Better management of free camping in some of Fife’s tourist hot spots has been demanded.
Summer months bring camper vans and caravans in large numbers to some of the region’s coastal car parks.
Beachside parking spots at Elie, Aberdour and Kingsbarns are among those which see holiday makers park up to enjoy a pitch with a view.
East Neuk and Landward councillor Bill Porteous said some leave behind rubbish and even human waste, blighting beauty spots for others.
He believes charging campers and investing in facilities for them would allow some of Fife’s tourism gems to be better protected and maintained.
The Liberal Democrat councillor said: “Clearly tourists love to come here but we must quickly investigate providing proper regulated and paid-for, high-quality facilities for this growing tourist motor home and caravan surge.
“I have called on Fife Council and Fife Coast and Countryside Trust to work now on a policy to ensure we increasingly manage the wild camping of motor homes and caravans in undesignated and unregulated sites such as Aberdour, Elie and Kingsbarns coastlines.”
Campers and caravanners who prefer to avoid busier campsites use social media to share recommended spots for pitching up.
Locations in Fife touted as good spots to stop over include areas in Burntisland and Kinghorn and many more along the coast.
Most car parks in the region do not have by-laws preventing overnight car parking.
They are designed for daily use, without the infrastructure for camper vans, but those stopping for longer cannot be moved on.
Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, which manages the region’s beaches, has previously encouraged those with camper vans and caravans to consider alternative venues.
Due to staff holidays, neither Fife Council nor the trust were able to respond in detail to an approach by The Courier for comment.
However, the trust said it was aware of the situation with camper vans and caravans in coastal car parks.
