Leave no trace...uhhhm

[Biggarmac]

Are there not towns and villages that are on the main sewerage system that dont require pumping out? If so thats where they should put Elsan points and make them free. A few of those dotted around the route and well advertised would be a great help. Thats what they have done it some areas.

There are places like Lochinver where a waste point has been put in by the Leisure Centre. There are still problems in the area. A list of wastepoints has been done by the hirers organisation. Not sure if is kept up to date with new facilities. www.campa.org.uk. No connection with CAMpRA!

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Are there not towns and villages that are on the main sewerage system that dont require pumping out? If so thats where they should put Elsan points and make them free. A few of those dotted around the route and well advertised would be a great help. Thats what they have done it some areas.

Yup, 100%

Er... doesn't that require joined up thinking? I wouldn't hold your or my breath...!

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Or in some cases you could argue it’s due to the inaction of some councils who are quite openly anti Motorhome. I am just back from where you live and I saw little evidence of any hatred towards me, exactly the opposite in fact. But what I did notice was the total lack of facilities being offered. Perhaps it’s time for some in local councils to do something positive for a change like actually manage the situation instead of simply complaining about it. But to be fair to Highland council, in comparison to some others they are well ahead of the game. A large proportion of those motorhomes come from Europe, and they are used to far superior facilities than what we currently offer.
Also some of the prices up north are scandalous. I was offered somewhere to park with no facilities whatsoever in Durness for £20, more expensive than the CCC site in Oban with showers, chemical waste etc.

Unfortunately most councils aren't normally renowned for their real world business acumen, Bill

"Timely" and "Efficient" are also words which don't often feature in local government language either

 

[Fisherman]

Unfortunately most councils aren't normally renowned for their real world business acumen, Bill

Stop using fancy words, you show off
The councillors won’t know what your talking about

 

[Robmac]

Stop using fancy words, you show off
The councillors won’t know what your talking about

Acky man was a toy plastic soldier when I was a kid Bill.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Acky man was a toy plastic soldier when I was a kid Bill.

 

[barryd]

There are places like Lochinver where a waste point has been put in by the Leisure Centre. There are still problems in the area. A list of wastepoints has been done by the hirers organisation. Not sure if is kept up to date with new facilities. www.campa.org.uk. No connection with CAMpRA!

Trouble is I think from what I have read on the NC500 whingers groups on FB their main gripe seems to be where people are parking. They will put a photo up of maybe a dozen vans parked up in a half empty car park with a nice view and rage about it. They look no different to photos you would see of vans on Aires all over Europe. There are many I think that whether you build aires or not they just don't want motorhomes there full stop.

 

[Fisherman]

Acky man was a toy plastic soldier when I was a kid Bill.

Did they have plastic then Rob

 

[mariesnowgoose]

Did they have plastic then Rob

 

[Fisherman]

Trouble is I think from what I have read on the NC500 whingers groups on FB their main gripe seems to be where people are parking. They will put a photo up of maybe a dozen vans parked up in a half empty car park with a nice view and rage about it. They look no different to photos you would see of vans on Aires all over Europe. There are many I think that whether you build aires or not they just don't want motorhomes there full stop.

Exactly Barry, they don’t notice the fact that there are at least 50 cars for everyone of us, some of who drive like idiots is fancy sports cars. Whilst at the Kylescu bridge we had a knob in a Porsche doing handbrake turns. I lost count of cars parked in clearly marked passing places. I could go on.

 

[Biggarmac]

Trouble is I think from what I have read on the NC500 whingers groups on FB their main gripe seems to be where people are parking. They will put a photo up of maybe a dozen vans parked up in a half empty car park with a nice view and rage about it. They look no different to photos you would see of vans on Aires all over Europe. There are many I think that whether you build aires or not they just don't want motorhomes there full stop.

This week there was a picture of the big carpark in Fort William taken from the council offices on the FB group you mentioned. Lots of motorhomes parked up, probably spending money in FW. Still plenty of car park spaces open. Do they see it as an opportunity? No chance.

 

[wildebus]

Acky man was a toy plastic soldier when I was a kid Bill.

