‘Lock them up’ – anger as dirty campers leave beauty spots in a mess

Prison sentences, fines, better facilities and more education should be used to stop ‘dirty camping’, according to Courier readers.

Residents across Tayside and Fife spoke out about their experiences and provided their suggestions for tackling the problem this summer.

Perthshire, Fife and Angus rural communities are already coming under pressure as hundreds of campers – many with little or no experience of outdoor access rules – visit beauty spots.

But the readers we spoke to stopped short of calling for a Scotland-wide permit system for wild camping.

Managers at the Loch Lomonds and Trossachs National Park have used this approach to deal with anti-social behaviour,

Kate, from Strathkinness, proposed a tough approach because she has been left “disgusted” by the growing problem.

She said: “Lock them up. Make them do many hours community service clearing up after others like themselves.”

There was no excuse for anyone not to take their litter home and parents need to set the example.

While the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 provides rights of access to most land and inland water for outdoor recreation it does not legitimise the anti-social behaviour linked to dirty camping.

Much of the behaviour that causes significant problems is already a criminal offence.

Police have powers under the Antisocial Behaviour (Scotland) Act 2004 to issue on-the-spot fixed penalty notices.

Criminal offences linked to dirty camping incidents can also include breach of the peace, vandalism and malicious mischief.

Nick Kempe, a Glasgowbased access campaigner and former president of the Mountaineering Council of Scotland, said:“scotland has a very small number of places to camp.

“The situation has got way worse over the last 30 years. Owners have converted many campsites to caravan parks.

“If you look at all the Angus glens, all the way from Glenshee, Glen Prosen, Glen Clova, there’s not a single camping facility in all those glens. Yet all those areas should be the lungs of Dundee.

“They are the areas where Dundonians have traditionally gone.”

Angus glass artist Lisa Badger, who lives overlooking Lunan Bay in Angus, said camping on the dunes had recently “got really dirty”.

She said: “When I was young, I was part of the festival culture. But we didn’t have cheap tents that we could throw away.

“We cleaned up after ourselves.”

She supports more education on taking care of landscape and more police enforcement.

Walker Carol Greig, from Newport-on-tay, also called for more enforcement.

She said: “Would they actually leave all that rubbish lying about in their own back gardens?

“There’s no point having a notice saying there will a £100 fine that everybody knows will never be enforced or policed.”

A police spokeswoman said: “Park rangers and local authorities have enforcement powers when it comes to anti-social behaviour issues like dirty camping and can issue fines.

“Police Scotland will support this activity where required and will continue to provide a visible presence at beauty spots to deter illegal behaviour.

“Where criminality is established, officers will not hesitate to engage with the public and use police enforcement powers if necessary.”

OUTDOOR EDUCATION: Officers give advice to campers on Balmerino beach in Fife. Readers say more must be done to protect the countryside.