Scotland being ruined

[Scotia]

As for pussbook it is full of keyboard warriors, does it also have comments from the people who rely on visitors to make a living and also employ locals, these shouting should look at the larger picture and ask themselves when the wee local shop closes or the petrol station closes how far am i going to have to travel now. Two sides to the coin. Im not in support of abuse of the countryside quite the opposite but my view is what is happening now is not caused by people like yourself who have used a motorhome for a long time but some of those hiring may be the culprits of the crap left around along with day tripers. But i still see there is space for everyone.

 

[vintageb3]

how did you know his name was___ jock ___ a wee bit of racism there lassie.

how did you know his name was___ jock ___ a wee bit of racism there lassie.

Did you even read all of the OP?...michty me!

 

[Grainfoot]

I still dont get your attitude im here first now move on, what gives you the right to claim that area as yours in the middle of nowhere? especially when YOU are visiting the area. I could see you getting annoyed if they were being rowdy or playing loud music till the early hours .It gives you the chance to meet like minded people or dont you find it easy to get on with someone you have not met before? Approaching someone with an aggressive atitude from the start is asking for trouble as one day you will meet the wrong person . Each to their own i suppose.

Look at the title of the post Scotland Being ruined. Groups of campers and moterhomes together, not on campsites is not recognised acceptable practice without landowners permission. One campervan off road somewhere discreet has always been accepted. That's why I get upset with groups of vans together.

 

[Scotia]

Look at the title of the post Scotland Being ruined. Groups of campers and moterhomes together, not on campsites is not recognised acceptable practice without landowners permission. One campervan off road somewhere discreet has always been accepted. That's why I get upset with groups of vans together.

If you were discreet no one will have seen you or the other two who tried to park up beside you. Not every square mile in Scotland is suited for parking off road, we have a lot of bog and forestry . Personally i dont see the attraction on parking by the side of the road but off road out the road discreetly even with three vans who is going to see that?

 

[vintageb3]

I fitted a DIY SOG with carbon filter for under £20. No smells in the van or out. We still use bio liquid Which is biodegradable and septic tank safe. It’s nicer to empty and keeps the cassette clean. Then I bought a second cassette for our Thetford toilet. Only needed it once but it’s there if we need it. It gives a chance to find a proper place to empty. Now, the first cassette I bought had a faulty seal. We were away up in Torridon freedom camping when we discovered the seal was causing a smell issue. So...as I was cleaning the enclosure I had the cassette on the ground outside the van. We were parked next to a very lovely duck pond with a burn running on to the beach and into the sea. A young woman passed and her look would have cut your head off. I kept looking at her as she disappeared into the distance and she periodically turned with a dirty look. I knew what she was thinking. She thought that I had just dumped my cassette over the wall into the burn! It started raining so we tidied up and jumped in the van for a coffee. About 10 minutes later an older woman chapped on the door and politely asked if we had just dumped out cassette in the burn. We said most definitely not! I jumped out and showed her our cassette was still half full...and our empty cassette. She apologised and told us the young woman was her hotel cleaner and was from Skye. It happens there a lot it seems. I would never dump my cassette anywhere in the wilds. Horrible thought! We're looking at a composting or urine diverting toilet. Get a lot longer between the dumping of solids...plus you just bag the moss or coconut coir and dump it in a trash can. It’s all dry. You empty liquids daily or every other day. No smells either as there’s a filtered vent outside. We intend not being part of the problem so no one can point a finger. It’s the only solution I can see in the near future. Local councils don’t have money to put in waste tanks. I’ve suggested that the forestry scheme should be £15 a night and they install tanks. Probably wouldn’t cover the cost of the tanks and collection of waste though.

 

[Webby]

Lets not forget that the whole of the NC500 is "owned" (how does that happen by a Danish billionaire Anders Hoch Povlsen .

Perhaps he is the one who should be providing a few more facilities..............the Anders Hoch Portaloo and waste disposal installations.

Well done that man......lots of approval and thanks.................What else is there for a billionaire to spend money on.

Anyone know his address ?

 

[Grainfoot]

Lets not forget that the whole of the NC500 is "owned" (how does that happen by a Danish billionaire Anders Hoch Povlsen .

Perhaps he is the one who should be providing a few more facilities..............the Anders Hoch Portaloo and waste disposal installations.