Toy Plastic Soldier? I am sure you mean a "poseable action figure" (the latest outfits include a "Just Stop Oil" orange jumpsuit and a CND hoodie)

 

[Robmac]

Toy Plastic Soldier? I am sure you mean a "poseable action figure" (the latest outfits include a "Just Stop Oil" orange jumpsuit and a CND hoodie)

And there was me thinking I was going to get pulled on 'Toy Plastic Soldier' when it should have been 'Plastic Toy Soldier'

 

[Fisherman]

This week there was a picture of the big carpark in Fort William taken from the council offices on the FB group you mentioned. Lots of motorhomes parked up, probably spending money in FW. Still plenty of car park spaces open. Do they see it as an opportunity? No chance.

If it’s the carpark I think it’s is you cannot stay there overnight, and they have bays for motorhomes. It’s enormous and I have never seen it half full. The vast majority only stop over in fort William moving on from there after a short stay. And by the amount of closed shops in their Main Street, and the lack of people there three weeks ago, you would reckon they would be trying to get more people in, rather than making them feel unwelcome. And when at least one third of these vans are from the EU, this kind of short sighted insanity looks even worse.

 

[barryd]

This week there was a picture of the big carpark in Fort William taken from the council offices on the FB group you mentioned. Lots of motorhomes parked up, probably spending money in FW. Still plenty of car park spaces open. Do they see it as an opportunity? No chance.

I think that was the photo I was thinking of.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

If it’s the carpark I think it’s is you cannot stay there overnight, and they have bays for motorhomes. It’s enormous and I have never seen it half full. The vast majority only stop over in fort William moving on from there after a short stay. And by the amount of closed shops in their Main Street, and the lack of people there three weeks ago, you would reckon they would be trying to get more people in, rather than making them feel unwelcome. And when at least one third of these vans are from the EU, this kind of short sighted insanity looks even worse.

As I said, local councils totally put of touch with local businesses and the economy in general.

These are tough times, it requires switched on local government (of all hues!) to be pragmatic and look beyond their own parochial tendencies to the wider world.

"Protectionism" isn't the answer.

Most never operated very efficiently long before the arrival of pandemics, the B word, etc. so it would be a miracle if they are able to keep up with the current rate of change (across all areas!)

 

[barryd]

If it’s the carpark I think it’s is you cannot stay there overnight, and they have bays for motorhomes. It’s enormous and I have never seen it half full. The vast majority only stop over in fort William moving on from there after a short stay. And by the amount of closed shops in their Main Street, and the lack of people there three weeks ago, you would reckon they would be trying to get more people in, rather than making them feel unwelcome. And when at least one third of these vans are from the EU, this kind of short sighted insanity looks even worse.

I think it was this photo from this article

Highland campervan influx: ‘This is a subject that agitates many clearly’

It’s no surprise that campervanning has become so popular, tourist accommodation is full…many B&Bs have chosen to close…

www.northern-times.co.uk

Its behind a paywall but this might work. https://www.removepaywall.com/article/current

 

[Fisherman]

That’s it Barry. They’re only there for the day.

 

[barryd]

Its a lot of vans presumably day parking but it looks like they have avoided the front row and the car park still hasnt got many cars in it. If you saw this in France or Germany you wouldnt think it out of the ordinary. There was one just now on there with 100+ ranty comments where in some remote car park a couple of vans had put chairs and tables out, a car had done the same. You would think they had turned up and torched the entire place from the comments. I think it was even a place you were permitted to park up for a fee I believe. Its alright for a car to park up and have a picnic but not a motorhome apparently. Even if you have paid to stay.

 

[mariesnowgoose]

I think it was this photo from this article

Highland campervan influx: ‘This is a subject that agitates many clearly’

It’s no surprise that campervanning has become so popular, tourist accommodation is full…many B&Bs have chosen to close…

www.northern-times.co.uk

Its behind a paywall but this might work. https://www.removepaywall.com/article/current

So what's the difference between this and a load of yachts turning up and mooring at a jetty or anchoring offshore?

It's just one car park! Why do some people get so so blinkin' obsessed with "car parks" and who's parking their (legal!) vehicles in them?

Perhaps we should insist on renaming them "vehicle parking". The "car" bit is misleading/ambiguous.