Motorhome Aires for the Highlands - Temp. Locked
Interesting article on the BBC regarding the provision of Continental type Aires in the Highlands, see here https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-54887204
David
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Yes encouraging news indeed, the NT is also going to start allowing overnight stays for motorhomes on selected sites and it expected the Scotish Forestry Commission will continue with allowing use of its car parks next year as well.
peedee
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good article but one paragraph sums it up for me
"We welcome tourists in the Highlands, but we need to make sure we have the right infrastructure in place for them"
great building aires type stop overs, which would encourage more MH's, but what about the roads infrastructure, having driven coaches in the highlands for a couple of years, some areas are a positive nightmare, and that was 12 years ago, and sorry to say, that some of the people that are currently getting behind the wheel of a 7m MH have probably never driven anything bigger than a Ford Focus
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Yes encouraging news indeed , agreed, and was pleased the article recognised the dangers of not providing some facilities, e.g. illegal wild camping, and the dumping of waste etc that goes hand in hand with this.
It is just a pity also that some of these people who are "living the dream" are not prepared to put their hands in their pockets and fork out £5 or £10 to pay for such facilities.
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It is just a pity also that some of these people who are "living the dream" are not prepared to put their hands in their pockets and fork out £5 or £10 to pay for such facilities
On a recent survy of motorhome owners 96 percent said they would pay. I hope the new facilities will be charged for and any profit made used to make improvements.
peedee
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Yes, I remember the lovely old road dipping in and out along the coast. I'm glad I've seen these places in their old settings. Even Shetland has one big modern road thanks to the oil industry and the EU, it's a sort of road to nowhere!
I see many of these things as unrelenting "progress."
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I've just lost a post. My hope would be that Scotland adds more National Park status to areas which are going to need better controls on visitor numbers. My own feeling is that Aires, whilst a good idea, will inevitably lead to increased demand and less protection for some areas of AONB.
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At least the Highland Council appear to be taking a pragmatic view of the situation. A few simple steps like encouraging landowners to accommodate a few motorhomes, more parking areas and perhaps more important the provision of water/waste/rubbish facilities would overcome a lot of the negative comments surrounding the NC500. It might well encourage more to visit but if that happens anyway without facilities it will only get worse. Perhaps an opportunity for a few Club sites to have transit facilities for motorhomes?
David
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That's an interesting link and, as I said the other day, the aires are creeping in.
I noticed a picture of Sango Sands, Durness in an associated article and would point out that huge cluster of LVs is actually a commercial site. They're not wild camping. My pics are 2014 in quieter times.
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One problem with the rush to the north is the length of journey to get there. I was sad to read about the squalid rubbish left behind in the Cairngorms (it was just as bad in Devon this year.) Is it education that's needed or will it get worse, whether a few aires appear or not?
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Great to see this when i read the news this morning.
Hopefully other areas in the Uk will follow having seen problems in Wales this year.I also hope that discussions on Aires in the UK or lack of, are not taken down in future from the club site as has been the case in the past. The last one I tried to start disappeared quickly!
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When away last week we were told of an Aire in Ullapool, its behind the hotel (I think its the Royal) spaces for 6 vans £10 a night can be booked in advance, it includes facilities. Its free to 'park' during the day. Also another one at Uig on Isle of Skye.
There seems to be a few popping up
the Forestry ones have been popular it seems. One problem with the rush to the north is the length of journey to get there
I know what you mean, we feel like that when thinking of going to Dorset, Somerset, Kent, Devon and Cornwall. We always try to see something on our way to/from the ferry it doesn't seem so bad then.
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I think the point about sites anywhere giving access to motor caravans has been posted on CT already,and failed to get much response ,the ccc already offer "stop off" facilities on sites, but it seems it costs too much? for some to use it
Infrastruture needs paying for and maintaining which needs to be payed for by those who use them just one cost
How much to empty cess pits? £200 and more per load
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There is an aire come cl type spot at Kinlochverbie with hook up run by the local community, you can stay with a caravan, beautiful spot right on the quayside. I stayed there last year I think it was £10 per night pay at spar shop. Every night after the spar shop was closed camper vans would come, dump waste water empty toilet tank and fill up with water then away on their journey. Not bad for free.
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Not saying that it is right, but at least they are not wild dumping their waste, as many are reputable doing.
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That is one of the main reasons ,motorcaravaners get tarred with the same brush of pariahs , spoiling it for those who stay in proper areas and pay their wayto help out local communities
I would quite unashamably take numbers of those vehicles and pass them on to the local shop owners for them to follow up
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They all did it when the shop was closed and I never saw an honesty box. They could have posted money through the shop letter box. I wouldn’t hold your breath though. This location is a few miles of the beaten track, it’s as if these people know where to go and when sop is closed.
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They do know because details such as that are published on social media.
Some sites on the Northern Isles keep their waste disposal points and facilities locked because of this type of abuse.
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I agree that it is wrong, but the cost of the water will be a lot less than the cost both money wise for clean up, and to the environment in the damage done with dirty dumping.
I am not condoning their action, but trying to look at the whole picture.
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Not seen "just anywhere" in the UK, but it was quite a common occurance in Spain, a friend who had a MH said some of the wild camping spots in Spain stank of sewage.
In the UK in our local area I have seen people emptying the toilet cartridge in the public loo on more than one occasion, not very nice when you are confronted with Aqua blue all over the toilet and floor, and although not seen, the LC were made aware of a problem of dumping in the sea at Tichfield Haven, council bowed to pressure and gave the offenders a key to the disabled toilet, this was during first lock down, they had to call out dynorod twice to unblock the toilet, guess us as rate payers paid for that.
I think these offenders are of a certain type, but as somebody said all MH's get tarred by the same brush.0 -
Do the Scottish authorities have a costed financial plan for their proposal? Cornwall Council opened a similar transit Aire on the A38 near Liskeard last year for gypsy and traveller families. Space for 15 caravans or motorhomes, tarmac, provision of fresh water, electricity, sewage disposal, garbage collection and so on - the start up cost came to £1.75 million. There was a 50% grant and we paid the rest- residents on the Aire pay £7 a night.
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