Disgust after human faeces and rubbish found at North Coast 500 beach car park

The incident comes days after campervan toilet waste was dumped in the area.

By Alberto Lejarraga

April 25 2025, 6:00 pm

Rubbish bags and human excrement were found at Gruinard Beach car park. Image: Ed Hall

Residents were disgusted to find human faeces once again at a popular west coast beach on the North Coast 500 route.

Resident Ed Hall, from the Gruinard area, spotted human excrement and bags of garbage at Gruinard Beach car park earlier this week.

He had previously taken photos of dumped campervan toilet waste at the same beauty spot a few days earlier.

Mr Hall told The Press and Journal that Gruinard Beach used to be one of his and his wife’s favourite beaches.

However, he admitted that they “don’t go anymore.”

He explained: “They turned the beach car park into basically a caravan site.

“It’s likely to be strewn with human waste and litter, and it’s just not a particularly pleasant place to go anymore.”

New human faeces episode at North Coast 500’s Gruinard Beach

Mr Hall continued: “The photos of emptied cassettes and human waste at the roadside, I could probably take you to six or seven likely spots now, and I would be very surprised if there wasn’t any there.

“What sort of mindset thinks that’s okay?

“We still want tourists to come, just don’t s*** on the beach.”

The west coast resident explained that campervans have been staying overnight at council car parks over the past five years.

human shit — Finding human waste is not uncommon across the North Coast 500. Image: Ed Hall

rubbish bags and barbacue waste — Mr Hall also spotted a number of rubbish bags in the area. Image: Ed Hall

He insisted that these sites have “no safety spaces or waste disposal facilities and only a few bins which are constantly overflowing.”

He added that the lack of fire safety measures in council car parks is “a big concern.”

campervans parked closely together at Ullappool carpark — Campervans parked without the appropriate safety distance at a car park in Ullapool. Image: Ed Hall

The UK Government says it should be ensured “campervans and tents are at least six metres away from parked cars to reduce the risk of fire spreading”.

Mr Hall said: “They aren’t enforcing any fire safety separation distances at all and sooner or later, there’s going to be a fire and somebody’s going to get killed.

“It doesn’t make sense to me. I think it’s just an accident waiting to happen.”

NC500 locals ask for enforcement after human waste incidents

When asked what the solution could be, Mr Hall said that “caravans should be on caravan sites, because that’s where the waste disposal and facilities are.”

He added: “The council car park is being treated as a free caravan site without any supervision or any safety or any hygiene at all.

Another rubbish bag found at Gruinard Beach car park. Image: Ed Hall

“The Highland Council’s take when you ask them will be that we need more dumping facilities.

“Well, we have them already, they’re on all the sites.

Similarly to what NC500 the dirty true admin Robin Pettigrew told The P&J last week, Mr Hall thinks “it’s time for enforcement.”

He said: “There’s been enough. It’s time for some enforcement. The Highland Council don’t seem willing to try and enforce anything, but we will see.”

A Highland Council spokesperson said: “Details of public facilities and Comfort Scheme providers can be found on the Highland Council website and can assist people in planning ahead when travelling: www.highland.gov.uk/publictoilets.”