Walkhighlands

I noticed this weekend that parking is now £5 per day. On looking into it, Balmoral Estate has taken it over and the season ticket has gone from £15 to £60!
If you want a season ticket, go to the balmoral estate website.

I was there last month and discovered the £5 parking fee for cars (having diligently got £3 in coins ready!). Managed to find enough change to pay fortunately ... however van / campervan/ motorhome owners will need to check down the back of their sofas for more change, it's £10 a day for them. I assume that's to discourage campervanners from filling up the car park as a cheap overnighting place.

Luckily I went forearmed, but had to buy two or three small purchases in Ballater to break a £20 note into small change. My wife went to get the ticket while I sorted myself out and she can't remember if there was a card reader attached - is there one? Glen Tanar car park had a card reader (IMO Glen Tanar isn't really worth the £3, go to Kinordy instead, it's free and the walks are more interesting).

It could worse Snowdon Pen Y Pass car park.

Standard rates:

8 hrs - £18

8-12hrs - £25

12-24hrs - £40

Giant Stoneater wrote:It could worse Snowdon Pen Y Pass car park.

Standard rates:

8 hrs - £18

8-12hrs - £25

12-24hrs - £40

They charge that because they can. Pen Y Pass is always rammed full, it is the honiest of honeypot places (stick a big car park at the start of the easiest route up the highest mountain in the country, what do you expect?). When I did Crib Goch I parked a mile and a half along the road towards Llamberis where there is a layby.

They charge that because people except it and dont rebel against it, Lochnagar is no different big car park, easiest route, just watch and see what happens over the next few years.

I took the bus from Llanberis, i think all cars get ticketed along that road now.

Giant Stoneater wrote:They charge that because people except it and dont rebel against it, Lochnagar is no different big car park, easiest route, just watch and see what happens over the next few years.

I took the bus from Llanberis, i think all cars get ticketed along that road now.

Surely not here, which looks like a legitimate layby for parking and is where I parked.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZjQzVaPj8Gs9hNi7A

Glengavel wrote:Luckily I went forearmed, but had to buy two or three small purchases in Ballater to break a £20 note into small change. My wife went to get the ticket while I sorted myself out and she can't remember if there was a card reader attached - is there one? Glen Tanar car park had a card reader (IMO Glen Tanar isn't really worth the £3, go to Kinordy instead, it's free and the walks are more interesting).

No, there was no card reader at Spittal of Glen Muick

I usually buy the season ticket but not anymore! Don’t mind the £5 as it’s used for the paths. There are some verges you could park on but they have cones and no parking signs along them currently.

These Dick Turpin parking outfits have been rife in England and Wales for years and years and widely accepted by the locals. That's why it's no big deal.

The most worrying thing is that the greedy disease is spreading north virtually unopposed with many, of the generally well off, hill walkers saying they are quite happy to pay a fiver for parking because they drive a car and are loaded anyway, or words to that effect.

The real issue is that the present scottish government is turning Scotland into the same place they want to be independent from.

Sunset tripper wrote:These Dick Turpin parking outfits have been rife in England and Wales for years and years and widely accepted by the locals. That's why it's no big deal.

The most worrying thing is that the greedy disease is spreading north virtually unopposed with many, of the generally well off, hill walkers saying they are quite happy to pay a fiver for parking because they drive a car and are loaded anyway, or words to that effect.

The real issue is that the present scottish government is turning Scotland into the same place they want to be independent from.

Are the fines even enforceable if you choose not to pay? I got one at lidl once for being longer than an hour and upon checking it turned out they have to have a picture of the driver to enforce it. They can ask who was driving but you are under no obligation to answer. I ignored the threatening letters and they gave up.

Sunset tripper wrote:These Dick Turpin parking outfits have been rife in England and Wales for years and years and widely accepted by the locals. That's why it's no big deal.

The most worrying thing is that the greedy disease is spreading north virtually unopposed with many, of the generally well off, hill walkers saying they are quite happy to pay a fiver for parking because they drive a car and are loaded anyway, or words to that effect.

The real issue is that the present scottish government is turning Scotland into the same place they want to be independent from.

I would struggle to take almost anyone seriously if they own a car and claim they can't afford an occasional fiver for parking. The cost of owning and running a car is hundreds of pounds a year, so very poor people wouldn't be able to afford a car. If you pay £5 for parking once a fortnight that is £120 per year. I can almost guarentee there is a way to compensate for that expense in a year by reigning in spending money on other frivolous things.

al78 wrote:

Giant Stoneater wrote:They charge that because people except it and dont rebel against it, Lochnagar is no different big car park, easiest route, just watch and see what happens over the next few years.

I took the bus from Llanberis, i think all cars get ticketed along that road now.

Surely not here, which looks like a legitimate layby for parking and is where I parked.

https://goo.gl/maps/ZjQzVaPj8Gs9hNi7A

Laybys are supposed to be used as rest stops etc not for someone to park up and go hillwalking for 6 to 12 hrs depriving other folk the use of them.

al78 wrote:

Sunset tripper wrote:These Dick Turpin parking outfits have been rife in England and Wales for years and years and widely accepted by the locals. That's why it's no big deal.

The most worrying thing is that the greedy disease is spreading north virtually unopposed with many, of the generally well off, hill walkers saying they are quite happy to pay a fiver for parking because they drive a car and are loaded anyway, or words to that effect.

The real issue is that the present scottish government is turning Scotland into the same place they want to be independent from.

I would struggle to take almost anyone seriously if they own a car and claim they can't afford an occasional fiver for parking. The cost of owning and running a car is hundreds of pounds a year, so very poor people wouldn't be able to afford a car. If you pay £5 for parking once a fortnight that is £120 per year. I can almost guarentee there is a way to compensate for that expense in a year by reigning in spending money on other frivolous things.

So where does it all end?

Why didn't you happily pay the £18 or £40 to park at Pen y pass?
It sounds like you could have easily compensated for that by "reigning in spending money on other frivolous things".

Sunset tripper wrote:

al78 wrote:

Sunset tripper wrote:These Dick Turpin parking outfits have been rife in England and Wales for years and years and widely accepted by the locals. That's why it's no big deal.

The most worrying thing is that the greedy disease is spreading north virtually unopposed with many, of the generally well off, hill walkers saying they are quite happy to pay a fiver for parking because they drive a car and are loaded anyway, or words to that effect.

The real issue is that the present scottish government is turning Scotland into the same place they want to be independent from.

I would struggle to take almost anyone seriously if they own a car and claim they can't afford an occasional fiver for parking. The cost of owning and running a car is hundreds of pounds a year, so very poor people wouldn't be able to afford a car. If you pay £5 for parking once a fortnight that is £120 per year. I can almost guarentee there is a way to compensate for that expense in a year by reigning in spending money on other frivolous things.

So where does it all end?

Why didn't you happily pay the £18 or £40 to park at Pen y pass?
It sounds like you could have easily compensated for that by "reigning in spending money on other frivolous things".

He's got a point tbf. Being able to own/lease, run, insure and fuel a car for X amount of money then complaining that you can't afford a fiver once in a blue moon to park it for a hillwalk is nonsense. The charges in Wales are a bit mental and obviously designed to relieve tourists of money, however I don't think charges in Scotland are that unreasonable. £2 for Glen Doll for example, and £4 the last time I was at Glen Muick are hardly exhorbitant especially since both of these have facilities which need maintenance.

Are parking charges in Scotland really that big a deal? I've done nearly 400 hills including repeats, corbetts, grahams etc and i doubt I've even paid to park more than 10 times in 9 years.