Article on scottish council carpark scheme (1 Viewer)

[Northernraider]

There's been a few articles about this in the press recently but before these campsite owners manage to have this scheme cancelled I think as one of the biggest motorhome groups in the UK we should be putting up an argument on this before it's too late.

https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/nc500-fury-over-ps40-motorhome-pass-for-north-coast-500-amid-backlash-from-livid-caravan-park-owners-4695223

Mainly that this attitude from campsites only strengthens many peoples dislike of them.

This attitude of removing people's choices and forcing them to use campsites is ridiculous. There's an option to leave a reply on this article I'd encourage visitors to the Highlands to make use of it

The Dornoch campsite owners who initiated this letter were the Same ones who objected to the forestry commisions stay the night scheme and the creation of many aires in the Highlands.

 

[dunnah01]

L

At what point do we change the narrative from motorhomers to planet savings extreme eco downsizers to stop this stigma

 

[bigtwin]

I have commented at the foot of the article.

Ian

 

[Northernraider]

I have commented at the foot of the article.

Ian

Me too although not been approved yet

 

[BrochMike]

I have commented at the foot of the article.

Ian

Me too, I think (but also pending).

I was also pointed to a different article on same topic posted 2 days later by same author (presumably being paid for their word count, not the quality of their journalism..)

https://www.scotsman.com/news/north-coast-500-highlands-tourism-motorhomes-4699020

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[CazPaul]

How do you register or log on to comment?

 

[bigtwin]

How do you register or log on to comment?

By clicking the ‘Sign-in’ button and then clicking’Register’?

Ian

 

[CazPaul]

By clicking the ‘Sign-in’ button and then clicking’Register’?

Ian

I cant see that option on my phone?

 

[BrochMike]

How do you register or log on to comment?

Asked me to provide name, email address & password but very messy/a bit insecure.
Despite logging out, I seem to still be logged in.

All very messy.

No verification of email & no obvious way to change profile (I stupidly used my 'real' name).

 

[bigtwin]

I cant see that option on my phone?

Top right?

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[Northernraider]

Asked me to provide name, email address & password but very messy/a bit insecure.
Despite logging out, I seem to still be logged in.

All very messy.

No verification of email & no obvious way to change profile (I stupidly used my 'real' name).

So did I but I've nowt to hide.

 

[Northernraider]

Me too, I think (but also pending).

I was also pointed to a different article on same topic posted 2 days later by same author (presumably being paid for their word count, not the quality of their journalism..)

https://www.scotsman.com/news/north-coast-500-highlands-tourism-motorhomes-4699020

I've left a comment on both

 

[HKF]

It says there are 0 comments. Perhaps they're frightened of starting a war!

 

[CazPaul]

It says there are 0 comments. Perhaps they're frightened of starting a war!

It said 3 comments when I looked although can’t get in to see any

Wonder if they’ve been deleted?

 

[Northernraider]

It says there are 0 comments. Perhaps they're frightened of starting a war!

It says 3 comments on one , 2 on the other. But neither of mine are displayed yet. It did state comments had to be checked before published.

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[nicholsong]

The pass scheme provides only

Parking
Showers
Toilets.

It does not provide

Grey waste dump
Black waste dump
EHU
Water fill
Grass area.

I think the comparison is between the schemes 'apples' at one price and the campsites 'pears' at a higher price., so I do not understand why the campsites are complaining.

If campsites want to sell an 'apples' service they are free to do so.

 

[Helen Ariel]

Lol at the campsite saying vans parking near each other is too dangerous! Have they not seen the thousands of Aires across Europe all successfully operating and funnily enough plenty of campsites up and running for a different market. The people parking in a carpark aren't the people who want or need a campsite and will just flt if there is no provision for them.

It's a bit like a proper restaurant trying to shut down all the cafes and fast food places in the vicinity. If you can't run your business without an element of competition you are no business person!

 

[Jim]

It would be unrealistic to expect site owners to embrace the scheme without resistance; naturally, they will oppose it. However, this is part of doing business, and they will have to adapt. Throughout the EU, there are free Aires located next to expensive campsites, catering to different demographics.

Campsites will need to put in more effort to attract their clientele, and there are certainly plenty of customers to go around. More positivity about camping in Scotland and less complaining from site owners will lead to more campers choosing their sites.

 

[Northernraider]

It would be unrealistic to expect site owners to embrace the scheme without resistance; naturally, they will oppose it. However, this is part of doing business, and they will have to adapt. Throughout the EU, there are free Aires located next to expensive campsites, catering to different demographics.

Campsites will need to put in more effort to attract their clientele, and there are certainly plenty of customers to go around. More positivity about camping in Scotland and less complaining from site owners will lead to more campers choosing their sites.

I agree wholeheartedly BUT my concern is these campsites put pressure on and the result is the council backtracks. It happened before with the forestry commission.

It annoys me that these so called journalists don't ask any of the people in the motorhomes their opinions.

The Scottish sun has an article almost daily with some big drama on the nc500 and continually quotes locals opinions but never gives the other side.

And this article does much the same .

 

[autorouter]

You have to feel sorry for them, all this 21st century interweb thingy is just too much for their poor little steam-powered systems. Trying to create an account, it wouldn't even accept my email address as valid. Yes, I double checked it for whitespace etc. I even pasted it into another web site to check it was actually valid.

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[funflair]

The pass scheme provides only

Parking
Showers
Toilets.

It does not provide

Grey waste dump
Black waste dump
EHU
Water fill
Grass area.

