Campervan issues drive recent roundtable discussion

Campervan ownership has grown rapidly in recent years and this trend looks set to continue. More than 221,000 new motorhomes and caravans were registered across Europe in last year, up 5.2 per cent from 2023.

Some roundtable participants | Lisa Ferguson

Given the many great attractions Scotland has to offer visitors, including its striking scenery, the country’s roads have experienced a proliferation in campervan, motorhome and caravan traffic. While this influx is most noticeable in areas such as the popular North Coast 500 (NC500) route, it is a national phenomenon.

Camping, caravanning and motorhoming tourists now account for at least 25 per cent of accommodation used by visitors in six of Scotland’s largest marketing areas.

This has brought more money to Scotland – UK campervan users alone are thought to have made1.58 million trips in Scotland during 2022, spending £355 million. However, the impact of campervans on other road users of all types, local communities, and the environment has resulted in a vocal backlash from some.

To explore the opportunities and challenges and map a way forward, The Scotsman and North Coast 500 Ltd (NC500 Ltd)brought together a spectrum of interested parties for a roundtable discussion at Lochardil House Hotel, Inverness, in late April. The meeting, chaired by myself, covered areas including infrastructure, the law, enforcement, and education.

David Richardson, NC500 Ltd | Lisa Ferguson

David Richardson, development and engagement manager at NC500 Ltd, emphasised the importance of tourism to the Scottish economy. He said: “We’re all well aware of the rapid growth in campervan and motorhome ownership and rental across Scotland, other parts of the UK, and globally, and of growing concerns about their impact on communities and the environment.

“What we need is better management, and different parts of Scotland are taking different approaches. This roundtable sought to bring a range of interests together to discuss what works and what doesn’t work, and how we can learn from each other and move forwards.”

Participants gave their views on whether the correct infrastructure of an appropriate quality is in the right places to meet current and future visitor demand.

Sarah Allanson, director for Scotland and Northern Ireland at the British Holiday & Home Parks Association, commented: “Our parks have the required infrastructure, such as waste management and toilet facilities. They are licensed and regulated and are very safe. We would like to see local authorities across Scotland taking a consistent approach to encouraging motorhome drivers to use our holiday parks.”

Colin Simpson, head of visitor services and active travel at Cairngorms National Park, pointed out that tourism has evolved over time, driven by changing market demand. This is now happening with the motorhome market and infrastructure does not always match what people are looking for.

Malcolm Macleod, assistant chief executive (place) at Highland Council, said: “There needs to be a bit of reality around what the public pound is able to bear in terms of infrastructure.”

He explained that there are demands on the council’s resources and that it is spending about £27m per year on road improvements. He added that it is making good progress – such as investing in The Storr on Skye and Achmelvich Beach, a popular stop on the NC500 –amid many challenges.

Chris Taylor, destination development director Highlands and Islands at VisitScotland, said its research shows that campervan visitors bring economic benefits, contrary to some misconceptions.

“They travel around, go to local shops, they are interested in music, they’ll hire bikes and go to attractions like most visitors will do,” he explained. “Undoubtedly there are issues, but, as a sector, campervans contribute to the region.“

When it comes to overnight infrastructure, our research showed that motorhome users are willing to pay for the right facilities that meet their needs, and there are commercial opportunities for the private sector – it doesn’t have to be about councils or other public bodies providing facilities.”

Jeremy Harris, chief executive of The Fife Coast and Countryside Trust, said: “We need to recognise different levels of infrastructure. In Fife, we have some really good private sector campsites and full-service facilities. But the capacity isn’t there to carry what is needed. We’ve addressed this by saying let’s work together. As a non-threatening third-sector body we’ve been able to convene a lot of different organisations around the table.”

Gary Webster, partner in rural businesses and natural capital at law firm Brodies, commented that people who operate agricultural concerns, such as estate owners, crofters and farmers, are generally keen to embrace opportunities to diversify their income.

But, he added: “They are often marginal, low-yield businesses. If there is a project that could give them some supplementary income, but comes with a high capital upfront cost, that is going to put them off.

“The private sector isn’t looking for handouts, but if there was a way that such upfront costs could be smoothed over, with a grant or loan for example, that could help.”

