Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

 
 
 
 
 
 
Ally
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Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #1
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Cameron McNeish


A letter was passed to me this week by a friend, a campervan user. The letter was sent to Community Councils throughout Scotland asking for help and co-operation in getting camper vans banned from informal, or wild camping, in Scotland.
The letter came from the pen of someone called Viki Sutherland, who is Chair of the Glencoe & Glen Etive Community Council.

I won’t reproduce all the letter but key points include the following:

“I have already spoken to many of you on the phone but feel that in spite of this I should include you in the e-mail setting out the Glencoe & Glen Etive Community Councils idea to get as many Community Councils to back a collective approach to the problem we all suffer from – over tourism.”

“We would like to suggest that a law be brought in in Scotland that makes it illegal to park overnight in any place other than a proper Camp site. Be this for small vans camping as well as the thousands of Campervans & Caravans that visit us every year.”

“All this needs to be rolled out "pan Scotland”. We all should apply the same rules and have the same signs as our neighbours in order for this to be effective.”

“Once we have agreement and as many onboard as possible we should involve the Scottish Government because only through them will we be able to resolve this.”

“We have all enjoyed a traffic & litter free 3 months and we see the difference to our wildlife and our own lives. None of us want to return to what was deemed as "normal" behaviour by our Visitors. We need the Tourists but if we are not to be overwhelmed again we help to mange them.”

I was very saddened to read this. An attempt to criminalise an innocent pastime is pretty nasty and while I would be the first to agree that some campervanners fall short of the required behaviour it’s unfortunate that this Community Council has failed to recognise the changing face of tourism in Scotland.

When I was a lad we stayed in a caravan on a campsite for a couple of weeks at a time. We didn’t move around. The caravan was static. Most folk enjoyed holidays like this.

Today’s active travel market is very different. People want to explore, they want to use their campervan to travel and live in while they walk, climb, cycle, paddle a canoe or watch birds and wildlife. They want to be able to move around and park at night in a safe piece of level ground. They will check into a campsite every few days to shower and empty waste and pick up fresh water.

Rather than vehemently oppose this form of tourism I’m particularly sad at the lack of vision shown by this Community Council. They should see it as an opportunity, not a problem. An opportunity to create small, informal parking spaces on the edge of villages or towns where camper vans could park overnight for a small fee to cover costs.

Better still would be the creation of a network of Continental-style aires, again with the overnight fees going to the community. It amazes me that in a country like Scotland, that boasts of being progressive, we are actually regressive on issues like this.

It seems that camper vans are being blamed for littering the countryside when recent events during lockdown have clearly demonstrated the fact that the gross littering of our countryside is by members of the general public, folk from all walks of life. Indeed I would go as far as suggesting that campervan owners are amongst the most caring of countryside users.

While many campervanners don’t want to pay upwards of £30-35 for a pitch in a five-star campsite that has all-singing, all-dancing facilities (although some are happy to pay that) I’m pretty sure most are happy to pay a realistic fee for a night in a budget one-star campsite, or Aire.

Instead of trying to criminalise campervanners, community councils should be working with us to create a network of such budget overnights. They will make money from it, their local shops, restaurants, pubs etc will benefit from it and we campervanners will benefit from it too.

I would urge Scottish Community Councils to sit down and talk to us campervan users. There are ways we can all benefit from dialogue and create something that would be good for Scotland, and on a final note I would just add that making overnight campervan parking illegal would mean re-writing UK Traffic law, and that ain’t going to happen. Let’s iron out the problems that exist and create somewhere worthy to benefit everyone. It can be done.

The photograph is of a community owned Aire in Country Kerry, Ireland

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the fat controller
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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #2
Small mined views from someone who needs re-educated in what motorhoming is really about. The responders views make more sense

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ntg
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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #3
As someone who has toured Scotland extensively over the years it is sad to see that people with very little knowledge of camping get involved in a vendetta against a group who contribute quite a bit financially to their community.
Quite a large part of Scotland that you can tour in your motorhome does not even have camping facilities, we do use camping sites when it suits but like the privilege to choose when and where for ourselves.
Hopefully this campaign will end up in the bin where is deserves to be.


Ally
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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #4
 


eirebus
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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #5
A very well written reply, let's hope they act on it , campsites can be difficult to find and if they were full what do you do

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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #6
I did see a post from another community council who said she had not contacted them and all visitors were welcome.
She has a website with a few cottages to rent.

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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 04.07.2020  ·  #7
Statistically you can prove it is not motorhomes causing littering as almost none were on the road during the main lockdown period and yet littering and especially fly tipping increased.

It was not motorhomers who apparently left literally tonnes of litter on beaches during the good weather here and in England and were shown to be parking illegally and inconsiderately and using people’s gardens as toilets. They would have all brought their own food etc too and put nothing in the local economy as most food places were not open anyway. You won’t get a better chance than the lockdown to clearly show it is not motorhomers doing this apart from a few I’m sure. Definitely a hidden agenda here.

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Swany
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Re: Anti Motorhome campaign in Scotland

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Posted: 05.07.2020  ·  #8
Viki Sutherland is from Denmark, a very pushy person who has ruined the good work the Glencoe and Glen Etive Community Council, used to do. She has self catering holiday accommodation called Signal Rock Cottages. I think it's fair to say, that my experience of campervanning / motorhoming, is that 99% of us are all acutely aware of our behaviour and go out of our way to respect the areas we visit.
I can't wait to get out there and enjoy Scotland again, although I will be going nowhere until this pandemic R number is closer to zero.However, Nicola is doing an excellent job and I expect to be starting the engine soon.
Take care everybody.

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