Families in northern Scotland have slammed tourists who flock to the area. (Image: Getty)
Angry locals in are warning tourists looking for the Instagram-perfect holiday pictures to “f-off”.
It comes amid fears the nations beauty spots are becoming “overrun” by a constant flow of social media-hungry tourists. Robin Pettigrew, from the once peaceful town of Locharron in the Highlands, says his local area has become beset with camper vans parking in lay-bys our outside neighbours’ homes.
The popularity of the North Coast 500 – a 500-mile road trip that was dubbed “Scotland’s route 66” – has left him particularly annoyed. The route has been promoted by tourism bodies since 2015, reports The Telegraph.
Robin, 73, is one of the organisers of the NC500: The Dirty Truth group on Facebook. It aims to highlight problems brought to northern Scotland by tourists.
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The North Coast 500 – dubbed Scotland’s Route 66 – is a popular route with tourists (Image: Getty)
Issues, locals say, include dumped rubbish and toilet waste left at scenic parts of Scotland. Robin said: “I’ve already seen posters in people’s windows that say, ‘Tourists F-off’.”
And there are now very real fears the anti-tourism protests seen across much of Europe this summer could spread to Scotland if visitors aren’t encouraged away from the “bucket list” hotspots.
In order the combat the impact campervans have in the Highlands, local councillors introduced a £40 pass that “allows you to directly contribute for the impact your journey has upon the environment and local communities of the Highlands”.
It means visitors can park overnight at council car parks and access showering and changing facilities at local leisure centres free of charge. The council says it will contribute one per cent of every £100,000 to the Highland Restoration Fund.
The British Holiday and Home Parks Association (Scotland) (BH&HPA) however warned the scheme would “undercut” local business. There are however fears an anti-tourism sentiment could spread across Scotland if visitors are not encouraged to stay away from the most crowded “bucket list” hotspots.
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The Jacobite Express has become popular with Harry Potter fans. (Image: Getty)
Among them is the Isle of Skye, which had problems with the increase in visitors to Fairy Pools after an image of the rock pools and waterfalls in Glen Brittle went viral around a decade ago. The number of vehicles heading to Skye during the peak months of September to April was almost 500,000 last year – an increase of 50,000 from the year before.
The Glenfinnan viaduct saw a 46, per cent increase in visitors numbers last year to 500,000, says the National Trust. It has become a popular site for Harry Potter fans aftrer the Jacobite steam train was used as the Hogwarts Express.
A 2022 petition called for the Scottish Government to ban campervans from parking outside of small-scale sites, known as “aires”, or official camp sites.
It said: “We believe that motorhomes that choose not to use campsites, caravan parks or Aires (small-scale designated campsites with only basic facilities) place an unnecessary burden on local communities by parking inappropriately, disposing of their rubbish, chemical toilet and dirty water as well as defecating at the side of the road.”
The petition remains under consideration.