Well done that man......lots of approval and thanks.................What else is there for a billionaire to spend money on.

Anyone know his address ?

He is the largest private land owner in Scotland and I think he owns the company behind the name NC500. Not sure what the company puts back into area development but they have some big names for partners and sponsors. They should be fronting a lot of the development for the much needed facilities in the area. It might happen, it's early days yet.

 

[Barge1914]

I recently had cause to write to our local councillor about a sudden rash of months overnight parking’ signs in the Peak District. People had been complains about litter she said...this is part of my reply...I’ve yet to hear any more...


<<You have touched on a subject that probably annoys responsible motorhome owners more than locals...LITTER. Whoever wants to spend a night in a carpark that is full of litter...for a night it’s our garden. Many motorhomers, including myself often clear up other people’s litter from carparks where we stay, in fact we have a group called the Motorhome Wombles.

Nearly all the litter comes from people in the far more numerous cars. Yet strangely no-one bans cars from car parks. Sadly people are so prejudiced, they see a motorhome in a car park, they see rubbish and bingo they conflate the two and come over all-righteous. People in cars unlike motorhomers have nowhere to store their rubbish. Many simply don’t care, and others use absence of a bin as an excuse to throw rubbish out of the window. We have our own bags and bins that we can empty when we find a proper place.

Let me describe two recent experiences.

Small viewpoint car park near Earby, Lancs.
Arrive before lunch, clear up a considerable amount of litter including things like cans, wrappers, packaging for a new iPhone and glue sniffers bong (or something worse). Several cars arrive for the view and lunch, no one gets out yet when they go there’s a new collection of fast food containers, sandwich wrappers and cans...yet the carpark has two bins! Clear it up again. Go for a walk, come back, it’s full of rubbish again...we were the only van there all day, and I knew that if any local saw rubbish we would be the ones getting the blame.

Taf Fechan Forest car park, Brecons. Clean when we arrived. Busy August weekend. 3 motorhomes there, us, a German couple and some East Europeans, nothing put outside, no rubbish deposited. Many dozens of cars came and left. Litter and bags of picnic waste dumped everywhere. Romanians with tents on the verge. People lighting fires (in a Forest!!!) one of which I had to later to put out. Disposable barbeques, which people abandoned without extinguishing. People disappearing into the woods with camping equipment. I had to have sharp words with a couple who planned ‘leaving their tent for others’. Sunday afternoon quiet again, just about to get out the litter-picker when a young guy and his son get out a bin bag and start to clear up the mess. Congratulating him I discover he’s Russian “in Russia we always clear up everybody’s mess after a weekend in the forest...it’s traditional”...we could learn something from the Russians after all.

Powys is very welcoming but if this continues, who do you think will be banned...cars? Of course there are bad eggs in every basket, but you know the saying...find a crime, search for the guilty, punish the innocent...it’s easier that way. It’s so infuriating...especially to find the same happening in my own neck of the woods.

Some car park owners who let motorhomes stay overnight say they appreciate having us there because they have less vandalism and bad behaviour when there’s eyes there to see what’s going on.

Litterers should be dealt with as litterers who ever they are, there are ample laws for this. Defining and punishing groups according to the transgressions of a minority has in law been illegal since the 19th Century. Try banning all cars from roads because a few speed and imagine the reaction you would get!

Perhaps you could pass this on to whoever expressed concern about litter.>>

 

[Jeanette]

The post I replied to of yours had no mention of tents in it, had it done so I may have had a different reply for you, tenters I believe if no facility's available it's only nature to have to go to the toilet somewhere,so yes I believe about the tenters or a majority of them as some may have a portaloo, but as I said your post had no mention of tents just a motorhomer emptying or going to empty his cassette into a stream in front of someone who lives there, to me it's fiction made up to harm the motorhoming community, although I do believe that dumping of waste does happen..... on this occasion I don't think it did..

