Call to improve Caithness facilities for camper vans
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
A call has been made for more facilities to be provided in Caithness for camper vans to try and prevent mess and litter being left on places such as beaches.
The plea was made by the secretary of Thurso Community Council, Iain Gregory, who described the present position as "unsatisfactory."
He said: "This is a big issue as there are a huge number of motor homes coming to the area. We want to encourage tourists to come here but we need to have proper facilities for them and strike the right balance. I think it is time to look at providing additional sites with facilities including waste. That needs to be looked at in depth by Highland Council as it is unsatisfactory for people in camper vans to leave their mess and litter behind."
Castletown mill used as a toilet by holidaymaker
Company behind Castletown bothies plan hopes concerns about access road can be resolved
Mr Gregory added:"This has been an issue for many years and one that has been raised countless times but it has become much worse in recent years. We have seen a massive increase in the number of camper vans in the north as more people decide to holiday in the UK rather than go abroad. The popularity of the NC500 is another factor but, at present, we don't have the infrastructure to cope with the situation.
"We have got to do something as I don't think it is going to ease up this year. I have no objection to camper vans whatsoever but think we will have a substantial influx this year and would like to see more facilities in place for them." He also said tourist information centres are needed to assist visitors to the area.
Mr Gregory pointed out that there is a system called Aires which operates in many European countries and provides free or low-cost stopping places for motor homes and caravans. The facilities include parking or basic facilities such as water, waste disposal and electricity.
He said the camper van issue was raised at the most recent meeting of the Thurso Community Council when members expressed concern about these vehicles using the small parking area near Pentland Crescent and blocking up parking spaces.
It was also claimed they used the beach as a lavatory and emptied their waste tanks there. In addition, members said that this had happened elsewhere in the town and is "an issue across the north."
They felt "the loss of the Countryside Ranger Service was not going to help things," but agreed to monitor the situation and try and address any problems.
Highland Council was approached for a comment.
