Those of you with a long memory will remember a post of mine entitled “A Couple Of Questions For You” about a story that was being run at the time about the problems the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park was having with so called “wild campers”.
Well now the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Authority are going into a 12 week public consultation period (starts today) on a new proposed bylaw they want to introduce that will allow them to crack down on this problem.
I do like the fact they have stopped referring to it incorrectly as “wild camping” which it most certainly was not, and have given it the name of “informal camping”.
You can get more info on the official site here and also read the actual document here.
So how does this affect us of the backpacking world? Well basically it means that in the area they want to apply this new bylaw to you won’t be able to camp unless in one of the official camp sites. But if you read the planned proposals then there are exceptions. One of which would allow backpackers to carry on as before, kind of. Here’s what it says:
“On prior application in writing to the Authority by an individual or group,the Authority shall be entitled at its sole discretion to grant exemption under these byelaws in circumstances where, in the opinion of the Authority acting reasonably, the activity or activities concerned would further the aims of the Park. Any exemption granted shall be in writing, shall specify the activity or activities for which the exemption is granted and shall specify the duration of the exempted period, and any terms or conditions which may apply. It shall be an offence to fail to comply with any such terms or conditions imposed by the Authority.”
I welcome this exemption, but I also hope that a bit of common sense will be shown by the Park Authorities and Law Enforcement Agencies when coming across backpackers, and that they will not be heavy handed in their actions if they don’t have written permission. Backpackers are not the problem here, and it is usually pretty obvious who is a backpacker and who isn’t.
I can see why the Park Authorities need to do this, however I fear that they will use this to harrass backpackers as well.
You can also read the BBC Scotland coverage of this story as well here. A certain blogger gets quoted in the story as well 
Fame at last!
Does this mean that thru-hikers on the WHW need to ask for permission to properly wild camp along the Loch Lomond stretch? I wouldn’t think that would be “further[ing] the aims of the Park”.
It’s been obvious for some time that something needed done about those who think it’s OK to turn up, trash the place and bugger off again. Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand.
Simon, I’ve just checked the map of the area covered and under these new bylaws as they currently stand. Yes you are correct you would need to get permission in writing before hand even if doing the WHW.
Every sympathy with the NP wanting to control the antisocial great unwashed, but how is one supposed to know these new bylaws exist when you’re in an unfamiliar area? Sounds like a recipe for confusion when it is widely known that ‘wild camping’ is fair game north of the border.
I mean for folks walking the WHW or cycling with camping gear – I’m sure we’re not all going to be stopping to read different sets of posted ‘rules’ at each bridge/gate/style/county border.
Rob, I agree that there is the potential there for a lot of confusion. Hence why I think there should be common sense applied.
Good piece Darren. I think the key point is that the access legislation was never intended to allow roadside camping like this. As you say, it’s good the park has stopped calling this wild camping.
Once past Ptarmigan Lodge wild camping is okay so WHW walkers still have plenty of wild camping opportunities. If camping before then there are the commercial sites.
Chris thanks for the great advice and comment.
I can’t really see the problem. If you’ve ever been along that stretch in summer, you’d know why they’re doing this. It can become very unpleasant and intimidating. I remember dragging a kayak out of the loch and through an impromptu rave full of pissed weegies. Braemar has the same problem. They even burn the tents at the end of the weekend there.
Alistair, I’m not disagreeing with what they are doing. I’m just asking that when the authorities come across a backpacker that they apply common sense.
yep, you’d think they would apply common sense to a backpacker Darren but I sort of feel sympathy for the rangers. Apparently they’re going to become the UK’s first and only “outdoor” special constables. I just see that as plain wrong. Confronting vandals, making arrests and crowd control is the job of the police, not rangers. If I was a countryside ranger I would be angry at having to do the police’s job for them. I’ve never seen the attraction of “wild” camping between Balmaha and Rowardennan, mostly coz I used to live near there and know what it’s like in the summer. They fished a load of body parts out of the loch at the Rowardennan pier years ago. You get all sorts in that area!
Alistair, I agree with you it does seem that the rangers are having more dumped on to their plate. I hope that with the increase in responsibilities they are compensated with an increase in pay as well. But knowing how things work, I would bet good money that they are not.
And this is how access rights die out through fear and knee-jerk responses. The laws exist already to catch irresponsible campers, they are just not policed properly (for whatever reason). The key point is responsibility, camping is not a problem if done responsibly. I can pull up in a car, put up a tent for a day or two, make very little noise and leave without leaving more than an indent in the grass, yet I’m being restricted because the rangers are not able to (paid enough to etc) spot the people leaving litter and making trouble. Odd.
I run a small bed and breakfast you can find in the Loch Lomond Hotels website, my B&B is situated close to a spot were a lot of so called wild campers perch down for the night. 9 times out 10 the people who use this spot are genuine and pleasant people but their seems to be a growing trend of the unruly coming to this spot, ghetto blasters playing all night long and god knows what else these people are getting up to. Once they leave in the morning they don’t bother tidying up after them and more than once I have had to go and lift empty beer cans and bottles. It is a shame for the ones that do actually come here, have a beer, show respect to the local area and people, this sort is always welcome but we could do without the Ned’s.