Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
-
92kk k100lt 193214
- Posts: 2336
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:32 pm
- Location: Ireland Cork
- Has thanked: 52 times
- Been thanked: 158 times
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
Wild and free camping unfortunately does bring problems.
I love wild camping but sadly many of the nice places can be scary, with problems of groups out of hand, opportunistic theft etc and I am not sure how to arrive at a balance.
Most of us go on a bike, like to find somewhere nice and leave it as we found it. But we are not the problem. France has a solution of banning fires in many places with good reason, to avoid forest fires. I imagine that alone bike is not likely to be disturbed as they are not the source of the problems. However it would seem that on what might be more popular weekends a good source of tourism will be lost.
The idea of an annual permit might be a good one, for a small fee you would be on a register maybe with a vehicle registration [I say maybe because what of bicycle camping, something I did a lot of as a teenager] so that you can easily either be checked out or log on a website to say where you are.
Some of these busy areas on long weekends filled with aggressive 'non' campers would put a ranger at serious personal risk.
So does this mean then that one should avoid some of the more scenic areas?
We have this lovely place called Hook Head down at Waterford Harbour. It has excellent flat grass areas and in good weather it fills with camping cars, caravans and tents in a most delightful way. On the waters edge, it's near the visitor centre that has a restaurant and toilets. Everyone sues the toilets and they make a good bit out of selling some excellent breakfasts and meals. On a calm sunny evening and morning with the sea all around it is idyllic. So far we are lucky it has not been spoiled by antisocial behaviour.
Sadly like many thing this is the result of ineffective policing. Having seen an incident in France one year makes me wonder why we cant do better. Some guys out of control, somehow a few Renault Trafic police vans rolled up and the police in decent numbers went in and shoved the lot of them in the back of the vans and took them off. When I asked what would happen the answer was simple, 2 days in a cell, no questions asked.
I love wild camping but sadly many of the nice places can be scary, with problems of groups out of hand, opportunistic theft etc and I am not sure how to arrive at a balance.
Most of us go on a bike, like to find somewhere nice and leave it as we found it. But we are not the problem. France has a solution of banning fires in many places with good reason, to avoid forest fires. I imagine that alone bike is not likely to be disturbed as they are not the source of the problems. However it would seem that on what might be more popular weekends a good source of tourism will be lost.
The idea of an annual permit might be a good one, for a small fee you would be on a register maybe with a vehicle registration [I say maybe because what of bicycle camping, something I did a lot of as a teenager] so that you can easily either be checked out or log on a website to say where you are.
Some of these busy areas on long weekends filled with aggressive 'non' campers would put a ranger at serious personal risk.
So does this mean then that one should avoid some of the more scenic areas?
We have this lovely place called Hook Head down at Waterford Harbour. It has excellent flat grass areas and in good weather it fills with camping cars, caravans and tents in a most delightful way. On the waters edge, it's near the visitor centre that has a restaurant and toilets. Everyone sues the toilets and they make a good bit out of selling some excellent breakfasts and meals. On a calm sunny evening and morning with the sea all around it is idyllic. So far we are lucky it has not been spoiled by antisocial behaviour.
Sadly like many thing this is the result of ineffective policing. Having seen an incident in France one year makes me wonder why we cant do better. Some guys out of control, somehow a few Renault Trafic police vans rolled up and the police in decent numbers went in and shoved the lot of them in the back of the vans and took them off. When I asked what would happen the answer was simple, 2 days in a cell, no questions asked.
1992 K100LT June 2010 110,000 miles
1984 K100RT July 2013 36,000 miles, 90,000
1983 K100RS Nov 2018 29,000 miles, 58,600 miles
1996 K1100LT Oct 2020 37,990 miles, 48,990 miles
1984 K100 Sprint March 2023 58,000 miles, 62,000 miles
1984 K100RT July 2013 36,000 miles, 90,000
1983 K100RS Nov 2018 29,000 miles, 58,600 miles
1996 K1100LT Oct 2020 37,990 miles, 48,990 miles
1984 K100 Sprint March 2023 58,000 miles, 62,000 miles
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
It's very simple. the dick heads will go to the places of least resistance, so a ban in those places is a great idea. I'd like to see a ban as well in Glen Etive for example.
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
Don't know if it's the same in Scotland, but down here in Wales, I've noticed in the last 10 years that the more they provide easy access without having to put any effort in or god forbid walk through the mud, the shittier a place gets.
Once they start putting in sufaced walkways, steps, etc, the Chavs and the "i'm a parent I'm too important and I don't have time to to pick up my shit I'll just chuck this bag of nappies and wet wipes in the bush" brigade arrive and ruin the place...