Craig Mills, chair of the Highland Tourism Partnership and Cairngorms Business Partnership chief executive, agreed that the private sector is squeezed and his member businesses are “batting down the hatches”. He explained: “There needs to be more of a meeting in the middle with, say, the public sector initiating something that the private sector can then pick up.”

According to Anna Miller, head of tourism at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, it is a complex picture when it comes to balancing the role of the public and private sectors in rural communities.

“I agree it’s a difficult time for businesses to put an initial outlay into capital investment,” she said. “As an organisation, we’re open to engaging with opportunities, but there are issues that have to be addressed for us to intervene.”

While campervan drivers have been criticised for causing accidents on rural roads, Inspector Donald Mackinnon of Police Scotland told the roundtable there have been 12 road deaths on the NC500 in the last three years. Seven of these have involved motorcyclists, but none have involved motorhomes.

Bridget Jones, Nature Scot recreation and paths manager, said: “There’s also the quality of experience for the person driving the motorhome to consider as well. And there’s a big role for the hire companies, in terms of communication, because they have face-to-face contact with the drivers when they’re handing over the keys.”

Discussion turned to whether current rules and regulations are fit for purpose.

Jeremy said: “The uniqueness of the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and the freedom it brings for visitors looking to walk, ride, paddle, and cycle is extraordinary and a hugely important unique selling point for Scotland. But we have to emphasise the importance of people being responsible.”

Phil Waite, outdoor access and long distance route manager at Highland Council, explained: “Access rangers encourage responsible outdoor access and considerate behaviour towards our communities and environment to reduce any harmful impacts.”

Donald Macdonald, founder and president of the Campaign for Real Aires (an aire being a area of land set aside for motorhomes and campervans to berth overnight), believes there is a role for helping visitors understand where they can park up for the night.

In terms of enforcement of rules, Inspector Mackinnon added: “There are two strands to this. There is the road safety element and there is the behavioural element.“Last year alone in and around the NC500 route we had four specific enforcement campaigns, over 100 offences detected, and between 250 and 300 interactions with a range of variety and range of vehicles.”

The officer explained that while visitors are often seen as the problem when it comes to road safety, figures show that’s not the reality. Last year’s analysis identified it as a 50/50 split between local people and visitors in terms of incidents.

Moving on from road safety to wider issues, Malcolm highlighted the potential of utilising the friendly face of country rangers for a lighter enforcement approach.

There was general agreement around the table that their presence can encourage people to behave more positively, partly because the rangers have an educational and engagement role and can help guide visitors on rules and regulations.

Donald believes motorhome drivers would welcome seeing more rangers in the area, saying: “When they park up, it gives them the security of knowing someone is out and about keeping an eye on things.”

Jeremy added: “I think more countryside roles could be thought of as rangers – those emptying bins, managing toilets, car parks, or paths have an important role to play and are often approached for advice on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.”

For Colin, from a National Park point of view, one of the big dilemmas is where the balance between education and enforcement sits for rangers. And he told the table that legislation currently going through the Scottish Parliament will give some fixed penalty powers to national parks.

Donald said: “I’ve written down four words, all starting with the letter E.” He referred to encouraging people to come to Scotland, educating and enabling them to do the right thing, as well as enforcement.

Craig argued that visitors are constantly being educated, but locals also have to be presented with similar targeted and consistent messaging.

David added: “About a third of our NC500 website is devoted to advice and support for people, and we now have a visitor pledge. It’s all about responsible behaviour, encouraging people to do the right thing, but also to do good for the communities they pass through.”

In terms of the part VisitScotland plays in educating people, Chris explained that they help educate visitors from the start of their planning journey through clear messaging on their channels, encouraging them to plan ahead and follow local guidance before moving onto tactical stuff.

He added: “We want to provide visitors with information to visit responsibly, while also signposting to local businesses they can support.”

The need for ongoing collaboration was one of the key takeaways from the discussion. Drawing the roundtable to a conclusion, David said: “The main thing is that we’re talking, and I believe that this must continue, but actions speak louder than words and we must see change on the ground.”

Thank you to Lochardil House Hotel for hosting the roundtable.

For more on the North Coast 500 visit here