donkey


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## Guernsey Donkey (Apr 11, 2010)

sagart said:


> No problems here on Skye and people are amazingly cooperative if you need help.



Come on Sagart - Thou shalt not covert Barras visitors


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## sagart (Apr 11, 2010)

Mo chreach!


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## Guernsey Donkey (Apr 11, 2010)

The latest on Barra as of 11-04-10  19:59   Camping and Caravan Site | Isle of Barra

Guernsey Donkey


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## Braighe (Apr 11, 2010)

bigdogsdevon said:


> We are due to go to the Western Isles on Monday and had planned to stay at Barra, Uist, Harris and then onto Syke. I am getting very worried as there appears to be a lot of negativity about motorhomers on the island. Has anyone been there recently and can advise??



Hi!
I wouldn't worry too much about going to the Western Isles and wildcamping provided you use commonsense where you park.

Large numbers of motorhomes congesting an area are not what wildcamping is about. If that is the type of motorhoming you require - camp on a camp site.

Being inconspicuous is the way to wildcamp. I'm afraid I am selfish where I park and any more than me is too much. That is the beauty of wilding in Scotland there are so many places you can go and bother no-one.

The trouble with the Islands is that the land is in the main controlled by some government agency or other - Crofters Commission - Scottish Natural Heritage - Agriculture Fisheries and Rural to name a few. All have an input and restrictions on the land use are tightly controlled for everybody including crofters.

A description of a croft is often given as " a piece of land surrounded by legislation".

It might be of interest to know a bit about the crofting structure. Each township has a grazings committee. That alone will explain why some areas have little restrictions while some are more difficult over camping. Consequently there are dozens of grazings committees all over the Western Isles with different views and all having to adhere to regulations laid down by government agencies.

As I said at the outset commonsense will keep you right. If there is a sign asking you not to park - there will be a reason. Don't do as some posters do and interpret the sign to not include them - if it doesn't include their particular mode of transport. " It said no camping - not no motorhoming".

That attitude will be treated with the contempt it deserves. It takes a lot to rile Hebrideans - who are in the main rather reserved by nature. 

They are also very polite and just because they don't say to your face that they think you were rather stupid to drive out on the grazings and get bogged down and have to be recovered by tractor - rutting up the SSSI with rare flora and fauna - don't think for a minute your stupidity goes unsaid. At the next grazings meeting after you are long gone and tucked up in your suburban bed your misdemeanor will be discussed and decisions made.

How do I know this? I was at these meetings attempting to mediate over a lifestyle ( Motorhoming ) that was alien to most crofters. Sometimes successfully sometimes not. 

That is when signs go up - gates get locked. This action is against the Hebridean's nature. There are large numbers of homes that are never locked - vehicles with keys in - very trusting. By the same token they can be unforgiving if trust is abused.


If I had a shilling for every motorhome I've pulled off grazings I might be able to pay the fees for this site.

When I read of people dumping there toilet behind bushes - ignoring no overnight camping signs it makes me cringe. I like to think I am as environmentally friendly as I can be and cause harm to nobody. I leave my wildcamping spots as I find them and better if I can.

After that rant - please go out to the Western Isles and enjoy yourself - I know you will.


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## spiritsfree (Apr 11, 2010)

Well put Braighe...simple common sense and respect !!


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## Guernsey Donkey (Apr 11, 2010)

spiritsfree said:


> Well put Braighe...simple common sense and respect !!



Well said that man.


