Western Isles Tax on Visiting Motorhomes

[davef]

Assuming foreign travel reverts to normal next year, I imagine the perceived " motorhome menace" will fade away. Facebook often seems to draw out the worst in people and the worst people - I keep away from it like the plague. Living on Arran, I haven't noticed much anti-motorhome sentiment,( there are always a few, just as there are always a few anti-English or foreigner, or generally anti-anything), after all many islanders own a campervan or motorhome so that when they get stuck on the mainland with the ferry frequently not running, they have somewhere to stay the night. In the last year here, 25% of scheduled ferry crossings did not run - so on average if you get back to the ferry terminal you've a 1 in 4 chance of not getting back. An atrocious Scottish government owned service., which has effectively stopped any rival from operating, causing general annoyance and frustration.

 

[Fisherman]

If we tried to figure out how much tax we pay in our lives it would be astounding.
Income tax, national insurance, stamp duty, capital gains tax, fuel tax, VAT, road tax, insurance tax, it just goes on and on and on. The way I see this is all of this money goes to our politicians who then decide how it should be spent. Now as we contribute over £9billion a year you would think that some of this vast amount would be put back into projects that would facilitate what we all love to do.

But from what I see unlike many other pastimes who benefit from this government expenditure, we seem to have more money spent to prevent us from enjoying what we do than what little is spent to help us enjoy what we do. And more than anything it’s this lack of investment that has created many of the issues that we and locals are having to endure.

If what is going on right now continues then we may reach a point when sales of motorhomes slump and this would lead to a loss of revenue for the government, businesses failing, and some of the 126,000 employed may lose their jobs.

So for me any form of tourist tax is a slippery slope. Yes it may only be 1-2% to start with but you can bet your bottom dollar it will become a cash cow. look at car parking charges. In Glasgow charges were introduced in the 60s. Initially the charges only covered the cost of the meters, and the cost of paying the wardens. Also then only the city centre was covered. Now Glasgow needs the exorbitant charges to survive, and parking charges now cover most of the city.

But to consider taxing one group solely, a group of people who have been already taxed to the hilt is both discriminatory and morally bankrupt. I am willing to pay directly for facilities I use, but that should be voluntary, and I only do this because I know these councils are not funded to cover these costs. On Arran it’s the locals that run the toilets, not Arran Council.

 

[Chrisinchip]

Assuming foreign travel reverts to normal next year, I imagine the perceived " motorhome menace" will fade away. Facebook often seems to draw out the worst in people and the worst people - I keep away from it like the plague. Living on Arran, I haven't noticed much anti-motorhome sentiment,( there are always a few, just as there are always a few anti-English or foreigner, or generally anti-anything), after all many islanders own a campervan or motorhome so that when they get stuck on the mainland with the ferry frequently not running, they have somewhere to stay the night. In the last year here, 25% of scheduled ferry crossings did not run - so on average if you get back to the ferry terminal you've a 1 in 4 chance of not getting back. An atrocious Scottish government owned service., which has effectively stopped any rival from operating, causing general annoyance and frustration.

I really hope so. Outer Hebrides and North Coast are on my bucket list - I really need the jetsetters to fly off to their scalding beaches and leave me to enjoy our very lovely British Isles.

I don't know much about the history of the ferries but when we visited Staffa we took an old wooden boat in favour of one of the fleet of white plastic boats. Owned and skippered by a couple of locals, we had such an insightful and friendly trip. The boat used to be a passenger ferry before CalMac. Now they eek out a precarious existence doing trips. I suspect this is the pattern all over the islands so I have an emotional leaning towards the local enterprise but it would be interesting to know how CalMac service figures compare with the "old days".

 

[Fisherman]

I really hope so. Outer Hebrides and North Coast are on my bucket list - I really need the jetsetters to fly off to their scalding beaches and leave me to enjoy our very lovely British Isles.

I don't know much about the history of the ferries but when we visited Staffa we took an old wooden boat in favour of one of the fleet of white plastic boats. Owned and skippered by a couple of locals, we had such an insightful and friendly trip. The boat used to be a passenger ferry before CalMac. Now they eek out a precarious existence doing trips. I suspect this is the pattern all over the islands so I have an emotional leaning towards the local enterprise but it would be interesting to know how CalMac service figures compare with the "old days".

I don’t reckon you will have any issues, ignore the morons on FB they are idiots who are to be pitied. The real people of the OH are decent, kind, helpful people, whom I have nothing but the greatest respect for. I have had nothing but kindness given to me on my visits in the past, although never in a van.
As for Staffa it’s a stunning island I will never forget my visit there. We sailed from mull and on the way back we were dropped of on Iona, a very tranquil peaceful place. But Staffa is not an island served by a ferry, it has always been accessed using private boats from Mull and the mainland. So please don’t worry about your welcome, just do as I am sure what you always do. Be respectful of the locals, show a genuine interest in where they live, and what they do, and you will be met with hospitality of the very best kind.