Litter-lout wild campers facing crackdown in Borders

Selkirkshire councillor Elaine Thornton-Nicol issued that call for action in response to complaints about a surge in wild camping in the region prompted by the coronavirus lockdown introduced in March.

The upper Yarrow Valley had been particularly hard hit by vast numbers of overnight campers flocking to the green alongside St Mary’s Loch and near the Megget Reservoir, she told a full meeting of Scottish Borders Council held via video-link last Thursday, August 28.  

“Some uncontrolled campers are leaving rubbish and human waste behind, lighting fires which adversely impact on the local environment and ecosystems, parking haphazardly and often dangerously along the roadsides and making noise late into the night,” said Ms Thornton-Nicol in a motion put to the meeting.

“The presence of these visitors, without the necessary infrastructure or management approaches in place, is having a detrimental impact on the local environment, the local community and local businesses.”

She added: “We have all seen social media posts and press coverage about uncontrolled overnight camping, better known as dirty camping, happening across Scotland. 

“Here in the Borders we are no different. From upper Yarrow to the Lammermuirs, to the Eildons and everywhere in between, we are witnessing dirty camping, and its impact on our residents, ecosystems, environment and the enjoyment of other visitors. 

“This morning I read of two more badly impacted areas, one of which is a coastal community who have thrown their hands up and are no longer going to clean up the mess left behind. 

“The other one is engaging with landowners, Police Scotland, the local authority, community councils and the wider community asking for any and all ideas to combat it.

“There is talk of having radios for quicker contact with the local police.

“We want to be able to welcome visitors, we want to be open for business and we want those visitors to have a good time while they are here.

“What we do not want is antisocial behaviour, environment and ecosystem damage and the risk to health of human waste. 

“With wild camping the rule needs to be ‘bring only what you need and leave nothing but footprints’.

“It would be helpful if there was a planned Borders-wide approach to this.

“We need to be clear that with the right to wild camp comes the responsibility of having no impact.”

Her motion, seconded by fellow Selkirkshire councillor Gordon Edgar and passed unanimously, commits the council to work with partners, including community councils and landowners, “to put in place and support appropriate long-term measures and approaches to address and manage these issues for future years”.

It also urges the Scottish Government “to make resources available to provide financial assistance to put the necessary infrastructure and management arrangements in place”.