Reading the link it goes further than that even mentions £2 a nite tourist tax for Edinburgh this is just going to be a tax gathering exercise by councils with anyone suppling tourist stops doing the collecting for them. Where will it end £5 a night for a aire+ £2 pp tourist tax were up to £9 a night nowPlans are being discussed to tax motorhome users visiting the Western Isles. Link
Think tourist tax exists in a few countries ?Reading the link it goes further than that even mentions £2 a nite tourist tax for Edinburgh this is just going to be a tax gathering exercise by councils with anyone suppling tourist stops doing the collecting for them. Where will it end £5 a night for a aire+ £2 pp tourist tax were up to £9 a night now
Yes, but if there were no motorhomes visiting, what could they moan about!Another point worth mentioning.
For years these Islanders complained about the cost of the ferries.
Before the Scottish Government brought in Road Tariff equivalent fares for Arran,17 years ago it would have cost around £140 to take a car over with a driver and a passenger. If RTE was not in place it would be around £180-190 now. You can do it for £49.50 return today with a 6m motorhome. And guess who is paying for this, the same folk they want to tax for visiting their island in a motorhome.
They complained that it was to expensive to travel to the mainland, and that it was affecting local business opportunities.
Well they got their RTE, and all some have done since it seems is complain about the increased volume of traffic.
The amount of motorhomes on these Islands is tiny in comparison to the amount of cars, yet some never stop complaining about us.
We have made two crossings to Arran this year.
On the first crossing of the 88 vehicles we were the only motorhome in July, in September there was two motorhomes including ourselves.
The fact is these Islanders are amongst the most heavily subsidised people in the UK, and I am all in favour of them being so.
If they become unwell they are lifted by helicopter to a mainland hospital.
It seems that some of them are not happy, and I reckon that they mainly are not original residents.
Tookey as I indicated in my post, I reckon that most of these complaints don't come from the original islanders, but some who have moved there in recent decades. And they tend to be the most politically active.In fairness on reading the article again it says that the islanders are to be consulted, maybe they will feel that it is a bad idea and veto it
The weatherYes, but if there were no motorhomes visiting, what could they moan about!
Sorry Gordon, but it’s not a tourist tax that’s being proposed. It’s a Motorhome tax.We spent a month in the Hebrides in 2018 with only 6 nights on campsites (one to allow me to mend my rear valance). Some nights were on "accepted" places where we put £5 per night into a honesty box; several were at ferry ports. It was a real pleasure to find so many facilities with black waste disposal available free of charge.
We stopped at local shops for coffee and cake on most days and the proprietors were always willing to fill up our two 10litre drinking bottles. Coop shops, with very reasonably priced goods, were available in many villages and laundry was easy to sort.
Driving was simple: everyone (apart from one old lady) used the passing places on single track roads and most were willing to help the MH keep travelling. The wildlife was superb and there were several historic sites.
It was one of our best UK holidays! A small tourist tax wouldn't stop us from returning.
Gordon
In fairness on reading the article again it says that the islanders are to be consulted, maybe they will feel that it is a bad idea and veto it