Free holidays at Westport!

[Bruce]

No, you can't ban people from camping most places nowadays, but I think people can expect them to respect the place... and this thread shows there is much evidence that's not the case! As for a solution to the problem, that's a different matter - maybe the council should ask the police to go by and have a word in a few ears if required!

[Wired 2 The Moon]

well it is only a minority that dont respect the area

would it be possible to stop all camping at westport? not that i want that to happen

[Ross]

The carpark itself already has signs saying no overnight parking or camping. The ground around the dunes still belongs to the farm up on the corner to the best of my knowledge, they used to go around the dunes chucking everyone off a year or so back but havent seen this done for some time now. The area all along the beach by the dunes is SSSI so should therefore be protected by law unless anyone else knows any different

[Ship called Dignity]

No, you can't ban people from camping most places nowadays

I'd be surprised at that Bruce - alot of land round these parts has owners! So, like me and you, they have the right to ban people from camping in their front lawn!

[knock]

If the signs say no overnight parking then shouldn't the police be reinforcing this? I drove past Westport early on Monday morning and the carpark was full of camper vans. Also on the corner before Muasdale there was a camper van parked in the BT layby. Both these areas have signs warning against camping. I think it's time the police got in on the act and moved these people on - or direct them to the nearest camp site.

[Ship called Dignity]

No, you can't ban people from camping most places nowadays

I'd be surprised at that Bruce - alot of land round these parts has owners! So, like me and you, they have the right to ban people from camping in their front lawn!

PS - The use of lawn was a private joke!

[Bruce]

Yea I guess it was a private joke... but you'll be surprised where some people park! On our way up the east coast of Kintyre (on the northern half of the road, but I can't remember where) I spotted a lone tent in the middle of a field... lucky for the occupier it was a calm week as there was no protection from the wind coming from any direction! Also, lucky for the owner of the field, there was no sign of any fires being lit or rubbish lying around... just a small (maybe 2 man) tent standing there for the world (or at least those travelling up/down the east side of Kintyre) to see!

Nowadays it is referred to as wild camping and as my boys would say people have a choice of toilet (oak or pine!) and the law is fairly lenient (as will most land owners be probably) as long as certain guidelines are followed (you know the ones - the no lighting of fires, leaving rubbish, etc) but what is happening at Westport is out of order. However, if it is privately owned maybe the owner needs to complain before police will take action? Whether being SSSI means the police can take action without the owner asking them to is another matter and I don't know if it makes a difference - to me it should, but others may disagree!

As for the BT layby... can anyone please explain that to me? I've always looked upon it as potentially a great place for taking photos, but have never stopped at it (not even briefly) on the way past! What exactly do BT use it for and how often?

[petewick]

[
So, like me and you, they have the right to ban people from camping in their front lawn! [/quote]


EHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, POSTAGE STAMP IN YOUR CASE P.

[Beachcomber]

If the signs say no overnight parking then shouldn't the police be reinforcing this?

More likely to be the responsibility of the council than the constabulary, I'd have thought.