[/QUOTE]

The post I replied to of yours had no mention of tents in it, had it done so I may have had a different reply for you, tenters I believe if no facility's available it's only nature to have to go to the toilet somewhere,so yes I believe about the tenters or a majority of them as some may have a portaloo, but as I said your post had no mention of tents just a motorhomer emptying or going to empty his cassette into a stream in front of someone who lives there, to me it's fiction made up to harm the motorhoming community, although I do believe that dumping of waste does happen..... on this occasion I don't think it did..

jimhunter4 just saw your post and as for no mention of tents I did say in post #18 about the local seeing 20/25 tents and no facilities because I agreed with Tissy D

 

[Tweedy]

Well, really hacked off about this, which I knew was happening and would happen anyway.
Good lady was speaking to her sister tonight who lives in Ballachuilish, works in the Fort and covers most of Lochaber in a Primary care roll.
Locals are disgusted by Motorhomers and Wild Campers crapping and emptying their toilet cassettes at side of road, lay byes and other places.
NC 500 is particularly bad.
I know this will again glean unpleasant responses to me but that is what is happening.
I have travelled most of Scotland all my life since I was about 5 yrs old with my family in Strontian and areas, at 15 cycled Dundee -Fort W, and what everyone now calls the 500, Motorbiked it, drove it and hitched it before the Tourist Board listed it as such and never saw another human being generally.
Shame on anyone not paying this country the respect it deserves, if by just staying away or at least having some kind of plan on where you can stay, travel and at least leave it as you would expect to view it.
I am sure I will get responses like, `we were there and never saw anything like that! and we drove 500 miles to see it`, .
You are most likely the offenders.
1 seriouslly hacked off jock.

well I ha e to agree with you but once again the Minority get the rest a bad name and in this case it’s it’s also a health hazard in this case its also a health hazard but it’s not just Motorhomes there was one hell of a mess not far from Applecross where tents and I mean family size tents had pitched up in a wooded area and frankly it looked like a tip. Tere is no excuse for unloading grey and black water anywhere other than a dedicated facility, I cane across quit a few sites that let people dispose of their waste for a fee and that I think is a good idea. My son and family along with myself an my wife toured the NC500 using camp sites that we had booked well ahead of the holiday apart from two that we booked into along the route and really they where not expensive with dam good facilities, one was a council owned harbour site with all the facilities other than a toilets block all for £15 a night. We did our bit along the route by cleaning up a lay-by that had a bit of rubbish strewn around but of courses anyone could have left it. So I say Don’t Be Mean Keep It Clean.

 

[badgerdid]

I do wonder though how many of these people who are apparently dumping there sh@@ tanks are actually dumping grey waste? Most people observing would automatically jump to conclusions and not realise it’s just the same stuff they dump every day down there sinks.
if it is dirty tanks then they want shooting, but it’s more than likely most are grey tanks.

 

[Jimhunterj4]

jimhunter4 just saw your post and as for no mention of tents I did say in post #18 about the local seeing 20/25 tents and no facilities because I agreed with Tissy D
[/QUOTE]
Yes that's correct, and you did mention this in a post but that was numerous posts after I replied to your original #3 post.

 

[Jimhunterj4]

well I ha e to agree with you but once again the Minority get the rest a bad name and in this case it’s it’s also a health hazard in this case its also a health hazard but it’s not just Motorhomes there was one hell of a mess not far from Applecross where tents and I mean family size tents had pitched up in a wooded area and frankly it looked like a tip. Tere is no excuse for unloading grey and black water anywhere other than a dedicated facility, I cane across quit a few sites that let people dispose of their waste for a fee and that I think is a good idea. My son and family along with myself an my wife toured the NC500 using camp sites that we had booked well ahead of the holiday apart from two that we booked into along the route and really they where not expensive with dam good facilities, one was a council owned harbour site with all the facilities other than a toilets block all for £15 a night. We did our bit along the route by cleaning up a lay-by that had a bit of rubbish strewn around but of courses anyone could have left it. So I say Don’t Be Mean Keep It Clean.

View attachment 56223View attachment 56224

Angela and I clean up any mess most of the time that others left behind while we're parked up but get this, I was told by someone else that pulled up "good to see your responsible and tidying up your mess" or words to that effect, I just chuckled..

 

[technispark]

Campsites in the highlands have been seriously overcrowded this summer. Many sites have not opened at all. Toilets closed. No disposal facilities available. Lots of first time visitors. Lots of first time motorhomers. Lots of hired vans. Lots of tent campers with nowhere to go. No wonder there is a problem. Its not just in the Highlands. The powers that be are saying " holiday in the UK" then not dealing with the infrastructure problems.

