Lochore Update

[runnach]

Yo

You could go to Meggat reservoir and park for free then have a wee paddle in your boat. St Mary’s and Tibbie have people there. Meggat is quieter. It’s not the price it’s the peace for me

Cale, although I have not been to Megget or St, Mary's Loch for a good while, I believe there is now a charge for Megget, maybe both? Last time down that way was with grandson at Tibbie Shiels CS, site is basic, certainly was quiet, but the noise created over the bridge opposite wooden cafe, was bad. there was also an issue just outside the CS with a group of pished day tripper young men, police were called.

Megget, last time there, rammed with tent campers, again pished, defecating next to a dam that serves Edinburgh, was disgusting. I don't bother heading that way now, a beautiful area spoiled by dirty camper.

 

[Fisherman]

Yo

You could go to Meggat reservoir and park for free then have a wee paddle in your boat. St Mary’s and Tibbie have people there. Meggat is quieter. It’s not the price it’s the peace for me

I know you pay now for st Mary’s cal, and I think the same £10 charge also applies to Meggat.

 

[runnach]

Geeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeezus, it is Megget!!

 

[runnach]

Sorry gents, my OCD kicked in

 

[Fisherman]

View from Benarty hill overlooking Loch Leven today

 

[mistericeman]

I STILL don't get the comparing costs between places and facilities...

IF I like the location and want to stay there ...
I'll pay it (the facilities are just the gilding on the lilly )

If I don't like the location then I won't want to pay regardless ...

It's pointless IMHO comparing one place that's got fab views/solitude/peace and quiet costing £X

With somewhere that has got the same/more Or less costing £Y

Look at a place ....
if you want to stay there for the cost charged ...do so

If you don't ....
Move on to somewhere you do .

Places are so different it's impossible to have a sensible comparison IMHO .

I stay at places ranging from free to grass fields for £10 a night with a tap

To £20 odd a night with a bunch of stuff we never use BUT fab location

And everything between ...

It's a holiday to me NOT a cross between a Money saving expert web page and a spread sheet .
Seriously LIFE really is too short sometimes .

 

[caledonia]

Cale, although I have not been to Megget or St, Mary's Loch for a good while, I believe there is now a charge for Megget, maybe both? Last time down that way was with grandson at Tibbie Shiels CS, site is basic, certainly was quiet, but the noise created over the bridge opposite wooden cafe, was bad. there was also an issue just outside the CS with a group of pished day tripper young men, police were called.

Megget, last time there, rammed with tent campers, again pished, defecating next to a dam that serves Edinburgh, was disgusting. I don't bother heading that way now, a beautiful area spoiled by dirty camper.

That is a shame. It was always nice and quiet as the assholes normally stayed at St Mary’s. Oh well then still got a few out the way places in that neck of the woods

 

[Fisherman]

We are heading home this morning, and of the 16 pitches available only 4 are occupied. Yesterday the two car parks were full, with some parking on the grass, yet the motorhome area was only 25% full. I hope I am wrong but I think some have been put off by the increase in price. Obviously it’s not possible to determine exactly what’s going on from just two nights, but in the middle of the high season in good weather, this is not looking good.
As others have feared this could be a change in emphasis from wishing to attract tourists, to making profit. But looking at the bigger picture, Fife have been the shining light up here, if they start to first introduce charges, then rapidly increase them their efforts may fail. If my two nights here are representative of what’s going on, then that may well happen.
Doubling prices in a year will never be popular, and will lead to reduced numbers. This seems counterproductive, when the original intention was to attract people to enhance local business.
It won’t stop us from using Lochore, we will be back in the winter. But sadly it looks like it has put some off, and that’s a real shame.

 

[The laird]

We are heading home this morning, and of the 16 pitches available only 4 are occupied. Yesterday the two car parks were full, with some parking on the grass, yet the motorhome area was only 25% full. I hope I am wrong but I think some have been put off by the increase in price. Obviously it’s not possible to determine exactly what’s going on from just two nights, but in the middle of the high season in good weather, this is not looking good.
As others have feared this could be a change in emphasis from wishing to attract tourists, to making profit. But looking at the bigger picture, Fife have been the shining light up here, if they start to first introduce charges, then rapidly increase them their efforts may fail. If my two nights here are representative of what’s going on, then that may well happen.
Doubling prices in a year will never be popular, and will lead to reduced numbers. This seems counterproductive, when the original intention was to attract people to enhance local business.
It won’t stop us from using Lochore, we will be back in the winter. But sadly it looks like it has put some off, and that’s a real shame.

