Parking charges will drive away visitors to Argyll

I am writing in response to the letter by May Tosh (The Oban Times, August 2) regarding parking charges and ‘wild parking’.

As a regular visitor to Mull (four or five times a year) in my campervan, I would add my voice to Ms Tosh’s clarion call for more free parking.

One of the many attractions of Mull, and Tobermory in particular, is the availability of free harbour parking. It is always an unexpected joy to be able to park up for the night by ‘Tobe’ bay (I consider myself almost a local) and awake in the morning with the sound of the fishing boats leaving the harbour.

I certainly would not be such a regular visitor if myself (and I must include my wee Jack Russell, Fergus, who also loves this location) could not park up in such a perfect spot.

I believe that parking charges are being discussed with regard to Mull and, more specifically, Tobermory. I would certainly be looking at other locations at that point as Mull has very few decent campervan sites.

If the parking is to be regulated, then it would not only be Mull that suffered a loss of business but also businesses such as the large Tesco in Oban which provides valuable jobs and goods in the Argyll area I would imagine.

I understand the residents of Oban are being disturbed by the amount of seasonal parking, and I understand also that they do not blame the tourists themselves but, in the age of the internet, bad news travels fast as the Isle of Skye has recently found out.

I very much enjoy my trips to Mull, and my wee stop-off in Oban, but there are many other places to go in a campervan. Like a tortoise, I carry my home on my back, and I wonder how many of the people complaining about the parking depend on the tourist pound to pay their mortgage?

R M Dalrymple, by email.