Restricted access to some Islands - Barra and others

[bongodonkey]

Hi there,

For anyone planning a trip up to some of the Scottish islands please bear in mind some of the restrictions that some councils have put in place for motorhomes/campers & caravans.

Background

In todays Scottish Daily Mail it was reported that the Island of Barra and another have placed restrictions on the 'tourer' holiday maker. It's in an effort to restrict the following:

1. Loss of income to the likes of B&B owners etc
2. Pollution by chemical toilet spillages
3. Damage to the sidings of the roads

Results

The councils have now imposed a £10 daily tariff on the 'tourers' and have restricted where they can stay overnight. If the bays are full then the 'tourer' is moved on. This means that if all the locations designated by the council are full you have no choice but to book into a B&B or hotel...........

Also if there is a certain amount of 'tourers' on the island you could be turned away back onto the ferry..........(don't know how credible or legal that one is!)

My father-in-law relayed this to me, as he knows we have doing those fabulous island on our 'to do list'.

I've taken what the article has taken with a pinch of salt (after all it's in a newspaper), however there has to be a grain of truth.

I can understand that some of these islands rely on tourism etc, but this is a bit off to say the least I think!

So if you are planning a wee trip up there, please be aware of possible additional costs.

There were 2 islands reported in the paper; Barra and another beginning with 'T'. In addition other island councils are looking at this closely!

[scanner]

In todays Scottish Daily Mail it was reported that the Island of Barra and another have placed restrictions on the 'tourer' holiday maker. It's in an effort to restrict the following:
1. Loss of income to the likes of B&B owners etc
2. Pollution by chemical toilet spillages
3. Damage to the sidings of the roads
Results
The councils have now imposed a £10 daily tariff on the 'tourers' and have restricted where they can stay overnight. If the bays are full then the 'tourer' is moved on. This means that if all the locations designated by the council are full you have no choice but to book into a B&B or hotel...........

Also if there is a certain amount of 'tourers' on the island you could be turned away back onto the ferry..........(don't know how credible or legal that one is!)

None of that mentioned yet on the Isle of Barra website.

[bongodonkey]

I looked and couldn't find owt - I did stress it was in a 'newspaper' and I was quite careful in how I wrote the post.

The other island was Tiree (excuse) spelling.

This could well be a proposal rather than iron clad rules et regs and typically the paper got hold of it and put it out there to see what legs it will grow!

Hopefully it may turn out to be much ado about nothing

[MountainGoat]

Result of the Scottish Governments equivalent road pricing trial which has seen ferry fares to the Western Islands drop 40% and the tiny islands of Barra and Vatersay saturated with campervans & motorhomes not to mention tent campers. We were there in 2007 before the trial started and camped wild at Barra airport and on the beach opposite Vatersay Community Hall, there being no campsites available on either islands at the time. I believe that Barra and Vatersay's first campsite opened this year on Barra just as the restrictions came into force.

I wonder what will happen it the trial is deemed a failure and discontinued.

Tony

Can't find anything myself about this on the Western Islands Council's website.
http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/

[bongodonkey]

It may be that as a campervan, we could be restricted to the campsite for overnighting on island.

This has the potential to curtail any wildcamping there and end up potential 'tourers' having to be much more detailed in planning their trips oop north!

I can fully appreciate that being swamped with campers and all that additional traffic in the summer can be a pain for the islanders. To rub salt into the wounds, income generated by visitors isn't what it could be as there are campers everywhere due to the much cheaper ferry crossings.

That said better some income than restricting visitors and getting none. However, not knowing the FULL story it's difficult to make a call on it.

We love the freedom that campers give us - though I imagine that a resident B&B owner could get a bit cheesed off when there is all these visitors and hardly anyone staying at their B&B.

I'll definitely keep me eyes open when planning our foray to the islands - just really plan it and make sure of the score on the island.

bongo caveat emptor!

