I know IABU.... Scottish Highlands tourism

[Firefightress1]

I know IABU as we were tourists before we moved to Skye but I'm absolutely gobsmacked by how busy it has been over the weekend. I know its not even the busiest time yet but I'm already struggling to get diesel to get to work and the coop is stripped bare. Had a campervan nearly drive into us earlier on the wrong side of the road at a junction and people parking in passing places on single track roads which means traffic is at a standstill.
We always followed the rules and pulled in/let people overtake but there seems to be a new selfish version of a tourist. I know we need to get used to it but people just blatantly disregarding signage and peeing/sh*tting all over the place is just awful!
I honestly don't remember it as bad as this when we were tourists but i guess we didnt live here then
There are so many facebook groups trying to make improvements but the tour buses and guides still insist on stopping at closed sights and encouraging groups to force open gates and move cones to gain access. Its causing so many issues to wildlife and repair operations that are badly needed.

@Paloma66 absolutely agree with you re London. My DH was born and grew up in London. No one gives a shit that he can’t afford to live there but people lose the plot when locals in Cornwall, Skye etc are priced out by those buying holiday homes. Ridiculous.

Tourists can be dealt with and adjustments made but it's the Second Homes that are the community killer. Their interest wanes and they come less and less, at least the one's next door to me. Why keep a family home in one of the cheapest neighbourhoods empty? Buy a designated Holiday Home instead if you must.

Early-retired, if they actually lived here they could be a welcome addition to the local community, but no, a little twee-ish bolt hole for third-tier holiday use, maybe a tax offset, who knows.

I had to drive along the A82 past Loch Lomond on Friday lunchtime heading south. Was really surprised by the amount of traffic queueing north. Would normally expect that more in height of summer.

Do they have second home rules like they do for the Lake District and Cornwall?
If not, they maybe need it. But then there’s the issue of depopulation from certain areas if locals move away….and that’s when they need people back to the island. Tricky. Not nice having the stunning natural environment degraded by tourists though.

Sometimes they can't even tell mountain rescue which mountain they are on because they don't know. How do you not know which mountain you are climbing? They go up mountains in bad weather conditions, which is so ridiculous and it puts the mountain rescue who try to rescue them at risk as well.

The emergency services can trace a phone signal that gives MR an accurate location using SARloc, I’m not sure how it works but I do know if you have no signal it’s useless. Quite often MR are alerted after dark when someone spots a light on the hills or a flare. People also don’t take into account how cold it is the higher up you go nor take into account the ice up there and as you say people often don’t know what hill they’re on.

I’m so sorry to hear this. We last visited Skye in the summer of 2020. Due to covid restrictions most of the tourist attractions were shut and there were no overseas visitors so it felt like we had the island to ourselves. It was wonderful. I was so happy because I’d been telling my DH for years how Skye was the most beautiful, peaceful place on earth and it was exactly as I’d remembered it. We won’t be going back again as it would spoil a beautiful memory. I see it from both sides as we also live in a tourist hotspot. I’m grateful for the money that tourism brings. We still have a thriving high street in our town which is something a lot of places can’t say now. But the difference is that there are plenty of homes, jobs etc for locals so there is room for both to live side by side. Thankfully it’s not really a campervan type of place so we don’t see that disgusting behaviour either. People are so gross. I can’t believe some of this behaviour in reading here (well, sadly I can believe it but I wish it wasn’t true!)

Me too.

I think here in the lakes at least in summer you can avoid windemere/Ambleside/bowness/Keswick and head out eskdale way.

In the 70s we used to go to Skye in the summer to escape from the crowds at home in the Lakes - we would be on the single tracks in our clapped out old VW Beetle and never see a soul. I guess that has changed!

Beginning with M?

Its awful isn’t it.

Opposite end of the u.k in a seaside.area but I think cost of living has more people holidaying in the u.k. rather than abroad this year. We've been crazy busy for the last week. It seems to be a richer crowd than usual all my childrens waiting staff friends have been making a loads in tips.

Sounds awful.

Scotland is my favourite holiday destination. I don’t recognise the kind of destruction you describe but perhaps it is just specific areas. It still seems quite deserted on the south west coast - even Easter/Summer.

I guess I’m the future some areas will be protected as national parks and numbers limited.

Bit of a shame then that the person who sold your house to you chose to take your money rather than a local buyer, isn't it?

I've heard some real stories about the NC500 region and how much locals understandably resent the mess tourism has brought to that region: wild camping, emptying chemical toilets where they shouldn't, dogs fouling the place, rubbish tipped.