I'm sorry to say but I fully agree with above statement ,I never had a chance to get over and have a chat with management as we had a lot going on in france still but when im home I intend on having a meeting with management
( did you see any management when you were there?)
rearms G

 

[marchie]

We are heading home this morning, and of the 16 pitches available only 4 are occupied. Yesterday the two car parks were full, with some parking on the grass, yet the motorhome area was only 25% full. I hope I am wrong but I think some have been put off by the increase in price. Obviously it’s not possible to determine exactly what’s going on from just two nights, but in the middle of the high season in good weather, this is not looking good.
As others have feared this could be a change in emphasis from wishing to attract tourists, to making profit. But looking at the bigger picture, Fife have been the shining light up here, if they start to first introduce charges, then rapidly increase them their efforts may fail. If my two nights here are representative of what’s going on, then that may well happen.
Doubling prices in a year will never be popular, and will lead to reduced numbers. This seems counterproductive, when the original intention was to attract people to enhance local business.
It won’t stop us from using Lochore, we will be back in the winter. But sadly it looks like it has put some off, and that’s a real shame.

I think there is another dimension, Bill. The Trust creation was a response to the Local Government budget freezes [Glasgow did the same exercise but included Libraries and Leisure Centres IIRC, so went further/wider] and, pre-Cost of Living Crisis, the public enjoyed low interest rates, relaxed borowing criteria, and the beginning of real wage increases again [though not in all sectors]. 12-18 months ago, the pressure returned on local authority budgets, partly in response to Westminster Government cutbacks to the Devolved Governments funding [and this can be traced back to the 2016 Referendum result]. The Trusts needed to increase prices to boost incomes, but the customers have come under pressure themselves because of Energy Price increases. Mortgage Rate increases/Rental increases, so the paying customers have had to make painful decisions, and the 'luxury' items like hoildays will take second place to paying the Rent/Mortgage et seq. The Bank of England ['BoE'] has been jacking interest rates up every month, ignoring the fact that Fixed Rate Mortgage Borrowers won't feel any impact until their Deal expires, so some 4 weeks ago, the BoE acknowleged that over 1 million families would see Mortgage Payment increases of some £2,500pa/£200+ per month, over the next year!

Steve

 

[2cv]

I think there is another dimension, Bill. The Trust creation was a response to the Local Government budget freezes [Glasgow did the same exercise but included Libraries and Leisure Centres IIRC, so went further/wider] and, pre-Cost of Living Crisis, the public enjoyed low interest rates, relaxed borowing criteria, and the beginning of real wage increases again [though not in all sectors]. 12-18 months ago, the pressure returned on local authority budgets, partly in response to Westminster Government cutbacks to the Devolved Governments funding [and this can be traced back to the 2016 Referendum result]. The Trusts needed to increase prices to boost incomes, but the customers have come under pressure themselves because of Energy Price increases. Mortgage Rate increases/Rental increases, so the paying customers have had to make painful decisions, and the 'luxury' items like hoildays will take second place to paying the Rent/Mortgage et seq. The Bank of England ['BoE'] has been jacking interest rates up every month, ignoring the fact that Fixed Rate Mortgage Borrowers won't feel any impact until their Deal expires, so some 4 weeks ago, the BoE acknowleged that over 1 million families would see Mortgage Payment increases of some £2,500pa/£200+ per month, over the next year!

Steve

The highlighted comment is incorrect. Local authority budgets in Scotland have been cut, but to pay for such things as ferry overspends, vast legal expenses and overseas ”embassies”. Since the Barnett formula is still used it is not possible to single out devolved administrations for cutbacks. To understand Barnett see https://www.gov.uk/government/publi...nistrations are able,funding in the same area.

 

[marchie]

The highlighted comment is incorrect. Local authority budgets in Scotland have been cut, but to pay for such things as ferry overspends, vast legal expenses and overseas ”embassies”. Since the Barnett formula is still used it is not possible to single out devolved administrations for cutbacks. To understand Barnett see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/devolved-administration-funding-and-the-barnett-formula/devolved-administration-funding-and-the-barnett-formula#:~:text=The devolved administrations are able,funding in the same area.

