walkhighlands

This forum is for general discussion about walking and scrambling... If writing a report or sharing your experiences from a route, please use the other boards.

Campervans

Re: Campervans

Postby MacHairy » Tue Aug 02, 2022 4:19 pm

Too many campervans is just one part of an overall problem which started with financial / political events which sent the value of the pound down against other currencies making it more expensive for us (Brits) to go abroad and conversely less expensive for people from abroad to come here, a double whammy, meaning more visitors from overseas AND more Brits holidaying at home. Then Covid hit, preventing anyone from going abroad for a couple of years, which meant that as soon as anyone could go on holiday again they did it here rather than abroad.

As a regular visitor to Skye and Mull in particular over the past few decades I have noticed a staggering upswing in the sheer numbers of visitors going to tourist honeypots - taking Skye alone, the road verges near the official parking for The Old Man Of Storr and The Quiraing were being all but destroyed over the past several years by a relentless tide of vehicles overflow parking on them - it went on for a few years and then the authorities finally provided more actual parking places to help with demand, but also starting charging for them.

Once tranquil paths winding up through the Fairy Pools in Skye have become ugly, eroded scars, as have the road verges nearby. In Portree, up until a few years ago I could get parked in the large free car park below the town centre at any reasonable time, lately I have found that I need to get there before about 9:30 or 10 in the morning to have any hope of finding a place.

Just back in July, I stayed (In a hotel) for half a week in the Arisaig / Morar area and I went to have an evening drive out to walk on Camusdarach beach - I ended up just driving past because every little side bubble and patch of gravel by the side of the road had a campervan parked on it. The relatively few cars among them seemed to belong to people who had just rocked up and decided to pitch a tent, anywhere they felt like it, for the night. I carried on to Morar, hoping to find it a bit more peaceful there: Same thing, the little road by the side of the beach was smothered in vehicles which didn't look like they were going to move any time soon, and there were tents on the beach and about 5-6 campfires burning on the white sand. In the end, I just turned around and headed back to base.

Staycationing is also affecting prices - I never used to have any problem finding myself a little B&B room at a reasonable price in my favourite locations, but now the same places which used to be £25 a night several years ago are asking as much as £80 a night, because they can, because a lot of the well off people for whom money and a holiday in an exotic place abroad was never any object 'discovered' Scotland, Cornwall, etc when they couldn't go abroad, and accommodation providers are naturally charging whatever the market will stand, which is good if you happen to run a hotel or B&B, but not so much if you need to stay in one at a reasonable price.
MacHairy
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Jun 6, 2019

Re: Campervans

Postby al78 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 6:49 pm

Giant Stoneater wrote:I don't drive but a regular passenger,its not just campervans that are a problem other motorists create problems as well,some don't seem to comprehend what speed limits are with some crawling along at 40mph on 60mph roads etc.


Is it specifically campervans that are the problem, or is it people with minimal situational awareness? Where I live in the SE, we often get dog walkers where the presence of the dog causes the visible universe to shrink to half a meter around their body, so they and the dog consume the entire width of any path and they are oblivious to anyone trying to get past them and their dog which is sniffing every square inch of the verge. I think there is generally a lack of thought, possibly because we lived in such a safe world that the need and instinct to maintain awareness has declined.
User avatar
al78
Walker
 
Posts: 1409
Munros:32   Corbetts:9
Donalds:1
Joined: Feb 1, 2018

Re: Campervans

Postby jayedubya73 » Tue Aug 02, 2022 9:28 pm

This thread makes me laugh.

I have a campervan. I've never parked in a stupid place, never left anything behind me. I am constantly stuck behind the 45mph brigade and get as frustrated at the dawdlers as much as anyone else.

Caravans. Oversized caravans towed by underpowered cars has to be made into a film called "The Nightmare of the A82". They should ban them from the road except 2am - 4am.

