MRT callout

[Fractral]

I hear you. I hate the 'us v. them' that has emerged out of this. The only place I've gone since March is the barn to provide essential care for my horse, but the sense that the rural communities regard us urban dwellers who go to the Highlands for recreation as an 'other' worthy of virulent hostility is indeed off-putting. And of course, we don't want to spread the virus, which is totally fair, but the fever pitch of vitriol hints at underlying issues and divisions. Does it extend the other way? Do people in Glasgow give a damn if Highlanders come into the city? Probably not a good idea right now, either -- obviously -- but when things are normal, us city dwellers don't really care.

And I get it too that the Highlands are a bit beleaguered under surges of tourists in a normal season. That's how I felt at times over the last few summers when I went up to do mountains, although I don't live there, either, so I'm contributing to the chaos. It's a double edged sword -- they need the income, but at times it's inundating and stressful when there are too many bloody people and Portree feels like Times Square (if we wanted that,we'd go to New York). I suppose that sort of thing ferments a low level, simmering hostility that explodes with COVID. God knows what the answer is.

The people who live in the highlands don't have exclusive right to them. I believe that their wishes should be respected and accounted for, but everyone in Scotland should have an equal right to share in, enjoy and take care of the mountains. I also have not been out of Lothian since March, but that's because travel is a bad idea in general right now. Once phase 3 starts you better believe I will be out in the mountains again. Probably for a long time since I have a whole year of holiday that I've not been able to use.

As you say, resentment and anger from the people who live in the Highlands and islands towards visitors is nothing new. But getting a gun pointed at me by an estate worker didn't put me off and this won't either.

[Marty_JG]

But getting a gun pointed at me by an estate worker didn't put me off and this won't either.

At least you stopped him from poisoning bird of prey for five minutes so that's good.

[Coop]

I hear you. I hate the 'us v. them' that has emerged out of this. The only place I've gone since March is the barn to provide essential care for my horse, but the sense that the rural communities regard us urban dwellers who go to the Highlands for recreation as an 'other' worthy of virulent hostility is indeed off-putting. And of course, we don't want to spread the virus, which is totally fair, but the fever pitch of vitriol hints at underlying issues and divisions. Does it extend the other way? Do people in Glasgow give a damn if Highlanders come into the city? Probably not a good idea right now, either -- obviously -- but when things are normal, us city dwellers don't really care.

And I get it too that the Highlands are a bit beleaguered under surges of tourists in a normal season. That's how I felt at times over the last few summers when I went up to do mountains, although I don't live there, either, so I'm contributing to the chaos. It's a double edged sword -- they need the income, but at times it's inundating and stressful when there are too many bloody people and Portree feels like Times Square (if we wanted that,we'd go to New York). I suppose that sort of thing ferments a low level, simmering hostility that explodes with COVID. God knows what the answer is.

The people who live in the highlands don't have exclusive right to them. I believe that their wishes should be respected and accounted for, but everyone in Scotland should have an equal right to share in, enjoy and take care of the mountains. I also have not been out of Lothian since March, but that's because travel is a bad idea in general right now. Once phase 3 starts you better believe I will be out in the mountains again. Probably for a long time since I have a whole year of holiday that I've not been able to use.

As you say, resentment and anger from the people who live in the Highlands and islands towards visitors is nothing new. But getting a gun pointed at me by an estate worker didn't put me off and this won't either.

Should have pulled the old Sony Walkman out and played him this

(Please delete if the link isnt allowed Paul)
Stay safe folks.
We'll get there

[IainG]

Once phase 3 starts you better believe I will be out in the mountains again.

I don't think many folk will wait until Phase 3. The relaxation on friday and the weekend weather forecast will, I reckon, have the hills mobbed. Everyone will all of a sudden have a granny in the Highlands who's desperate for a visit!

[al78]

I hear you. I hate the 'us v. them' that has emerged out of this. The only place I've gone since March is the barn to provide essential care for my horse, but the sense that the rural communities regard us urban dwellers who go to the Highlands for recreation as an 'other' worthy of virulent hostility is indeed off-putting. And of course, we don't want to spread the virus, which is totally fair, but the fever pitch of vitriol hints at underlying issues and divisions. Does it extend the other way? Do people in Glasgow give a damn if Highlanders come into the city? Probably not a good idea right now, either -- obviously -- but when things are normal, us city dwellers don't really care.

And I get it too that the Highlands are a bit beleaguered under surges of tourists in a normal season. That's how I felt at times over the last few summers when I went up to do mountains, although I don't live there, either, so I'm contributing to the chaos. It's a double edged sword -- they need the income, but at times it's inundating and stressful when there are too many bloody people and Portree feels like Times Square (if we wanted that,we'd go to New York). I suppose that sort of thing ferments a low level, simmering hostility that explodes with COVID. God knows what the answer is.