These people are just slobs. Increased numbers are one thing, but why on earth people can't respect their surroundings I just can't understand. I'd love to do that particular road trip, but completely see why the locals feel the way they do about it.

I’ve not RTFT, but I completely agree with the OP. I live in the central belt and enjoy and massively appreciate the stupendous beauty of the highlands, and its associated peacefulness. It’s wonderful that so many are starting to realise the same but it badly needs to be controlled, especially the NC500 route.

In the US, vehicles require a paid for permit to enter certain national parks, and I assume these can be capped so there aren’t too many recreational vehicles around at any one time. I often wonder if a similar scheme might not work very well in the Highlands, and also provide some important revenue for maintaining (and tidying up!)

We live on the edge of a major tourist destination in England and my DD lives in a popular holiday area in the Highlands. I have mixed feelings. A lot of things related to tourism are very infuriating, and second home ownership plus people buying up property to rent as holiday homes pricing locals out of the market is a particularly big problem. But on the other hand, tourism is crucial to the economy of many rural areas, including those where DD and I live. And most holidaymakers are of course perfectly reasonable people.
I do think things have got worse in the last few years though. For a start, it does seem even busier than usual. I think that a variety of issues including Covid, Brexit and the increased cost of living have led to more people holidaying in the UK, and perhaps taking a few short breaks rather than one big holiday. Winter weekends this year have been noticeably busier in our area this year. Plus behaviour does seem to have changed. People seem less patient and more demanding. I think things changed during Covid and haven't returned to normal. A couple of my DCs have part time jobs in hospitality and both have commented that there seem to be more rude customers than there used to be. They are still in the minority though fortunately. But I do think that the combination of a general decline in behaviour, plus increased numbers of visitors exceeding what the infrastructure can cope with are putting a lot of stress on popular areas. But on the flip side, it's bringing much needed money into the area, so we can't complain too much.

Mull and Iona remain less spoilt than Skye ( we have family on Mull and have also visited the other 2 islands) I think primarily because the first 2 don't have a road bridge for access to and from the mainland.
We've been visiting Mull for 30 years and the Balamory years saw an increase of families with preschoolers.

We have the same in Australia. Some Coastal towns have got inundated in holiday periods to the point that there are traffic jams and you can’t actually make it to the beach.

It started as a result of border closures and the accomodation prices went nuts too.

I did hear on the news yesterday that Easter numbers are way down. Not surprising given the rents some airbnb are going for now and the cost of living increases we are all experiencing.

Is this place next to a road? If it is, they’re not wild camping. Wild camping is is well away from roads and it’s only OK when it’s done responsibly, which means no litter including faeces.

Interesting point about selling your home to the highest bidder rather than the best (eg: local) buyer.

I want to sell within 2 years and move to a smaller property locally - I am seriously considering local buyers only when I do. I've done similar before so putting conscience before money isn't a new concept to me.

Probably explains why I'm not economically well off but that's fine by me.

There are a few NC500 pages on FB. I’ve seen people show off their vans, ready to come north, and it’s full of tins of food. “Calum” the stag is now a must see on the route. Pictures of people hand feeding him. One family happily feeding him a Mr Kipling apple pie. Photos of people walking their dogs close to sheep, and through cemeteries. Climbing on monuments, or putting up washing lines on them. Open fires. Scorched earth and Tyre tracks beside the camper van parked up for the beautiful view. People posting wondering if they’re going to be able to buy food and fuel on the route…

I’ve been around the Tower of London today and the crowds were INSANE. I mean I know it’s London but I have genuinely never seen it so crowded and I used to work very nearby and pass every day. It was BONKERS.

Sorry I know this was about Skye but I think it’s the same all over.

and of course @Firefightress1 you’ll be waiting for me to point out that you’ve presumably taken one of the homes on Skye that locals can’t now afford to buy. So you’re part of the problem!

"No second home till everybody have their first home for starters"

What does this mean? Surely a second home is exactly that?

Interesting you say that- I’ve been in and around London my whole life and although I haven’t been back for a couple of months - when I last visited at Christmas the crowds were like nothing I’ve ever seen in my life! Yes, London is always busy at Christmas (I’m well used to it), but this was a whole other level!

Welcome to the Lake District. We live just outside but can’t get anywhere this weekend without being stuck in massive cues. I understand the the lakes has anyways been traditionally busy (possibly unlike Skye) but it’s so much worse since lockdown. Took an hour and a half to get in to town to do our weekly shop, instead of 20mins and longer on the way home. People just park up wherever they want and piss and shit everywhere.

Queues! Not cues. Can’t even type I’m so incensed! 😂