Tiree

Wild camping in Barra keep tiree too one sided for me even the sheep are nicer on barra. Ahhhm I mean the lamb tastes nicer on 0242E6D0-F651-4ADA-9D3C-4D9840E49F51.jpg
 
I hear that the sheep on Tiree repeatedly call out for Barra 😀
 
runnach said:
Sorry, cant help with this, don't know any dealers. ;)
Click to expand...

No you are not getting away with that evasion . You brought up the price of parking in Edinburgh , less than £13 ? My bahookey .
Still curious about the 'nimby and alfresco' statement . WTF is a alfresco ?
 
Is it safe to come oot yet I’m scared in case I catch a stray blow. Anyway tiree is only good for one week in July when music festival is on absolutely brilliant week cracking tunes great beaches locals all happy cos there making a mint whole island drunk for a week
 
Croftergirl said:
I have read this discussion with interest, and am sympathetic to the dilemma of trying to find somewhere to park for the night. I do think though that it is also helpful to see it from the crofter's point of view.

We have various crofts, some perhaps suitable for overnight parking and others definitely not. I refer to one comment which suggested that crofters had a cheek to charge £13 when they were 'subsidised by the tax-payer.' Firstly, we pay tax too so subsidise other groups which give us nothing in return. Secondly, the subsidies are not for croft land. We pay rent for that land and ours amounts to over £1,000 per year so why shouldn't we charge a modest £13?

Over the years, we have lost thousands of pounds as a result of tourist behaviour and we cannot recoup that loss. For example, many times vehicles (and walkers) go through gates and don't close them behind them, or they close gates which were deliberately left open to allow cattle to access water. This allows them to roam into areas which are dangerous and we have lost quite a few livestock over the cliff edge or they have died from being stuck in boggy areas. It also means young cattle who are not yet of breeding age can be impregnated by someone else's bull and there are vets fees to abort the calf or have to perform a caesarean delivery, stunting the animal's growth and possibly affecting its chance of breeding in the future. We often have wire fences cut with pliers, sometimes just yards from a gate, again allowing animals to roam and mix with other people's livestock. We have fires lit and the debris left where it is. We have dogs left to run and worry the livestock, sometimes driving them over the cliff edge to their death.

Instead of complaining about the right of the crofter to charge you for parking on land for which they have had to pay rent, maybe a little understanding of their experiences will help balance the debate. I fully realise that not everyone is so uncaring about other people's property but, sadly, it is the case that a few always spoil it for everyone else.

The majority of local people welcome visitors to the island but perhaps the next time you come you try to imagine yourself in the position of the crofter and think how you would feel on the issue if you were the one having people camp unrestrictedly on your land.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that . As you can see from the thread there are a mixture of opinions . Unfortunately not everybody will look at these situations from both sides of the fence . There was a previous thread about the local MSP suggesting a levy on motorhomes . Again , in my opinion , the levy should be on all motor vehicles . They all affect the road systems , particularly on small islands .
There does appear to be a groundswell by islanders , businesses and local politicians to deal with the situation .
Is the croft parking scheme the brainchild of the local council ?
I have no problems with charges being levied , personally think it could be kept under £10 but I'm not a resident .
 
alcam said:
Again , in my opinion , the levy should be on all motor vehicles . They all affect the road systems , particularly on small islands . . .

Is the croft parking scheme the brainchild of the local council ?
Click to expand...

I can't imagine that many on the islanders would want a levy on all vehicles. Drivers in general find it almost impossible to find anywhere in the UK to park without someone wanting to charge them for it. If you have a vehicle you have to park it somewhere. However, when it comes to parking on land which belongs to someone else, and for which they themselves pay an annual rent, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to pay a (reasonable) charge, and I think £13 is reasonable. If you parked for up to 24 hours at Glasgow Airport's Short Stay car-park, you would expect to pay £23. Their Short Stay car-park would be £28 for between 6-24 hours. You literally have the size of one parking space and get nothing else for your money.

The scheme is a local initiative designed to deal with the increasing problem of parking on easily damaged land. You might find the following article helpful to explain how the scheme was formulated:

goo.gl/qdWtTD
 
Last edited:
runnach said:
do you personally charge a fee for this on your "rented" land?
Click to expand...

We don't personally have any sites for this purpose so it doesn't apply to us.

Regarding your comments on vandalism, where can I source this information, such acts are surely reported? Sorry to say, I actually take the acts of vandalism and gates left open statement with a pinch of salt.
Click to expand...

There isn't any information as it is never reported. What is the point unless you know who did it, and have evidence? I can assure you that it is a regular occurrence, especially the fence-cutting and open gates.

Can I ask, how does island cope with influx of tourists for the various events that take place around the year?
Click to expand...

The only one which could be potentially problematic is the Music Festival but there are designated large areas reserved and prepared for both vehicles and campers. Portable toilets are also available for the visitors.

How will the island cope if and when the Skerryvore Offshore Wind Farm commences construction?
Click to expand...

I have no idea!

Please do not take any of the above personally
Click to expand...

I don't. :hammer: You have every right to comment and your post is respectful. :welcome:
 
runnach said:
Apologies, my 4G was sporadic, yesterday, which is why I missed your post.