Once they start putting in sufaced walkways, steps, etc, the Chavs and the "i'm a parent I'm too important and I don't have time to to pick up my shit I'll just chuck this bag of nappies and wet wipes in the bush" brigade arrive and ruin the place...
-
92kk k100lt 193214
- Posts: 2336
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2013 10:32 pm
- Location: Ireland Cork
- Has thanked: 52 times
- Been thanked: 158 times
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
The problem is that the true wild camper is not doing it out of meanness or wanting to save money, its for the enjoyment of a place and enjoying either solitude or like minded company that money can't buy. Equally there is no rubbish or anything left damaged, the leave only your footprints rule generally works. We all know there are no facilities like electricity to charge a phone or piped water or public lighting and are prepared accordingly. Very fortunately most rural farmers/landowners can tell the difference and it is worth making a contact somewhere as its also an extra pair of eyes keeping a look out. Many of these places get so busy with a questionable occupancy and no supervision of any kind there is no way I would travel and camp solo in them and seek out quieter places.
When facilities appear then the character changes completely. KN0BBY has it 100% right there.
I had a fabulous evening wild camping one time when the farmer came down to have a look at the bike I had. Ended up sharing some food and tea and despite the massive age difference [he was old enough at the time to be my grandfather] he had some amazing stories and it certainly broke his evening as he lived on his own. Another one of these times camped in Kerry up by Caragh Lake [a paradise] I stopped to talk to an elderly woman and she proceeded to tell me about her family, all emigrated and not seen very much as it was long before internet and Skye and cheap phone calls. That led to an insistence to come up to her house for breakfast, something I did every time I camped there after that.
When facilities appear then the character changes completely. KN0BBY has it 100% right there.
I had a fabulous evening wild camping one time when the farmer came down to have a look at the bike I had. Ended up sharing some food and tea and despite the massive age difference [he was old enough at the time to be my grandfather] he had some amazing stories and it certainly broke his evening as he lived on his own. Another one of these times camped in Kerry up by Caragh Lake [a paradise] I stopped to talk to an elderly woman and she proceeded to tell me about her family, all emigrated and not seen very much as it was long before internet and Skye and cheap phone calls. That led to an insistence to come up to her house for breakfast, something I did every time I camped there after that.
1992 K100LT June 2010 110,000 miles
1984 K100RT July 2013 36,000 miles, 90,000
1983 K100RS Nov 2018 29,000 miles, 58,600 miles
1996 K1100LT Oct 2020 37,990 miles, 48,990 miles
1984 K100 Sprint March 2023 58,000 miles, 62,000 miles
1984 K100RT July 2013 36,000 miles, 90,000
1983 K100RS Nov 2018 29,000 miles, 58,600 miles
1996 K1100LT Oct 2020 37,990 miles, 48,990 miles
1984 K100 Sprint March 2023 58,000 miles, 62,000 miles
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
A lot of the problem is down to Festival camping, many of the people responsible for bad camping practice have only experienced camping at places like T in the Park where dumping all your shite at your feet is the norm.For anyone who has never festival camped have a look at this vid and you will get what I mean.
-
DavidS
- Posts: 1726
- Joined: Sat Sep 10, 2016 11:38 am
- Location: East Sussex
- Has thanked: 968 times
- Been thanked: 518 times
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
As ever, the few ruin it for everyone else.
As I have understood it, it is only a permit system, not a ban.
We have a permit system on some byways in Kent so they know who is permitted to ride them and they do regular stop checks apparently.
Maybe the reintroduction of wolves (and brown bears) would stop them. :laugh:
As I have understood it, it is only a permit system, not a ban.
We have a permit system on some byways in Kent so they know who is permitted to ride them and they do regular stop checks apparently.
Maybe the reintroduction of wolves (and brown bears) would stop them. :laugh:
2022 Triumph Tiger 900 Rally Pro sadly gone due to ill health.
Now on a 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X but may be fitter next year.
Now on a 2025 Triumph Scrambler 400X but may be fitter next year.
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
the last superally in belgium a harley rally, i could not believe how many tents and other equipment was left, i mean 100's of tents. more money and sense could not be bothered to pack them away.mabawza wrote:A lot of the problem is down to Festival camping, many of the people responsible for bad camping practice have only experienced camping at places like T in the Park where dumping all your shite at your feet is the norm.For anyone who has never festival camped have a look at this vid
and you will get what I mean.
i know plenty who will go to the big rallys and buy a cheap tent with no intention of bringing it away
steve
Re: Seasonal ban on wild camping in parts of Scotland
It needs it though. How and why people leave rubbish there is a total mystery to me. Id love to have stealth mounted machine guns with cameras and when people dump rubbish just blast them into oblivion.RandG wrote:A ban down Glen Etive is sadly inevitable I think which is sad cause it's a truly beautiful place.
