Positive Report on Highlands Plans

[Fisherman]

I have responded to this article praising their leading the way and will,post any response I receive

I will do likewise tomorrow Gordon. I think it's important that they realise that we appreciate their forward thinking.
It makes for a pleasant change.

 

[The laird]

I will do likewise tomorrow Gordon. I think it's important that they realise that we appreciate their forward thinking.
It makes for a pleasant change.

Exactly my thought on this ,I informed them motorhomer.com & wildcamping for motorhomes are expressing our gratitude for their forward thinking and leading the way

 

[Robmac]

I once would have welcomed Aires all over the UK and in some respects still do. If the expected levels of motorhomes on our roads is true and continues to rise, then they all need somewhere to stop and campsites will be overrun. On the other hand, as Chris @Edina alluded to in another thread, councils could use this to banish wildcamping altogether whilst pointing to Aires as a viable alternative - and of course charging for staying at what is by any other name a campsite!

It's a difficult one. Wildcamping is not everybody's cup of tea but it is the whole ethos of this forum and long may it be so.

Personally I would prefer to see maybe a few Aires to help alleviate the demand for campsites around 'resorts' but I would rather see one-stop service stations where you could pull up, pay a fiver empty your waste and fill up with water then move on. Hopefully that would stop the so called 'dirty camping' and wildcamping wouldn't get such a bad reputation.

Then again, I suppose you will get some who would rather not pay a fiver and carry on getting us a bad name.

If wildcamping was to get banned you can bet that the deterrents will be stricter and easier to enforce than they are for dirty camping!

No easy solution really. I see a bleak future for wildcamping.

 

[Thistle]

We spent three weeks in Scotland last September. Wild camping for all but two nights (spent in a field at Ardalanish Isle of Mull Weavers).
We didn't seen any mess anywhere at all until our return journey when we got to Loch Doon it was packed with people and very filthy around the Castle car park overflowing bins and toilet paper everywhere, but as I said that was the only place we found where it was clearly noticeable.

It will be interesting to see if it's worse or better up there this years what become very evident is there is now a Vandemic in the UK and there is going to be a lot of newbies hitting the road for the first time I have been turning down constant van related electrical work requests for months now!

Meanwhile Cameron has released this which picks up on the positive news discussed earlier in this thread.

 

[Biggarmac]

I once would have welcomed Aires all over the UK and in some respects still do. If the expected levels of motorhomes on our roads is true and continues to rise, then they all need somewhere to stop and campsites will be overrun. On the other hand, as Chris @Edina alluded to in another thread, councils could use this to banish wildcamping altogether whilst pointing to Aires as a viable alternative - and of course charging for staying at what is by any other name a campsite!

It's a difficult one. Wildcamping is not everybody's cup of tea but it is the whole ethos of this forum and long may it be so.

Personally I would prefer to see maybe a few Aires to help alleviate the demand for campsites around 'resorts' but I would rather see one-stop service stations where you could pull up, pay a fiver empty your waste and fill up with water then move on. Hopefully that would stop the so called 'dirty camping' and wildcamping wouldn't get such a bad reputation.

Then again, I suppose you will get some who would rather not pay a fiver and carry on getting us a bad name.

If wildcamping was to get banned you can bet that the deterrents will be stricter and easier to enforce than they are for dirty camping!

No easy solution really. I see a bleak future for wildcamping.

The idea of having service stops where you just rock up empty and fill is one that some councils in Scotland are pursuing. Plenty of sites will let you dump and fill for a fiver. The CCC has a system on some of its main sites where you can use the campsite facilities for three hours for £7.30. That includes emptying wastes, filling with water, having a shower and using the washing machine (if available). The system they have on the island of Tiree where you book a pitch in advance, or they won't let you on the ferry, is an interesting one. There is a central Elsan point but the pitches are on crofts. You go on the website (if it is open this year) pick which spot you want to stay at and book with the crofter. You may be the only one on that croft or have one other neighbour. It has sorted out the problems they were having with people parking on the machair, destroying the fragile sward. It also brings a bit of money to the crofters. It may not be wild camping as we knew it but it means we are not facing a total ban.

 

[Fisherman]

I once would have welcomed Aires all over the UK and in some respects still do. If the expected levels of motorhomes on our roads is true and continues to rise, then they all need somewhere to stop and campsites will be overrun. On the other hand, as Chris @Edina alluded to in another thread, councils could use this to banish wildcamping altogether whilst pointing to Aires as a viable alternative - and of course charging for staying at what is by any other name a campsite!

It's a difficult one. Wildcamping is not everybody's cup of tea but it is the whole ethos of this forum and long may it be so.

Personally I would prefer to see maybe a few Aires to help alleviate the demand for campsites around 'resorts' but I would rather see one-stop service stations where you could pull up, pay a fiver empty your waste and fill up with water then move on. Hopefully that would stop the so called 'dirty camping' and wildcamping wouldn't get such a bad reputation.

Then again, I suppose you will get some who would rather not pay a fiver and carry on getting us a bad name.

If wildcamping was to get banned you can bet that the deterrents will be stricter and easier to enforce than they are for dirty camping!

No easy solution really. I see a bleak future for wildcamping.

Good post Rob, I would fine anyone emptying a cassette heavily and even consider banning them from using their Motorhomes for a period. There is no excuse for tipping a cassette. But things do have to change and not just from outwith our community but from within. Biggermac mentioned what the CCC do they offer 4 hours on some sites for £7.30 for members. (Currently suspended due to Covid) what about the other money grabbing anti wild camping mob the C&MC. If ever an organisation have done worse than nothing for 55% of their members who own Motorhomes it’s them. But what’s needed is simple, more access to what’s already there in abundance, car parks.