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## max (Apr 11, 2010)

Hi Sagart,
We are wilding on Skye for 3 nights in May, planning to arrive via the ferry and then leave via the bridge, in order to get the best out of seeing as much as possible any tips of remote and quite places to stay would be greatly appreciated. Also if possible any where we can top up our water supplies.
Cheers


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## defitzi (Apr 11, 2010)

*bravo*



Braighe said:


> Hi!
> I wouldn't worry too much about going to the Western Isles and wildcamping provided you use commonsense where you park.
> 
> Large numbers of motorhomes congesting an area are not what wildcamping is about. If that is the type of motorhoming you require - camp on a camp site.
> ...


good a book of good rules for us anything i've come across-well said and i for one hope lots of people will take it to heart. bravo
as


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## defitzi (Apr 11, 2010)

*bravo*

bravo:As good a book of rules for us campers as ever I have read:if everybody took it to heart everywhere motorhoming would have a good name wherever-well said.Bravo


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## THE BARTONS (Jul 28, 2010)

bigdogsdevon said:


> We are due to go to the Western Isles on Monday and had planned to stay at Barra, Uist, Harris and then onto Syke. I am getting very worried as there appears to be a lot of negativity about motorhomers on the island. Has anyone been there recently and can advise??



we have just been to the western isles.had a great two weeks but did find it dificult at times to camp.but if you go to the tourist info in barra as you get off the ferry, they have info leaflet on places to camp and get water etc.there is a comunity hall on vatersay were you can camp.just put donation in honesty box,toilet and fresh water there too.you just have to nose about down the roads were it shows a jetty at the end there is normaly at least room for one or two vans.have fun


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## TJJ (Jul 29, 2010)

*dont worry be happy....*



bigdogsdevon said:


> We are due to go to the Western Isles on Monday and had planned to stay at Barra, Uist, Harris and then onto Syke. I am getting very worried as there appears to be a lot of negativity about motorhomers on the island. Has anyone been there recently and can advise??



we went the last week in may this year 4 of us in 2 campers for 9 days,
from fort william, syke, and the western isles.
we wild camped all the time we all had a great time alot of places to
stay just look out on your way. you wont be on your own there will be lots
of campers there. its is a loverly place and so are the people..


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## sagart (Jul 30, 2010)

Do remember...people do live and work up here.
Two helpful things:
1. Give way, don't just grind on. The vehicle behind you may be our Gp. or my son heading off to work 20 miles away.
2. Respect gates. I had to let out 90 sheep + lambs yesterday to fresh grazing. At least I would have if some idiot hadn't parked his van across the gate and gone off on his/hers/their bikes.
This is not the way to be welcomed!


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## grenlynn (Aug 1, 2010)

*fantastic shetlands*

we have just spent our 2 week holiday on the shetlands,then across to orkney for a couple of days,wonderful people and scenery,wild camped,we stayed on unst and yell,both worth a visit,we came across a small harbour with a shed at th top of the slipway on it was a sign that read,caravaners and others welcome,there is electric but you may have to put a pound in the meter,also fresh water inside complete with very long hose pipe. where else could you get hospitality like that? no one else around imagine finding somewhere like that in cornwall,probabley come with a 50 pound fine!!!


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## arthur49 (Aug 5, 2010)

We are touring the Western Isles off season - end Sep/beg Oct - and campsites on Uist for example are closed.  I therefore phoned Lochboisdale Tourist Office.  A very friendly and helpful lady (with a local accent) said that motorhomes are most welcome and she looked forward to meeting us!  We discussed overnighting on picnic areas on Uist as camping on the machair is understandably frowned upon.  No problem she said as long as we were responsible re waste/CDP etc.   
It does appear some locals have been put off motorhomers due to the irresponsible few who damage and pollute.  In addition arriving with everything onboard and spending very little does not go down well.
The Western Isles, including Stornoway, are defined by Highlands and Islands Enterprise as an economically "Fragile Area".  Tourism is therefore vital and I would urge all motorhomers to be responsible when/if they visit and spend some cash locally especially to crofters - surely £5/night for somewhere to park overnight including water is very reasonable?
Incidentally I also phoned another tourist office on the Western Isles.  The lady - with a non-local accent - was merely polite: no great encouragement to visit nor did she suggest she was 'looking forward to meeting us'!
When we've been I'll report our experiences on here


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