C&MC site at Culloden Moor

[mickymost]

You’re more right than you might think! I live in the far north Highlands and haven’t ventured far since March. I did notice the site at Altnaharra hasn’t opened this year, perhaps because it doesn’t have facilities? Yes, your explanation helped!

There was certainly some animosity towards MHs in the neck of the woods during lockdown. Mostly because there were virtually no cases of covid in the far north and because of the potential threat to meagre public health infrastructure.
Since the easing of restrictions, it now looks like any other summer on the NC500!

The real threat to wilding in the north is coming not from the communities, rather from a Danish billionaire who doesn’t want MHs to have the freedom to wild camp, but that’s a whole other story... (one of this man’s businesses now owns the NC500 franchise).

Tell the story about the Danish Businessman you got us curious and we have ears to listen

 

[2cv]

You’re more right than you might think! I live in the far north Highlands and haven’t ventured far since March. I did notice the site at Altnaharra hasn’t opened this year, perhaps because it doesn’t have facilities? Yes, your explanation helped!

There was certainly some animosity towards MHs in the neck of the woods during lockdown. Mostly because there were virtually no cases of covid in the far north and because of the potential threat to meagre public health infrastructure.
Since the easing of restrictions, it now looks like any other summer on the NC500!

The real threat to wilding in the north is coming not from the communities, rather from a Danish billionaire who doesn’t want MHs to have the freedom to wild camp, but that’s a whole other story... (one of this man’s businesses now owns the NC500 franchise).

It would appear from Here that the franchise owner should be creating “ reinvestment in the development and audience reach of the route.” So maybe in fact he should be the one setting up facilities for motorhome users from the profits of franchise fees.

 

[Red Dwarf]

Anders Povlsen is the man, he owns the ASOS fashion brand among other things. Some of those things are a number of sporting estates in the Highlands. He’s now the second biggest land owner in Scotland.

His company that runs the estates is called Wildland. He’s into re-wilding the Highlands, turning it back to wilderness. His estate businesses are basically trying to turn the far north into a Disneyland for the very wealthy.
In the village of Tongue for example. He bought both the local shops, shut one of them. The one he shut had the only fuel pump. After a long period of not being able to buy fuel in the village, he replaced the old pump with an expensive to use card operated pump. He has already tried putting some no parking/camping signs up on land at one end of the causeway at the Kyle of Tongue, he’d love to be able to ban camping on the council car parks on the causeway.

He has pressurised local crofters to move livestock and thrown money around to buy his way forward with his plans. Don’t get me wrong, on the surface he’s done some good things, bought the school a new minibus etc. More worryingly he’s about to build a new old folks home as a replacement for an aging nhs/council unit. A building he’ll own and rent to the nhs. With the shortage of public money, the authorities are buying into all this. Short term-ism rules!

He’s also made it clear he doesn’t want folk wild camping. One thorn in his side is the township of Melness and village of Talmine. The land in that area is in a trust for the community and it annoys him. He buys property that comes up for sale, driving up prices and in so makes it difficult for locals to purchase.

His cleverest and most divisive ploy is to split the community, oh how a few quid can buy a bit of support... some folk in the area think he’s just what the area needed, a larger group think otherwise.

He’s put people out of business and tried to obstruct the building of new commercial buildings as they spoil the view. No consideration for the people that live here, he just wants to own everything.

In the midst of all his heavy handed planning, this man has endured a personal tragedy. If you recall the hotel bombing in Sri Lanka, three of his four children were killed, an unimaginable event for anyone. Many here thought that this event might temper his plans, not a bit of it.

I’ve attended meetings connected to various Wildland proposals, it’s all veiled threats and money.

His purchase of the NC500 franchise got people here wondering. The franchise had been running at a loss for the previous operators, he’s seen a way to make it pay. That way is to make sure no one wild camps and that anyone that wants to camp will have to use his campsites.

I’m sure someone else from this area could write a glowing and very positive summary of Wildland’s plans. The truth is he wants total control. Only time will tell, though I fear his great wealth will buy him his desires. Lastly, it’s a great shame the Scottish government and their Scottish Land Commission (brought into being to keep an eye on such things) appear to be turning a blind eye, rather like the Trump golf course fiasco in Aberdeenshire.

 

[in h]

We have wilded all over Europe. 120 litre water tank lasts five days for everything.

Our fresh water tank is a bit more than that. 160 litres, I think.
I used to reckon that it lasts two of us ten days, but on a trip last year, we were nearly home and didn't want to top up with hard water, so we left it. We were home a few hours short of two weeks, and the water hadn't run out.