THIN END OF THE WEDGE
The huge success of Right to Roam is threatened by restricting access to Loch Lomond
Wild camping on the bonnie banks comes to a sad end
Wild camping is a rite of passage for our children. And Scotland’s unique access rights have allowed generations of families to experience the great outdoors and the beauty of this land first hand. There’s nothing quite like pitching your tent by a loch where children can run free, paddle in the water and get their all-important fix of nature and country air. Learning how to safely build a fire and use it to keep warm, cook food and perhaps most importantly ward off ferocious beasts like Gruffalo and midges is an important skill to carry through life.
But from March 2017, there are areas of Loch Lomond and t he Trossachs National Park where wild camping will be banned and anyone found flouting the ban will face a hefty fine and possible criminal charges, even if they are camping responsibly. The park have circumvented Scotland’s right to roam laws using Scottish Government approved byelaws to create camping management zones covering 3.7 per cent of the most popular lochside camping areas in the park.
According to the park’s chief executive, Gordon Watson, enforcing these byelaws has been a last resort. The park has been plagued by casual campers turning up to the renowned beauty spot on sunny days with cheap, supermarket-bought tents and huge carry outs. These are not camping enthusiasts and have little knowledge of or respect for the countryside. They chop down trees in the vain attempt to light fires. Which they often attempt to do at the base of trees. They make noise late into the night and then abandon all of their litter, camping equipment, including tents, sleeping bags and camping chairs, in some cases even attempting to burn them rather than pack them away. The mess is appalling and this type of antisocial behaviour undoubtedly makes the park a less-appealing place for the remaining four million visitors who enjoy it each year and for its long-suffering residents.
But why should responsible campers, like ramblers, young families and couples looking to get back to nature be penalised on account of these louts? The answer is that they should not.
The park and Forest Enterprise Scotland, the government agency responsible for managing Scotland’s National Forest Estate, won’t use the term ‘wild camping ban’ to describe what is happening on the bonnie banks, but sadly that is exactly what it is. They are quick to point out that 96% of the park is unaffected by the ban. But why would you travel to Loch Lomond and then camp miles (or even metres) away from the loch? Being by the water is the appeal isn’t it? They are also keen to explain that the restrictions will only be in place between March and September. So we can begin planning a happy family Hogmanay camping trip to see in 2018. Great. If we can stave off hypothermia long enough to see in the bells, it will be nothing short of miraculous.
If you want to camp on the famous banks during the only months of the year when it might actually be a pleasant experience, then you must now apply for a permit. The cost is less than a camp site at £5 per night for adults and £2.50 for children, but the problem lies not in the financial outlay but in the forward planning. Camping in the rain and wind with a young family in tow – even in the summer – is not fun, so pre-booking a pitch based on weather forecasts is a risky business.
And what of the wild weekend campers and their penchant for drinking under the stars? Where will they go? They’re unlikely to apply for a permit so the obvious answer will surely be to look for an alternative location. When byelaws to prevent camping on the east shore of Loch Lomond between Drymen and Rowardennan were put in place in 2011, they were successful in reducing antisocial behaviour in the area. It seems fairly clear though that rather than eradicating the unwanted element from the park, these byelaws have merely moved them to another spot. So when the antisocial behaviour becomes problematic elsewhere, will more byelaws be put in place which will penalise responsible campers for the actions of these troublesome few? Where will it end? How much of Scotland will become inaccessible to wild campers?
I firmly believe that as Gordon Watson says ‘the park is looking to change behaviour’ rather than ‘bring down a house of cards’ on Scotland’s access rights, but in introducing this ban I fear that they may well do just that.
The national park is not the only place affected by this type of antisocial behaviour. Glen Etive at the head of Glencoe and Loch Rannoch in Perth and Kinross have been plagued by similar problems. Here police patrols, number plate recording and the direct threat of prosecution under existing legislation have been employed to keep the problem in check. Extra resources to show a police and ranger presence, along with the enforcement of fines, would surely have an impact on unruly campers around Loch Lomond.
Helen Todd, Campaigns and Policy Manager for Ramblers Scotland is convinced that, ‘it’s too easy to equate informal camping with antisocial behaviour, or to believe that a ban on camping will resolve all problems.’ She thinks that an educational approach should have been taken, stating that ‘ investment in campsites, toilets and litter bins, along with education efforts and traffic management measures would achieve a long-term change in behaviour.’
In order to achieve this shift in the behaviour of the problematic minority, we need to look at grassroots changes to education. Some schools employ forest schooling, where lessons are taken in the outdoors, allowing children a hands-on learning experience in a woodland environment. Teaching children about nature, how to respect the countryside, ways to make shelter and to manage risk during activities like fire building builds self esteem, confidence and promotes independence. It is particularly well suited to children who struggle to thrive in a classroom environment. Lessons like these should be part of the curriculum for all children in Scotland. This way, the next generation of campers will have the skills and knowledge to tread softly on the earth and remember how lucky we are to have access to such beauty right on our doorstep. Then again, that’s only if we still do.
‘Will more byelaws be put in place elsewhere? Where will it all end?’