I think the comparison is between the schemes 'apples' at one price and the campsites 'pears' at a higher price., so I do not understand why the campsites are complaining.

If campsites want to sell an 'apples' service they are free to do so.

If there is no provision for Grey and Black waste I think they are asking for trouble, and making the payment voluntary not sure what the uptake will be, I would rather see "proper aires" with waste dump and fresh water and a payment system just a chunk of the rest of Europe.

 

[Northernraider]

If there is no provision for Grey and Black waste I think they are asking for trouble, and making the payment voluntary not sure what the uptake will be, I would rather see "proper aires" with waste dump and fresh water and a payment system just a chunk of the rest of Europe.

As it says in the article , the council had replied saying that many of the people using this scheme would stay a few days In carparks and then visit a campsite to empty black and grey waste. That's how many do it in Europe too.

The carparks are not intended to replace campsites.

Personally I won't ever use the scheme nor will I use the campsites BUT its a step in the right direction to create a choice of parkups rather than just campsites. And hopefully reduces the usual approach of height barriers and outright bans.

What the campsites should be doing is calling for a revision of the rules governing them , the caravan and camping rule from the 1960's etc , the h&s that states they must have 6metre between vans that the carparks don't have.

Then they have no excuse to ask £25 per night for a motorhome parkup like they're claiming at present. They could then create a more aire like system.
But they'd likely still charge way more than Europe.


I've used 3 aires I'm Germany so far just for the services but 2 of them to stay for 24 hours including electric would have been €8 with free black grey disposal and €2 for water.

The UK want £15 just to.park overnight in a normal carpark with no facilities.

I doubt they will ever become like Europe. But these schemes are a way to let campsites know that motorhomes dint want to be treated like caravans.


I'll still continue to find free quiet places. ...in truth it doesn't affect me , but it may help put others

 

[Northernraider]

It's annoying though that I've left a comment on both those articles yet neither are displayed. I can only see bigtwin comments yet I left mine around the same time

 

[jannyman]

It's annoying though that I've left a comment on both those articles yet neither are displayed. I can only see bigtwin comments yet I left mine around the same time

Censorship and political bias at play here Tam?
Your reputation precedes you!!

 

[Northernraider]

Censorship and political bias at play here Tam?
Your reputation precedes you!!

I wouldn't be surprised. And I kept my comment polite and on point . I wonder if they just don't want to many comments defending the scheme.

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[jannyman]

Aye - The Scotsman and Sun sup from the same bowl.

 

[Zigisla]

Ads from “Herman the Motorhome “ - cannot remember the proper name of his you tube channel; did a reel on this scheme.
He did state that when you pay your fee, you will have access to a map of all the car parks, toilet emptying sites and grey and fresh water fill/dump. Unfortunately they are not in one map but three.
£40 for 7 days.

 

[Zigisla]

Hope this works

 

[funflair]

As it says in the article , the council had replied saying that many of the people using this scheme would stay a few days In carparks and then visit a campsite to empty black and grey waste. That's how many do it in Europe too.

The carparks are not intended to replace campsites.

Personally I won't ever use the scheme nor will I use the campsites BUT its a step in the right direction to create a choice of parkups rather than just campsites. And hopefully reduces the usual approach of height barriers and outright bans.

What the campsites should be doing is calling for a revision of the rules governing them , the caravan and camping rule from the 1960's etc , the h&s that states they must have 6metre between vans that the carparks don't have.

Then they have no excuse to ask £25 per night for a motorhome parkup like they're claiming at present. They could then create a more aire like system.
But they'd likely still charge way more than Europe.


I've used 3 aires I'm Germany so far just for the services but 2 of them to stay for 24 hours including electric would have been €8 with free black grey disposal and €2 for water.

The UK want £15 just to.park overnight in a normal carpark with no facilities.

I doubt they will ever become like Europe. But these schemes are a way to let campsites know that motorhomes dint want to be treated like caravans.


I'll still continue to find free quiet places. ...in truth it doesn't affect me , but it may help put others

In 7 weeks in Europe we never used a campsite to dump or fill but there again we only stop in aires or stellplatz rather than other free places so we usually have facilities that we pay a little for €8-€10 being the norm but some up to €20 or more depending where they are, again if I was using Scottish car parks I would rather they had facilities to dump and fill and would be willing to pay. I totally agree that the 6m rule is a hinderance to sensible overnight parking and many stellplatz are now marked out with 2-3 metres between units, we would also use campsites if we wanted to be in an area for a period of time and go out exploring on the bike, but some camp site prices are getting a bit OTT.

 

[Northernraider]

In 7 weeks in Europe we never used a campsite to dump or fill but there again we only stop in aires or stellplatz rather than other free places so we usually have facilities that we pay a little for €8-€10 being the norm but some up to €20 or more depending where they are, again if I was using Scottish car parks I would rather they had facilities to dump and fill and would be willing to pay. I totally agree that the 6m rule is a hinderance to sensible overnight parking and many stellplatz are now marked out with 2-3 metres between units, we would also use campsites if we wanted to be in an area for a period of time and go out exploring on the bike, but some camp site prices are getting a bit OTT.

Yes I'd love the UK to adopt a proper aire system at a reasonable price but I can't see them ever doing it. Not if the few they've created so far are anything to go by. The price they're charging for an empty carpark is what I'd consider a fair price for a basic pitch on a campsite.

But the locals need educated too because they have this stupid idea that campers should only ever be parked on a campsite.

I just choose to spend as much time out the UK as possible because its less hassle.

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