Failing that, I use Plan A. To get up as early as possible and get on my way. Left the house at 4.30am on Friday last week to get to the Grey Corries by 7am. Roads were deserted, it was an easy drive north (avoiding the A82).
User avatar
jayedubya73
Hill Bagger
 
Posts: 59
Munros:231   Corbetts:6
Fionas:5   Donalds:12+6
Sub 2000:5   Hewitts:3
Wainwrights:3   Islands:4
Joined: Apr 18, 2017
Location: Cumbernauld

Re: Campervans

Postby Bridge » Wed Aug 03, 2022 8:00 pm

A few years ago, while getting the ferry and rickety bus to Cape Wrath, we were talking to a couple from overseas. They were a week into a 3 week holiday: 2 weeks in Scotland, in a motorhome and then a week in London, in an hotel. They remarked that today was the first time they had spent any money other than to the motorhome company and the supermarket. That they didn’t even have to stop for a cup of tea as they could make it themselves. However, when they arrived in London they would be going to shows, restaurants, attractions, shops etc!
I think visit Scotland has got this all wrong. They should be charging a levy on these type of holidays and in return the customer should receive some money off vouchers for restaurant etc and tokens to discharge their waste at appropriate sites.
Bridge
Walker
 
Posts: 17
Munros:84   
Joined: May 28, 2016
Location: Hertfordshire

Re: Campervans

Postby Sgurr » Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:10 pm

"Discharging their waste at appropriate sites" here here. A massive campervan, which must have had toilet facilities drew up and parked opposite my house, which does have a very nice view. Out popped a small child and peed, not even through the drain grating, but in the gutter. Must have been okayed to do this by parents. This is in a TOWN. I imagine it is worse in the country side. Let's have some "appropriate sites".
User avatar
Sgurr
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 5679
Munros:282   Corbetts:222
Fionas:219   Donalds:89+52
Sub 2000:569   Hewitts:172
Wainwrights:214   Islands:58
Joined: Nov 15, 2010
Location: Fife

Re: Campervans

Postby jupe1407 » Wed Aug 03, 2022 9:43 pm

Folk emptying chemical waste into rivers, laybys and in one case on social media last year, simply poured out onto the road is probably the worst of the worst. I'd happily have anyone caught doing this fined £10,000 minimum. There's absolutely no mitigation for that behaviour at all.
User avatar
jupe1407
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1501
Munros:269   Corbetts:52
Fionas:12   
Sub 2000:7   
Islands:6
Joined: May 15, 2012
Location: Forfar

Re: Campervans

Postby cruachan06 » Thu Aug 04, 2022 2:46 pm

Sadly it's not just the Highlands, I've posted before about Chatelherault Country Park which is my local park putting up no overnight camping signs in the car parks because of this sort of behaviour there, I've seen it posted a few places that it's a convenient stopping point close to the M74 for those heading up north.

It's a problem all over Britain, the tourist boards say "come here, it's great" and then don't provide any sort of facilities or information on how people should behave - hence the chaos on Snowdon when all the toilets were closed on one of the busiest weekends of the year. Public toilets and drinking fountains are a rarity in towns these days, never mind in rural areas, it's only recently that Scottish Water has started providing fountains in large railway stations and on routes like the WHW.
cruachan06
Walker
 
Posts: 274
Fionas:1   Donalds:1
Sub 2000:2   
Wainwrights:1   Islands:2
Joined: Jun 22, 2021
Location: South Lanarkshire

Re: Campervans

Postby mynthdd2 » Fri Aug 05, 2022 4:23 pm

Campervan websites repeatedly use the term 'wild camping'.....I suppose if they use a term long enough (even if its totally wrong usage) then it becomes acceptable?
User avatar
mynthdd2
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 541
Islands:34
Joined: Feb 14, 2013
Location: Newcastle Upon Tyne

Re: Campervans

Postby prog99 » Fri Aug 05, 2022 6:49 pm

I was stuck behind a Kia hatchback today whilst trying to make progress to scourie in my van.
Should we start a witch-hunt against them now?
No, thought not.
User avatar
prog99
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 2022
Fionas:130   
Joined: Aug 14, 2013
Location: Highlands

Re: Campervans

Postby Tringa » Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:30 pm

mynthdd2 wrote:Campervan websites repeatedly use the term 'wild camping'.....I suppose if they use a term long enough (even if its totally wrong usage) then it becomes acceptable?