First of all, your first post is a strange one, normally folks who sign up, do this via the introduction section of forum. Who introduce themselves, who may also state, they are MH owners/campervan/conversion, or purely looking for advice prior to a purchase.

Your first post appears to be you justifying a charge of £13.00 for parking parking and sleeping in a MH. You offer no other facilities for this fee. Maybe crofters should look at West Harris Trust model, where those camping pay minimum fee and, in some cases, higher fee's, can include electric hook up. As I mentioned in previous posts, I have no problem with anyone earning a crust, but this fee is way OTT, do crofter wear a :ninja: when receiving payment (joke)?

Are you stating Tiree Community Development Trust, receive no funding from Holyrood? And yes of course, those in work, all pay tax. If you have a MH, you can visit mainland and park for free in most areas, but not if I were visiting Tiree, this is discrimination. Those who tent camp on croft land, damaging the machair with their tents, do you personally charge a fee for this on your "rented" land?

Regarding your comments on vandalism, where can I source this information, such acts are surely reported? Sorry to say, I actually take the acts of vandalism and gates left open statement with a pinch of salt. I would say the majority, if not all tourists visiting Tiree, are responsible individuals, who respect the islands flora and fauna and, infrastructure. Well versed with the countryside code of practice, irrelevant of area being visited.

Can I ask, how does island cope with influx of tourists for the various events that take place around the year?

How will the island cope if and when the Skerryvore Offshore Wind Farm commences construction?

Please do not take any of the above personally, Tiree is another gem within the Inner Hebrides. The life of a crofter is not for the faint hearted, it is not just a job, it is a lifestyle, which can be rewarding. Get the pricing model correct, will make for greater rewards.
Click to expand...

Looking at West Harris Trust (£5-£24) not sure Tiree is too far out with their price ? As I said already under £10 maybe fairer . The £5 charge appears to be in remote areas . Don't know if people are honest ? The Tiree £13 appears to be directly on someone's land with some , albeit not on the spot , facilities . I would hope if part of any fee is for water provision etc that it is spent on that . If facilities were upgraded the £13 wouldn't seem unreasonable .
Not sure about your suspicions re poster ? Do you think not a crofter ?
 
Croftergirl said:
I can't imagine that many on the islanders would want a levy on all vehicles. Drivers in general find it almost impossible to find anywhere in the UK to park without someone wanting to charge them for it. If you have a vehicle you have to park it somewhere. However, when it comes to parking on land which belongs to someone else, and for which they themselves pay an annual rent, I don't think it's unreasonable to expect to pay a (reasonable) charge, and I think £13 is reasonable. If you parked for up to 24 hours at Glasgow Airport's Short Stay car-park, you would expect to pay £23. Their Short Stay car-park would be £28 for between 6-24 hours. You literally have the size of one parking space and get nothing else for your money.

The scheme is a local initiative designed to deal with the increasing problem of parking on easily damaged land. You might find the following article helpful to explain how the scheme was formulated:

Croft Camping Briefing
Click to expand...

Small levy , ring fenced ? Think it would depend which island .
Unfortunately can't open link .
Not saying price is prohibitive , as runnach suggests maybe some , basic , services would help . Possibly some crofters already do this ?
Been intending to go to Tiree for a long time , don't worry I've not been put off !
 
runnach said:
Certainly not my intention to put anyone off, visiting Tiree. If a crofter can make more from folks likes us and they wish to pay, kudos to the crofter.

However, looking at campsite, there are two locations, they're charges are decent IMO. Plus facilities at hand, EHU if required, of course, extra charge.

Camp - Wild Diamond

Few year ago, we landed at Hynish, after a trip to Skerryvore light. We wanted to view the signal tower at Hynish. Lovely place.

Edit, one campsite only, my mistook!
Click to expand...

Sure its not . Was supposed to do an island trip last month , didn't happen . Hopefully next year .
Point about insurance on other post , wouldn't have thought it would cost much [if any] more for crofter . Chances are anywhere with machinery etc would be covered for most things .
 
runnach said:
Certainly not my intention to put anyone off, visiting Tiree. If a crofter can make more from folks likes us and they wish to pay, kudos to the crofter.

However, looking at campsite, there are two locations, they're charges are decent IMO. Plus facilities at hand, EHU if required, of course, extra charge.

Camp - Wild Diamond

Few year ago, we landed at Hynish, after a trip to Skerryvore light. We wanted to view the signal tower at Hynish. Lovely place.

Edit, one campsite only, my mistook!
Click to expand...

If we where to return to Tiree we would by preference use one of the croft sites, last trip we spent most time on the campsite, would rather have the views from site no12 than some very slow free WiFi and toilets in plastic portaloo's.
 
runnach said:
Obviously crofts are serviced with fresh water
Click to expand...

No, most are not, apart from those around a croft house. All they have, at best, is a trough and, trust me, you would not like to use the water from there! It is stagnant when not in use, and animals standing beside it defecate into it. It fills with the aid of a ballcock and its sole use is to give livestock a water supply. We also pay a metered charge for that water. This is why gates are sometimes required to be left open so cattle can get access into whatever field has the trough.

I have sorted the link in my previous post.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who viewed this discussion (Total:0)

Back
Top