Community leaders call for action after invasion of wild campers across Sutherland following lockdown easing
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Tensions are rising in communities across Sutherland following an “invasion” of campers, campervans and motorhome users to the county in the three weeks since lockdown was eased.
Visitors are being slammed for wild camping overnight in inappropriate places, leaving human waste and litter behind and lighting campfires. However, it has also been argued that a lack of infrastructure and services are to blame.
Community leaders are now taking action in a bid to manage the problem and are also calling for legislation to be changed.
Kinlochbervie locals Paula Macleod and Margaret Meek - who spearheaded the area’s Save Our Toilets campaign - have set up a new Facebook page called NC500 The Land Weeps
People are being asked to post up examples and photographs of “irresponsible” tourism with a view to using the evidence gathered to take forward a campaign for legislation to cope with the influx of visitors.
Over 1200 people joined the group in its first four days.
Mrs Meek said: “Since the easing of lockdown, the problem has exploded. There are people camping everywhere - they are in cemetery car parks, beside No Overnight parking signs, and historic buildings and in front of people’s houses.
On one night alone this week observers counted 12 tents, eight campervans and 13 cars overnight at Ardvreck Castle; the cemetery car park at Oldshoremore was full at 11pm on one particular night and at Cannabeinne near Durness the area above the beach was covered with tents.
Mrs Meek continued: “People have submitted photos of overflowing bins, rubbish and waste left behind in the places where they park, faeces, toilet tissue and campfire remains,”
Scenic Dornoch with its beautiful beach has long been a magnet for visitors
Dornoch Community Council chairman Patrick Murray said: “Every year the problem of unregulated camper vans parking at the beach, wild campers pitching tents on and around the car park and inconsiderate campers leaving litter and human excrement gets worse and with the partial ending of lock-down this year the problem has once again reared its head.
“There are actions that need to be considered, both at a national and Highland level, to ensure that those campervan users and wild campers who currently make no contribution to the local economy pay at least something towards the extra burden on those facilities that the Highland Council and local communities have to bear.
“In addition, we believe that urgent consideration should be given to changes in the law to make the currently voluntary codes of good practice for wild and roadside camping compulsory.”
In liaison with Highland Council and Dornoch Area Community Interest Company, the community council is set to erect new signs emphasising the overnight parking restrictions on campervans and motorhomes.
And Highland Council enforcement officers are to make random visits to ensure restrictions are being followed.
The possibility is also being investigated of introducing a by-law against wild camping in areas near towns or on Common Good land.
Mr Murray added: “The situation will be monitored to see how the new enforcement action goes, but hopefully we will start to get the message out to the online campervan community that overnight stays in the beach car park are not acceptable.
"We are also working with Highland Council to get more waste bins and more frequent emptying at the beach and airfied car parks."
Golspie Community Council held an emergency meeting on Wednesday night following rising concern over the volume of visitors.
Afterwards the group posted: “The community council met to scope options for short term bridging solutions to help accommodate the growing numbers of holiday makers. It is hoped that these will be in place in the next few days or a week at most.
Community Council secretary Henrietta Marriott told the Northern Times that it was a multi-layered problem and that the lack of infrastructure and services was at the root.