I agree, Why the campsites are choosing to miss out on this boom in holidaying in the UK escapes me, and to open a campsite and not open the facilities block, then charge the normal amount is just criminal. I have noticed that the sites operated by the big 2 'clubs' are the worst at just not bothering to open. Then they complain that they are in financial difficulty.... it beggars belief!

 

[TimSands]

I agree, Why the campsites are choosing to miss out on this boom in holidaying in the UK escapes me, and to open a campsite and not open the facilities block, then charge the normal amount is just criminal. I have noticed that the sites operated by the big 2 'clubs' are the worst at just not bothering to open. Then they complain that they are in financial difficulty.... it beggars belief!

I agree with this. I know the Camping and Caravanning Club offer the opportunity to use the services for a fee at some sites. It seems to me that a fiver to empty toilet, grey waste and fill up with water is a useful service that would benefit CMC and C&C members including me who also wild camp and help club finances. The problem with the clubs is that they really want to corral us into their sites and still dont really get motorhoming as opposed to caravanning. My wild camping is limited by the need to empty the toilet most days so tends to be one night wild then a night in a site. We really do need a more enlightened attitude towards wild camping. And I have never emptied the cassette anywhere I shouldnt just to say

 

[Mevi]

I imagine all the people on this forum are the kind, respectful, considerate campers that we hope for. I know I drive a builders van with cupboards, but like others here, I'd never dream of behaving so badly. I even separate my bins for recycling.

Sadly, there's probably not a forum just for the eff-wits that give everyone a bad name.

 

[Shonky]

Well, really hacked off about this, which I knew was happening and would happen anyway.
Good lady was speaking to her sister tonight who lives in Ballachuilish, works in the Fort and covers most of Lochaber in a Primary care roll.
Locals are disgusted by Motorhomers and Wild Campers crapping and emptying their toilet cassettes at side of road, lay byes and other places.
NC 500 is particularly bad.
I know this will again glean unpleasant responses to me but that is what is happening.
I have travelled most of Scotland all my life since I was about 5 yrs old with my family in Strontian and areas, at 15 cycled Dundee -Fort W, and what everyone now calls the 500, Motorbiked it, drove it and hitched it before the Tourist Board listed it as such and never saw another human being generally.
Shame on anyone not paying this country the respect it deserves, if by just staying away or at least having some kind of plan on where you can stay, travel and at least leave it as you would expect to view it.
I am sure I will get responses like, `we were there and never saw anything like that! and we drove 500 miles to see it`, .
You are most likely the offenders.
1 seriouslly hacked off jock.

II live in Cornwall, it is overflowing with tourists, rubbish everywhere,roads choking with visitors,but hell we need the money this brings in, and yes the council should take more responsibility with more rubbish bins, our local fishing harbour attracts hundreds of visitors, with many shops for food and drink which generate a lot of rubbish and not one bin!!( Signs saying take you rubbish back to where you got it) yer OK like that's going to happen?. We need tourists, we need the support network in place. People are encouraged to holiday in UK now, I as many have gone touring in Europe staying at free to stay overnight sites, and most if not all have a Elsan, we are so far from Europe in this regard. We need too change!!.

 

[linkshouse]

II live in Cornwall, it is overflowing with tourists, rubbish everywhere,roads choking with visitors,but hell we need the money this brings in, and yes the council should take more responsibility with more rubbish bins, our local fishing harbour attracts hundreds of visitors, with many shops for food and drink which generate a lot of rubbish and not one bin!!( Signs saying take you rubbish back to where you got it) yer OK like that's going to happen?. We need tourists, we need the support network in place. People are encouraged to holiday in UK now, I as many have gone touring in Europe staying at free to stay overnight sites, and most if not all have a Elsan, we are so far from Europe in this regard. We need too change!!.

Ha ha, you're dead right. "Take your rubbish back where you got it" does that mean take the paper/box back to the chippy, take your cup back to the coffee shop!!!

 

[Jimhunterj4]

Ha ha, you're dead right. "Take your rubbish back where you got it" does that mean take the paper/box back to the chippy, take your cup back to the coffee shop!!!

What about the black waste ? Lol don't fancy putting that back ha ha

 

[linkshouse]

What about the black waste ? Lol don't fancy putting that back ha ha

Ha ha. If you see somebody with a plastic apron, hosepipe and a funnel; run as fast as you can