Parking in rural areas

[baabara]

If you're going for a walk in the countryside and drive to the destination, where would you usually park?

Are you aware there may be legal parking restrictions within rural areas?

I half wondered if this was going to be Castleton, it’s insane. I haven’t been for a few years but when I used to go before it got crazy busy I’d either park in the national trust place at the top or park in the car park in the village.

I think people don’t understand what a clear way is and they also think that double yellow lines only apply to the tarmac. Then get amazed if they get a ticket when on the verge! They’re happy to leave cars up and down both sides of Winnats making it impossible for cars to flow in both directions and leave no gaps to pull in when trying to get up or down! They should start towing them!

I go to the Lakes quite a bit, will generally look for a National trust car park but I do also tend to know where there is free, off road parking in most areas as long as you get there early. So bot blocking gates, not in a passing place, not causing an obstruction. An example of such a big free lay-by in the Peak would be on the road between Hathersage and Hope.

Countryside laybys tend to mostly attract men peeing (or worse), fly tippers, drug use and couples looking to get cosy.

Sorry, should clarify @CamillaMacauley, only used the Peaks as an example, but it is such a shame what's happening there.

Move to Scotland - outwith Loch Lomond we really don’t have any of these problems.

we also teach the countryside code (in school although ours is different) and don’t have trespass laws.

So I’d park somewhere like this unless there were signs to the contrary. Obviously not blocking a gate

down borrowdale in the Lakes the farmer opens a field up for parking with quite a reasonable charge at seathwaite. Or you walk a bit further from the NT car parks in the main valley. There’s some acceptable gravel verge/layby parking where the road is wider if you get there early. But idiots park on the road where it’s narrower and the farmer can’t get up and down in a tractor. He lost his shit one year and just ploughed down and smashed up about 20 cars!

I wouldn’t park in a layby. They are passing places, not car parks

Eh?
A layby and a passing place are two completely different things.

Absolutely. The thing I don’t understand is people going for a walk and not wanting to walk a further ten minutes somewhere where they won’t cause an issue! There’s an obsession with parking as close as possible to the start of the walk.

people go to cat bells and park on the verges by the double yellow lines, they could walk from Keswick. They could get the boat over from Keswick. 🤷‍♀️

What about the lazy farmers? Doesn't it affect them?

Scotland does have trespass laws.

Are there really no trespassing laws in Scotland?

I park wherever I’m legally allowed to.
What exactly is your point?

idiots park on the road where it’s narrower and the farmer can’t get up and down in a tractor. He lost his shit one year and just ploughed down and smashed up about 20 cars!

Goodness me @CamillaMacauley 😂It is puzzling why some want to park as close as possible - same ones who drive to a nearby gym for a workout presumably.

@BethDuttonYeHaw Scotland seems to have struck a good balance, although I'm sure it's still mad in hotspots like Skye during the summer.

I've politely asked people to move @Sherararara who were "Perfectly entitled to park here thank you very much and I can't see any signs"... No you're not and yes you can.

Thanks for that bit of pedantry 😜 but it’s really not the same as trespass in England. Not the same at all. And we certainly do not call it that.

Hence my reference to our different countryside code. And the link you’ve so kindly shared points out the parameters of the right to roam - which doesn’t exist in England

No, it is not exactly the same, but trespass exists in Scotland - it is a myth that there are no trespass laws in Scotland, there is even a Scottish Trespass Act. People like you telling everyone there are no trespass laws in Scotland leads to a lot of confusion and people thinking right to roam means they can go where they want and do what they like in the countryside. I am thoroughly sick of ejecting people from my garden, my driveway and my yard, even from camping in stables, and their aggression when they think I am interfering with their rights because 'Scotland has no trespass laws".

I'm local. I'd like to add "allegedly" to that post 😉

WWYD? with the CF regulars? Name and shame, report to police, notify council, large note on windscreens or something else?

If you're a local resident affected by this, you could try any of those, also try writing to your MP.

But there probably isn't a huge number of that type of inconsiderate person on MN so you won't reach them here.

The number of times I have had to wait for people to tidy away their picnic, chairs, rugs etc from our driveway so I can get in or out is unbelievable. Unfortunately living in a tourist hotspot it becomes a daily hazard.

After a recent holiday in Canada I appreciated how differently things were done over there. In Canadian National Parks you pay an (expensive) entry fee and are given a list of rules. There were (very expensive) annual passes for residents etc.

The printed rules also gave numbers to call if you saw a fire or wildlife in need of help . There was other really useful information including maps etc.

If you break any of the rules you are banned from the park and fined heavily. Rules included things like only camping in designated sites, no fires or bbqs other than at designated sites, no inappropriate parking, no littering.

They have wardens that patrol the roads in the parks to keep a check on people and wildlife. Whilst I appreciate that there are huge differences in the scale and nature of their parks, there was also a lot we could learn from them. The money from tourists is ploughed back into paying for the rangers and upgrading facilities for tourists.

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/securite-safety/regles-rules

https://parks.canada.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/passer-passes

Oh yes of course. Allegedly. 👍🏻😁

That's a good idea @Bjorkdidit thanks. I wouldn't be so sure about MN though - parents of small children are the second worst offenders after young men with mountain bikes.

I feel your pain! @FalseSpring and what a super system they have in Canada.

I live in Eryri and the amount of illegal parking astonishing. Pen y Pass and Ogwen are real problems. But £100 fine isn’t enough, when there are 4-5 in a car, splits cheaply. Total arrogance 😡

I am exceptionally careful but I grew up semi rurally. We look for proper parking before we set off.

Saw that on the news @Sheknowsaboutme, looks like a nightmare. More towing of cars would work as a deterrent I think.

Good on you @CharSiu thanks.