North Coast 500 residents vent over 'bad idea' £40 motorhome charge at Highland meeting

A meeting held to discuss tourism numbers in the Scottish Highlands saw “universal disapproval” of a new, voluntary £40 charge for motorhomes, an MSP has said.

Highlands and Islands MSP Edward Mountain called a meeting to hear concerns from local residents and businesses about the impact the increasing number of tourists on the North Coast 500 is having on the area.

The meeting, held in Wick this week, raised Highland Council’s voluntary £40 charge for motorhome users recently introduced to curb the impact the surge in numbers is having on local communities. It allows drivers to park up overnight in a network of council-owned carparks - many on the North Coast 500 - and to use leisure centres for washing and showering.

Edward Mountain MSP, Highlands and Islands MSP (pic: Andrew Cowan)

The move has already drawn fierce criticism from caravan park businesses in the area who said the new option for travellers will put their businesses at risk.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Mountain, of the Scottish Tories, said: “There was universal disapproval of this scheme at this meeting for the simple reason that Highland Council is now competing with private suppliers.”

Campervan site owners have previously said the pass undermined established sites which are licensed and regulated through planning and health and safety and which already face “crippling bills” for VAT, business rates, refuse collection and electricity to pay. 

The low-cost permit will make them unable to compete for business, it has been claimed, with an open letter signed by almost 30 site owners across then north.

Mr Mountain said another issue with the voluntary charge was the lack of enforcement.

“The scheme is going to cost £2million to implement, and so far, since July 1, there’s been 38 purchases of campervan spots. I bet more than 38 have used those spaces, but there is no enforcement in place,” he said.

“The feeling I got from the meeting is that people would rather see it scrapped rather than have it paid for.”

Katharine Hay

Communities living on the NC500 have been calling for years for more regulation on tourism in the Highlands as the increase in motorhomes and campervans has led to issues with traffic, irresponsible parking and driving, and litter.

Mr Mountain said figures raised at the meeting showed some 30 per cent of the campervans on the NC500 do not use designated camping sites.

He said: “These are the ones that are maybe causing the problems. The concern is there’s too much random camping; cars parked in graveyards for example. That annoys people.

“What was clear from the meeting is that people generally welcome tourism, but there was a requirement from the people there that communities are listened to, and there aren’t decisions like this scheme done without consultation.

“The general feeling was that no one wants to stop tourism, but we need to respond to demand. And the Highland Council, who are benefitting from the tourism, need to think about investing in the infrastructure otherwise these people won’t come back.”

A spokesperson for Highland Council said: “Earlier this year, the public, partners, and the Highland Council’s staff were invited to take part in a survey and share suggestions ahead of the Council’s budget for 2024/25.

“Emerging themes from the public engagement highlighted that people understood the need to raise income generation, with the most common suggestion to do so through campervans and motorhomes. A proposal to introduce a charging scheme for Campervans and Motorhomes was approved by Members of The Highland Council at its Budget meeting on Thursday 29 February 2024.

 “Implementation costs have been kept to a minimum by adopting existing technologies used by the Council.  The Council recognises that the majority of visitors to the Highlands are responsible and would highlight that an investment fund of £750k is available for a range of activities, such as waste disposal and waste management, with the ultimate aim of helping to support responsible and sustainable tourism for the Highlands.”