The people who live in the highlands don't have exclusive right to them. I believe that their wishes should be respected and accounted for, but everyone in Scotland should have an equal right to share in, enjoy and take care of the mountains. I also have not been out of Lothian since March, but that's because travel is a bad idea in general right now. Once phase 3 starts you better believe I will be out in the mountains again. Probably for a long time since I have a whole year of holiday that I've not been able to use.

As you say, resentment and anger from the people who live in the Highlands and islands towards visitors is nothing new. But getting a gun pointed at me by an estate worker didn't put me off and this won't either.

I don't think it is about perceived ownership, it is about externalised costs or niggles. When there are a lot of tourists coming into an area where the infrastructure is very limited (like Wester Ross for example), it is inevitably going to cause delays for locals who are trying to go about their business and earn a living. The locals don't own the highlands but it is also not a playground, people do have to make a living from the land and they don't appreciate disruption to that (as I'm sure most people will appreciate). I get irritated when people walk five abreast across the pavement at a quarter of the average walking pace, thoughtless and annoying, it is the same for the country dwellers I imagine. An additional problem is the minority who are irresponsible or ignorant, throwing litter, leaving gates open, or doing the trundlebunny act on narrow roads then speed up on the straights so that the driver behind cannot overtake them.

I've never had problems with hostile attitudes whenever I have been to Scotland, I did have a taxi driver comment that the cyclists can be a nuisance because they can be difficult to overtake and many of them don't pull over and let faster traffic pass.

[CharlesT]

Once phase 3 starts you better believe I will be out in the mountains again.

I don't think many folk will wait until Phase 3. The relaxation on friday and the weekend weather forecast will, I reckon, have the hills mobbed. Everyone will all of a sudden have a granny in the Highlands who's desperate for a visit!

Think you're right, there'll be swarms of the buggers, I mean baggers, everywhere. All that pent up hill desire and frustration, it'll be like an August bank holiday on Blackpool beach in the honeypots. Think I'll hold off any visit to later in Autumn, when I hope things may have calmed down.

I've already noticed down here when on my bike rides that the popular spots have almost as many parked cars as before and visitors were in Bibury in numbers when I went through a week ago, though nothing was open. Don't think the authorities are going to be able to hold the line on outdoor activities very much longer in either Country.

[Fractral]

I don't think it is about perceived ownership, it is about externalised costs or niggles. When there are a lot of tourists coming into an area where the infrastructure is very limited (like Wester Ross for example), it is inevitably going to cause delays for locals who are trying to go about their business and earn a living. The locals don't own the highlands but it is also not a playground, people do have to make a living from the land and they don't appreciate disruption to that (as I'm sure most people will appreciate). I get irritated when people walk five abreast across the pavement at a quarter of the average walking pace, thoughtless and annoying, it is the same for the country dwellers I imagine. An additional problem is the minority who are irresponsible or ignorant, throwing litter, leaving gates open, or doing the trundlebunny act on narrow roads then speed up on the straights so that the driver behind cannot overtake them.

I've never had problems with hostile attitudes whenever I have been to Scotland, I did have a taxi driver comment that the cyclists can be a nuisance because they can be difficult to overtake and many of them don't pull over and let faster traffic pass.

Dealing with inconsiderate and irresponsible people is a fact of life. And dealing with tourists is the reality of living somewhere desirable.

In August I try and avoid the center of Edinburgh, but it's still packed in Holyrood and a right pain in the ass when I want to go for a run there or enjoy the park. Tourists negatively impact my life by throwing litter everywhere, clogging the pavements and causing huge amounts of traffic even where I live a few miles out of the center. Not to mention the indirect costs of my COL being higher because so many properties are used for airbnb's - that affects city folk as well as those in the country. Yes, the infrastructure in Edinburgh is far better than in Fort William but there are also an order of magnitude more tourists. I'm not trying to make it sound like we have it worse, or negate the valid complaints of highlanders, but being hostile to tourists is not a valid response in Edinburgh - so why should it be in the highlands?

I don't know what the solution is for either Edinburgh or the Highlands. But I don't think it should be hostility to outsiders or attempts to prevent people from visiting, whether that be through a tax on vistors, limits on numbers or full scale bans on entry. That leaves everyone worse off.

[al78]

Dealing with inconsiderate and irresponsible people is a fact of life. And dealing with tourists is the reality of living somewhere desirable.

Getting annoyed at inconsiderate and irresponsible people is also a fact of life. It is an unfortunate flaw of human mentality to put undesirables into a outgroup box and slap a label on them. It is easier to do that than objectively analyse, and is because humans are still wired by primitive instinicts that worked well for survival in the hunter-gatherer days, but are awful when applied to modern civilisations.

[Marty_JG]

That's some serious "manlegging" by the Alexander boy up there!