Campervans to be policed by dozens of new rangers
AN ARMY of countryside rangers is to be deployed as extra ‘boots on the ground’ to tackle antisocial behaviour from tourists flocking to the NC500 and Highland beauty spots this summer.
Nearly £1million of funding has been secured to pay for 62 additional rangers to clamp down on visitors who flout the Outdoor Access Code by starting fires, dumping litter and other waste, and parking irresponsibly.
Swathes of the Highlands, including the NC500 route round the north coast, will be patrolled by 18 rangers during the tourist season, with 14 of them paid for by NatureScot’s Better Places funding.
More seasonal staff have also been hired to work in tourist hotspots including Glencoe, Loch Lomond, Arran and the Pentlands after problems in previous years with ‘dirty camping’ and inconsiderate behaviour.
But the rangers’ role can be challenging, as on Wednesday one was assaulted after asking two campers to extinguish a campfire which risked starting a blaze in Tentsmuir Forest, Fife.
A wildfire in the forest had been doused by a helicopter the week before but the Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) ranger was met with aggression when he approached the campers and was then followed back to his car.
David Leven, the east region manager for FLS, said yesterday: ‘Unfortunately, this sort of unacceptable attitude and behaviour is more of an issue for our rangers and for the staff from other organisations.’
Visitor numbers to rural Scotland soared as people turned to staycations – often in motorhomes and caravans – during the pandemic, and tensions have flared between holidaymakers and locals.
Complaints have included people building campfires which can spark wildfires or cause other ‘significant dam age’; litter or human waste left behind; campervans parking overnight in unauthorised places; or chemical toilets being emptied in laybys.
Wildlife can also be disturbed and habitats ruined.
The Scottish Government funding will be divided between 18 organisations including countryside trusts and local authorities.
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘We were made aware of a man behaving aggressively at Tentsmuir Forest in Fife around 8.10pm on Wednesday, May 31.
‘Officers attended but the man had left the area and no further complaint regarding an assault was made.’