Tourism bosses in Highland Perthshire met with politicians last week as they looked to tackle problems with wild camping which are blighting the area.
The number of visitors heading to Highland Perthshire has been steadily increasing, but the scourge of irresponsible wild campers has proved a thorn in the side of the community and one which is difficult to remove.
Fly-tipping and bonfires left raging on the lochside have worried local residents and business owners, but the lack of facilities for motorhome users to use has resulted in a build-up of discarded human waste across the region.
The problems peaked last year, sparking a number of public meetings to be called.
Management from five of local holiday park and caravan sites, along with representatives from Aberfeldy Tourist Association and SSE met Pete Wishart MP and councillor Mike Williamson at Pitlochry Dam Visitor Centre to discuss fresh solutions.
“It was a pleasure to meet with representatives from Highland Perthshire caravan parks to discuss some of the issues they have been facing in the past year of trading,” said Mr Wishart.
“I know that one of the issues has been an increase in wild campers who have not been respecting the beautiful surroundings that we have in Perthshire. Whilst the majority of wild campers act responsibly, we have seen a number of incidents of waste being left behind and fires being left lit. This is obviously very worrying and I know that it is something that councillor Williamson has been working hard on.
“I know that those with campervans have been struggling a bit with finding suitable places to dispose of waste water and this is something I was also keen to explore with caravan park owners. It is imperative that we all work together to avoid tourists being tempted to dispose of waste water into the natural environment.”
Councillor Williamson added: “I was pleased to introduce Pete to some of the many fantastic tourism businesses in my ward. Highland Perthshire is a place of outstanding natural beauty and it is imperative we keep it that way.
“It is important to find solutions which respects that some people choose not to camp inside designated caravan parks, but also to ensure that our natural environment is left unspoiled.
“It was reassuring to hear that caravan park owners are also working with this in mind.”
