They Are Not Wild Camping!!

February 9, 2010 by Darren
Filed under: Blog 

I’m having a rant I really am. I hate doing this but it really does annoy me. When will people stop referring to the road side camping and the associated mess that usually accompanies it as wild camping?

So when the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park in their consultation paper on the new bylaws referred to the above activity along the shores of Loch Lomond as “informal camping” I was happy. It meant that they were recognizing that the activity of wild camping was completely different to the problem they were experiencing.

Now I’m not the only one who thinks that there is an important distinction between wild camping and the type of camping described above that the media and others constantly try and tar it with. Have a look at this post by Aktoman “Don’t be a div, wild camp responsibly“, where he makes a similar point.

Imagine my dismay then this morning after I caught the introduction by the BBC Radio Scotland presenter and reporter on the Good Morning Scotland show refer to the damage done at Loch Lomond as wild camping in their coverage of the proposed bylaw. What was even worse was that they were not corrected by their “guests” that they had dragged to loch side to discuss this planned bylaw and the current problems it is designed to handle.

What worries me is this constant negative imagine that is being associated with wild camping. A negative image that will allow landowners and others to deny us access to the hills and glens that we love to spend time amongst.

It’s our responsibility to promote a positive image of backpacking and wild camping. It’s also our responsibility to point out that the activities they are seeing at spots like Loch Lomond are not from wild camping but from “informal camping”.

If we don’t one morning we are going to wake up and find that our “rights” have been severely curtailed.

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Comments

6 Comments on They Are Not Wild Camping!!

  1. Simon W on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 7:05 pm

    2. Do you have a name or a contact for the producers of the show … or those of the guests? I’ll happily write some carefully worded emails.

  2. Fraser on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 7:19 pm

    3. PTC was a guest, you could take it up with him, but I think he knows what wild camping is…

  3. chilliupnorth on Tue, 9th Feb 2010 9:51 pm

    4. Sounds like it’s all getting a bit out of hand up there. There are always a handfull of idiots who spoil it for everyone.

    There are more and more places in the lake district getting used for camping by idiots who cause damage and leave rubbish kicking around.

    It has been mentioned on the news and forums and is always reffered to wild camping which is really frustrating as it’s tarring everyone with the same brush.

    you’d like to think that rangers/wardens/police would have the common sense to spot the difference between the two types of campers and act accordingly but i’ve got a feeling they will go after everyone!

  4. john hee on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 6:49 pm

    5. Simple answer. If you camp near a road, its not wild camping

    IMHO Dartmoor have the right approach with their definition of WC

    Selfishly it won’t bother me – I wander far off the beaten track and avoid any sign of urbanity

  5. Duncan/Aktoman on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:11 pm

    6. I saw the report last night and the policeman they were interviewing mentioned the case of attempted murder, as well as vandalism/criminal damage. I think the term he used was “social camping”.

    As was mentioned in the report, some people think the law gives them a right to pitch a tent anywhere in Scotland. Sadly, even an attempt to educate people (eg by having leaflets on every tent sold in shops, Argos, etc), there will still be people who don’t care about the damage they are doing.

    And that is why we have police and the legal system instead of burning firebrands and pitchforks. Sorry, Darren, you can put the pitchfork away now ;-)

    I don’t see that changing the law will make a difference – and the evening report mentioned the crack-down by the police – and will only deter the lawful campers (eg people who read blogs like this).

    Also, if this government-funded body fails to uphold the Law and gets an exemption, then the other landowners can use that precedent and so the the number of wild-camping spots in Scotland will diminish. But that’s an extreme case, and probably will never happen. Maybe.

  6. Duncan/Aktoman on Wed, 10th Feb 2010 9:21 pm

    7. @John – ptc* did refer to the loud music wafting up to the hills in his report on BBC Scotland last night. It is a long glen, and noise does travel. Part of the West Highland Way runs along the glen, and I’ve heard motor-cycle engines from across the loch in the past. That’s maybe 1-2 miles away.

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