Broadly speaking there are two groups of camper-vanners. There are those who wish to wild camp and will only stay on a campsite as a last resort. The second group do the opposite - prefer campsites and will only wild camp if there is no alternative. Currently, the law in Scotland allows wild-camping, provided it is not on private property or in breach of local bye-laws, ie overnight stays in local authority car parks. I think it would be fair to say that since campsites generally provide facilities for all forms of waste disposal that the group we need to be concerned about most are the irresponsible wild campers.

I said in an earlier post that education is the key. I think maybe I should revise that. We are not going to be able to stop people from wild camping so what we need to do is manage the situation better. Anyone who has ever been to France will know that practically every village (in popular tourist areas) has an Aire de Service (Service Area). These vary wildly in what they have to offer. Some are basically just a waste disposal facility, which every passing camper-vanner can use, whilst others offer overnight pitches and even electric hook-ups. In many, the service offered is free in others you have to pay to access some or all of what is offered. The point is, that in France they have learned to manage the situation. Some popular spots are almost over-run by camper vans during peak season. To avoid the chaos this causes the Aires de Services system provides places where camper-vanners can park, dispose of waste and sometimes even spend the night. These Aires de Service are rarely if ever staffed. If payment is required is it usually via a machine. And all the while the locals are not driven demented by irresponsible camper-vanners blocking narrow streets and having waste disposed of at the roadside.

I know there are some plans to introduce some Aires on the NC500. The more the better as far as I am concerned. The outlay costs can be recouped by charging (modestly) for the services provided. The system has made a big difference in France. I feel we in Scotland could learn from it.