Calendar An icon of a desk calendar. Cancel An icon of a circle with a diagonal line across. Caret An icon of a block arrow pointing to the right. Email An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of the Facebook "f" mark. Google An icon of the Google "G" mark. Linked In An icon of the Linked In "in" mark. Logout An icon representing logout. Profile An icon that resembles human head and shoulders. Telephone An icon of a traditional telephone receiver. Tick An icon of a tick mark. Is Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes. Is Not Public An icon of a human eye and eyelashes with a diagonal line through it. Pause Icon A two-lined pause icon for stopping interactions. Quote Mark A opening quote mark. Quote Mark A closing quote mark. Arrow An icon of an arrow. Folder An icon of a paper folder. Breaking An icon of an exclamation mark on a circular background. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Caret An icon of a caret arrow. Clock An icon of a clock face. Close An icon of the an X shape. Close Icon An icon used to represent where to interact to collapse or dismiss a component Comment An icon of a speech bubble. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Comments An icon of a speech bubble, denoting user comments. Ellipsis An icon of 3 horizontal dots. Envelope An icon of a paper envelope. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Camera An icon of a digital camera. Home An icon of a house. Instagram An icon of the Instagram logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. Magnifying Glass An icon of a magnifying glass. Search Icon A magnifying glass icon that is used to represent the function of searching. Menu An icon of 3 horizontal lines. Hamburger Menu Icon An icon used to represent a collapsed menu. Next An icon of an arrow pointing to the right. Notice An explanation mark centred inside a circle. Previous An icon of an arrow pointing to the left. Rating An icon of a star. Tag An icon of a tag. Twitter An icon of the Twitter logo. Video Camera An icon of a video camera shape. Speech Bubble Icon A icon displaying a speech bubble WhatsApp An icon of the WhatsApp logo. Information An icon of an information logo. Plus A mathematical 'plus' symbol. Duration An icon indicating Time. Success Tick An icon of a green tick. Success Tick Timeout An icon of a greyed out success tick. Loading Spinner An icon of a loading spinner. Facebook Messenger An icon of the facebook messenger app logo. Facebook An icon of a facebook f logo. Facebook Messenger An icon of the Twitter app logo. LinkedIn An icon of the LinkedIn logo. WhatsApp Messenger An icon of the Whatsapp messenger app logo. Email An icon of an mail envelope. Copy link A decentered black square over a white square.

‘Dirty campers’ told to take their litter home to preserve Scotland’s natural beauty

An abandoned campsite
An abandoned campsite

A national mountaineering organisation has called on local authorities and other groups to crack down on irresponsible campers ruining Scotland’s beauty spots.

Mountaineering Scotland has called for a “multi-agency approach” to prevent damage to the country’s picturesque landscapes by reckless people taking part in “dirty camping”.

The group says the practice, where people leave litter behind after enjoying time outdoors, is an “increasingly common” occurrence in rural areas.

David Black, access and conservation officer for Mountaineering Scotland said: “Anti-social camping can and should be dealt with.

“Hotspots for dirty camping are usually known to local authorities.

“We call for all those who are concerned about this to come up with local management plans that identify the problem and its causes, and identify the resources needed to tackle it.

“There is already legislation covering anti-social activity.

“What we need is coordination of resources to enforce it.”


>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter


Of all the places irresponsible campers leave a mess, one of the most problematic, according to Mountaineering Scotland, is by the roadside where tents are pitched close to campers’ cars.

Often plastic, glass and burned ground is left behind, and occasionally camping kits and human waste.

Mr Black continued: “It is easy to associate all informal camping with rubbish and pollution, but the truth is different.

“Walkers and climbers going into the hills and wild camping tend to leave little trace of where they have been.

“Roadside campers who leave no trace are also invisible.

“But the trail of dirty roadside camping is only too visible and is what gives all campers a bad reputation.”

Stuart Younie, the chief executive officer of Mountaineering Scotland, added: “We have seen a lot of camping this summer and it’s great to see people getting out to enjoy Scotland’s stunning scenery and the outdoor lifestyle, with all the health benefits it brings.

“But the downside has been the number of campers ruining beauty spots for other visitors and those who live there.

“Mountaineering Scotland does what it can to promote responsible behaviour. We think greater emphasis should be placed on government agencies, councils and national organisations working together with communities to develop local management solutions. We know where the pressure spots are.”