I'll disagree with you to avoid getting into the politics. The tax receipts from Wales and Scotland cover the English deficit by some 125%-130% in normal years. Barnett is a way of giving back part of what the Devolved Governments generated ab initio

Steve

 

[2cv]

I won‘t continue to explain because the last thing we want on this site is politics. I have closely read the latest GERS which contradicts your assertion.

 

[Fisherman]

To be honest I am not into the politics of this. My concern is if Fife start to undo all of the good work they have done by increasing charges then it may well affect how other local authorities behave. Gordon (the Laird) and I have taken a particular interest in how Lochore has developed. What was primarily a facility to increase tourism to the area, now seems to be a vehicle for profit.

I make no excuses or apologies to anyone for drawing comparisons between lochore which is not a campsite, and fully equipped campsites, my reason for doing so is simply because that’s what others will do, and from what I have witnessed are doing. Some will prefer forking out the same money or slightly more for a fully equipped campsite, and others will simply feel that these charges are not justified, particularly when everyone else using the facilities at lochore can do so for free.
Its important that publicly funded Aires don’t charge on a par with private campsites, who’s only reason for existing is to make profit.

We enjoyed our stay at lochore with our grandson, and these charges won’t deter us, but it’s obvious they have deterred others, and that’s a shame.

 

[Fisherman]

The highlighted comment is incorrect. Local authority budgets in Scotland have been cut, but to pay for such things as ferry overspends, vast legal expenses and overseas ”embassies”. Since the Barnett formula is still used it is not possible to single out devolved administrations for cutbacks. To understand Barnett see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/devolved-administration-funding-and-the-barnett-formula/devolved-administration-funding-and-the-barnett-formula#:~:text=The devolved administrations are able,funding in the same area.

Bill, when the Arran ferry is finally finished it will have cost £30, 000 per inhabitant of the island. Now that’s mouthwatering. I don’t want to get into the politics, but I find that statistic absurd.

 

[marchie]

I won‘t continue to explain because the last thing we want on this site is politics. I have closely read the latest GERS which contradicts your assertion.

GERS is a political construct which Ian Lang, the then Scottish Secretary, wrote to John Major in 1991, admitting that it gave certain advantages to the then Party of Government. It works by allocating expenditure against Scotland by size of population, rather than by consumption of resources. No politics

You're entitled to your opinion; I'm entitled to mine, and we're both a long way removed from the cost of a night at Lochore

Steve

 

[Fisherman]

I'm sorry to say but I fully agree with above statement ,I never had a chance to get over and have a chat with management as we had a lot going on in france still but when im home I intend on having a meeting with management
( did you see any management when you were there?)
rearms G

Sorry Gordon missed the last bit.
No I did not see anyone.
Maybe I will see Ian when I am back in winter when it’s quieter.
But I reckon that Ian may have had little say on this matter. We both know what some of the locals thought of what they did for us, and the attitude of a certain local politician. I sadly think they were under pressure to increase prices.

 

[kernewek]

I know you pay now for st Mary’s cal, and I think the same £10 charge also applies to Meggat.

I’m pretty sure it’s now no overnight at Meggat - since May this year.

 

[reiverlad]

Bill, when the Arran ferry is finally finished it will have cost £30, 000 per inhabitant of the island. Now that’s mouthwatering. I don’t want to get into the politics, but I find that statistic absurd.

To allocate the cost of the Arran ferry to each inhabitant of the island is a statistic I would suggest is also absurd !
The ferry to Arran is not for the exclusive use of the islanders so why should the ferry cost be exclusively allocated to them ??

 

[Fisherman]

To allocate the cost of the Arran ferry to each inhabitant of the island is a statistic I would suggest is also absurd !
The ferry to Arran is not for the exclusive use of the islanders so why should the ferry cost be exclusively allocated to them ??

I was referring to the fact the ferry which is 5 years late has doubled in price. Not for one minute was I meaning anything negative towards arran. The fact is this whole debacle has been disgraceful and the fault lies clearly at Hollyrood. I felt this gross overspend could be given some perspective by using this figure which I read on a national newspaper, I am not the architect of this figure it has been used by others to highlight this disgraceful mismanagement, and I am not allocating this to anyone other than our government who are ultimately responsible. I am fully aware that the ferry is not solely for the use of the islanders, I use it myself at least twice a year. But if you think I was having a go at arran then so be it.