[dandywarhol]

The Islands have been victim of the Scottish Government's RET success. By reducing the fares to increase tourism they failed to allow for the morons it attracted and as a result the Islands fragile ecological wellbeing is being endangered by selfish and thoughtless barstewards to think they can do what they want when they disembark the ferries.

http://www.isleofbarra.com/for-visitors ... -site.html

[bongodonkey]

Such a shame that people don't treat the islands and it's natives with respect. I was chatting about the islands with a (deluded VW) another camper at the place where I am supposed to work, (but cut about looking good and chatting about bongos!), and we mentioned the damage that the chemical toilets alone could inflict on the islands - problem is, there is a lot of peat on them with a very specific and delicate eco-system and having those chemicals run into them will cause damage to the life that the peat supports.

Why oh why is it that we all have to suffer from utter a**sholes and their lack of respect.

May they end up in a chemical toilet hell..............

Still I could always organise a working trip up there (using the bongo) to scope any possible work locations......will have to run it by the boss!

[MountainGoat]

There is no need to dump your waste anywhere, this is done through ignorance by people who do not research their journeys in advance. If I remember right then campsites may be few and far between but each inter island ferry point is provided with chemical and rubbish disposal points so you are never very far from them.

Tony

[scanner]

each inter island ferry point is provided with chemical and rubbish disposal points so you are never very far from them.

Tony

The one on Eriskay is new and even has showers as well. But they won't let you overnight at them - WHY?
Surely they are the ideal place to attract campervans to? All of them (I saw in 2009) have plenty of space - the parking area at Eriskay is mahoosive.
They really are missing a trick, just make them pay and display after say 6pm and charge £5/night to park up with toilets, water and showers.

No need even for a machine just use the same system we saw (and used) in NZ - a kiosk with plastic self seal envelopes in - you take an envelope tear off the parking permit and put the nightly fee ($7 there) in the envelope and seal it after writing your reg no on the outside. You stick the permit in your windscreen and put the envelope in a "postbox" and you can stay the night - cheap and easy.

[BongoBonkers]

We went to Tiree a couple of weeks ago. It was a nice place but we were a little put off returning by the camping Gestapo! Your movements in Scotland generally seem to be 'informally tracked' especially in more rural locations but never more-so than arriving in Tiree! As directed by all the literature, we parked up immediately on disembarking the ferry and went looking for the accommodation man. No need it seemed as he had us well and truly clocked and logged already and would no doubt have been seeking us out as dusk fell had we not reserved a parking space for the night! He must be watching that boarding ramp like a hawk!

Like most of you guys I guess, we generally leave a camping spot cleaner than we find it (carting off some other toe-rags **it with our own rubbish) and particularly enjoy the freedom that rural Scotland offers together with the generally excellent hospitality of the locals. We ended up staying on a croft for £10 but really it was just a sloping field with sheep poo in it separated from the sea by a barbed wire fence...OK but not great. No facilities at all and that's just how I like it personally but you don't normally have to pay for no facilities....

My wife grew up on Coll and we are well aware of most of the arguments around this matter and the local economy / ecosystem. I think it's quite simple really, take it as it is or don't go at all. There's plenty of other spots to choose in Scotland, most of which don't have a 5 ish hour ferry ride attached. If you do go then you may have to spend £10 per night to park up but you'll have likely saved this money already due to the RET reduced ferry fare you will have paid....

Just like parking up in Aldeburgh, it's just another spot that has got too popular and a few tw*** ruin it for everyone else when they provoke the council with their behaviour. It's just a case of trying to stay ahead of the game in that respect - and when you find a gem of a spot, be careful who you tell! Happy hunting

[MountainGoat]

Your movements in Scotland generally seem to be 'informally tracked'

We had to fill out those forms too and from the Westen Islands in 2007. Seems to be an EU requirement tracking movement of people all over Europe. Looks like they don't want too many people buying one way tickets.

Tony