I hear what you are saying Robmac. We spent a continuous 7 months (we only stopped due to lockdown) travelling round Scotland, on a very restricted budget so we were mainly Wildcamping/off-grid. Campsites full of rows of vans are not our thing at all. We like peace and quiet, beautiful views etc and those perfect spots that you find where you’re the only one there - looking across a Loch, seeing dark skies and the only light really is the stars, watching a rainbow rise out of a peat moor over a mountain range .... However, we did find difficulties as our van is old, 7.5 tonnes, has a large chimney, got a faulty leisure
battery around January and we travelled over winter. It was hard at times to responsibly get rid of our waste - many campsites were closed so we couldn’t ask to pay them to ‘dump and fill’ and whilst we don’t use chemicals we know that much of Scotland runs on septic tanks so didn’t want to use and then ‘leave sparkling clean’ any public toilets as whilst they might smell nice after our visit their tank wouldn’t have the capacity for lots of campers doing the same. We went to one campsite when desperate and they were so rude because our van isn’t a standard appearance motorhome, and despite saying over the phone that we could empty our waste they changed their minds on our arrival. So we have had to dig a very large hole once, and one another time resorted to lifting a manhole cover - never again. Yes it was definitely a sewage drain not storm drain, but is was one with a lid that folds in half. Extremely heave, and so hard to get back on. I nearly fell in head first and still have nightmares! On counterbalance, we have cleaned up large amounts of toilet waste near Glenbrittle, Foyers, Loch Doon and Fraserburgh, and made safe and removed evidence of campfires, along with litter picking wherever we went.
We’ve notice a lot of the new ‘aires’ are places we stopped at for free, or perhaps a donation, and are now chargeable and some even have to be booked in advance. I saw one yesterday that is a campsite, but is now opening in winter and calling itself an aire. However, it’s a place with services that would no have existed in previous winters. In many ways this is a shame, places like Findhorn, Cairngorm and Girvan might now be outside of the budget we were working to. However, they have invested in facilities that are needed, be it toilets, ELSAN points, water, hardstanding so are providing the things that are needed for motorhomers to be responsible and able to tour for long periods of time and they need to cover their costs. It’s a shame some of these insist on booking in advance, as that removes the spontaneity, and I agree that whilst we were the only van when we stopped, there are now a row of vans but that in part reflects the rise of popularity of motorhoming and the effects of Covid that have restricted travel abroad.
What I do know is that when we were stuck needing repairs, or hookup for a failing
battery, in minus temperatures we found a few small CLs or stopovers that helped us out (Janet in Drumnadrochit was a lifeline when we nearly gave up our travels because of leaks, no power and feeling poorly).
As such we have opened our aire near Fraserburgh, not as a profit making venture, but to provide a safe spot for people to stop if they want. (We can’t travel at the moment as I’m looking after my elderly mother, so now is a time to give something back). There are plenty of places nearby you can wildcamp if you prefer, but for people needing hardstanding, water, a place available all year and max 5 vans so never crowded, a feeling of security (away from boy racers, dogging, odd exchanges in car parks, people hooting or someone knocking at your door in the wee hours or peeing up your van
because sadly these can be the counter experiences of some of those wild camping spots) we have opened our front yard to welcome you. We’ll take bookings for those who want the security of knowing there’s a guaranteed space for them at the end of the day’s travels, or we’re very happy for drop in business. Once we cover the costs of our
insurance (which are extortionate sadly as our house
insurance increased as a result of doing this, as well as needing public liability fo a stopover) we’ll also put in black waste facilities, and offer a drop in service for those not wanting to stay. We recommend local attractions like the lighthouse museum in Fraserburgh, the restaurants and shops etc so that Fraserburgh benefits from some tourist income, rather than gets driven through on the way to somewhere further up the coast.
We’re just trying to do our bit. The world is changing and not for the better. More of those places once parked in have height barriers, profited parking or sleeping in vans signs, boulders blocking the entrance. Campsites prices have increased, and many now have minimum stay lengths, restricting those of us who might have popped in for one night to use services before wilding again. Soon there’s a new bill coming through that will potentially make parking overnight harder too. So hopefully we will get to meet some of you, like Bill, and hear of your travels, and be a useful stopover service for you, or at least entertain you with the seals opposite the cottage, but we do appreciate we’re not for everyone.
Cie
️ Some exciting news!! 
We are going to be on television this weekend! 
and if you’re heading up to Fraserburgh please do come and stop with us.
