sagart
Guest
Wild camping and living on an island I get both sides of the problem......but this year we have had some problems develop locally and in the Outer Hebrides.
I am sure all using this board are courteous....but a lack of local understanding does irritate.
So...
Don't park in graveyard carparks- to locals it is discourteous and even the oldest graveyards are still used.
Don't park in a church carpark on a Saturday night....I (almost) felt sorry a few weeks ago for a couple who had parked in the carpark of the church at Back on Lewis (beautiful sea view) and had woken up on the Sunday morning surrounded by cars.
Don't park across farm gates.
Don't block Forest Enterprise or Forestry Commission paths or tracks (in Lochalsh my son's timber extractor had to pull a Hymer A out last week which had been parked across a forestry gate marked "no parking"....his harvesting machine will move a Fleetwood!)
Keep dogs on leads where you are asked to or where sheep are grazing...(I know they've never yet worried a sheep in Manchester...) Yesterday my neighbour could only just be stopped from shooting two dogs belonging to the owners of a van camping on our foreshore, which were in his field chasing this year's lambs.
Don't take water from farm taps at roadsides without checking what they are intended for...this year two motorhomes were seen filling up at a tap just inside a farm gate at Cromor on Harris (they drove off before anyone could speak to them). The standpipe is used, amongst other things, for washing down a slurry wagon...e-Coli anyone?
Wild campers, by and large are welcomed up here, but some local courtesies have been lacking this year and mutterings have been heard
I am sure all using this board are courteous....but a lack of local understanding does irritate.
So...
Don't park in graveyard carparks- to locals it is discourteous and even the oldest graveyards are still used.
Don't park in a church carpark on a Saturday night....I (almost) felt sorry a few weeks ago for a couple who had parked in the carpark of the church at Back on Lewis (beautiful sea view) and had woken up on the Sunday morning surrounded by cars.
Don't park across farm gates.
Don't block Forest Enterprise or Forestry Commission paths or tracks (in Lochalsh my son's timber extractor had to pull a Hymer A out last week which had been parked across a forestry gate marked "no parking"....his harvesting machine will move a Fleetwood!)
Keep dogs on leads where you are asked to or where sheep are grazing...(I know they've never yet worried a sheep in Manchester...) Yesterday my neighbour could only just be stopped from shooting two dogs belonging to the owners of a van camping on our foreshore, which were in his field chasing this year's lambs.
Don't take water from farm taps at roadsides without checking what they are intended for...this year two motorhomes were seen filling up at a tap just inside a farm gate at Cromor on Harris (they drove off before anyone could speak to them). The standpipe is used, amongst other things, for washing down a slurry wagon...e-Coli anyone?
Wild campers, by and large are welcomed up here, but some local courtesies have been lacking this year and mutterings have been heard