Good point. It really annoys me when I see people who are travelling by motor go on about,

(a) where they can 'wild camp', or
(b) how they 'wild camped' in xxxx

no they can't and no they did not.

Dave
User avatar
Tringa
 
Posts: 309
Joined: Sep 2, 2008
Location: London

Re: Campervans

Postby tolkienabouthills » Fri Aug 05, 2022 7:33 pm

prog99 wrote:I was stuck behind a Kia hatchback today whilst trying to make progress to scourie in my van.
Should we start a witch-hunt against them now?
No, thought not.


Actually you're onto something here. We should witch-hunt all private vehicles and introduce massive investment in public transport in the highlands. That way you decrease the negative effects of idiots in cars/vans/whatever and you benefit the local communities.
User avatar
tolkienabouthills
Rambler
 
Posts: 70
Munros:17   Corbetts:2
Hewitts:8
Wainwrights:16   Islands:2
Joined: Nov 9, 2014

Re: Campervans

Postby jupe1407 » Fri Aug 05, 2022 10:47 pm

prog99 wrote:I was stuck behind a Kia hatchback today whilst trying to make progress to scourie in my van.
Should we start a witch-hunt against them now?
No, thought not.


If it was a Kia Picanto, then yes.
User avatar
jupe1407
Mountain Walker
 
Posts: 1501
Munros:269   Corbetts:52
Fionas:12   
Sub 2000:7   
Islands:6
Joined: May 15, 2012
Location: Forfar

Re: Campervans

Postby MacHairy » Sat Aug 06, 2022 12:58 am

I used to have this same irrational prejudice against Mini Metros. If I was ever on a three lane carriageway being held up behind a massive knot of traffic caused by something bimbling along at 40MPH in the middle lane, that something was always a Mini Metro. I have no idea why, especially when drivers of regular Minis didn't behave that way at all.
MacHairy
 
Posts: 20
Joined: Jun 6, 2019

Re: Campervans

Postby 4810 » Sat Aug 06, 2022 6:42 am

There are lots of inexperienced and consequently incompetent folks driving hired vans but partying in Benidorm vs in a lay-by off the A87… it’s a fad, peak camper may already have passed.
4810
 
Posts: 38
Munros:146   Corbetts:33
Fionas:21   
Sub 2000:40   
Islands:15
Joined: Jul 14, 2017
Location: North East Scotland

Re: Campervans

Postby JohnZD » Sun Aug 07, 2022 11:07 pm

MacHairy wrote:I used to have this same irrational prejudice against Mini Metros. If I was ever on a three lane carriageway being held up behind a massive knot of traffic caused by something bimbling along at 40MPH in the middle lane, that something was always a Mini Metro. I have no idea why, especially when drivers of regular Minis didn't behave that way at all.

Ouch :wink: :D I racked up 35k miles in 18 months in my Metro travelling all over Scotland as fast as I could in my early Munro bagging days
JohnZD
Munro compleatist
 
Posts: 75
Munros:53   Corbetts:8
Fionas:55   Donalds:89
Sub 2000:16   Hewitts:25
Wainwrights:4   Islands:17
Joined: Jan 19, 2020
Location: Falkirk

PreviousNext



Can you help support Walkhighlands?


Our forum is free from adverts - your generosity keeps it running.
Can you help support Walkhighlands and this community by donating by direct debit?



Return to General discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: malolis and 20 guests