Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 09 September 2020
I am sorry, Presiding Officer, that you had to wait for so long for such a tiresome party political point from the member, which was—to be frank—not worthy of her.
I was talking about people who camp perhaps not being aware of the restrictions or that their waste might have an impact on water courses that might be needed to serve animal troughs or even human dwellings. They might not realise that there are families living nearby, whose quality of life will be impacted by their playing music or making excessive noise. We need much better education for those who use the countryside on how they should behave responsibly. We also need much better enforcement of the laws as they currently stand, whether or not we consider that they need to be improved.
In my area, Perth and Kinross Council has established a new initiative, working with local countryside rangers and the police, to try to address the problem. Those who are camping at popular spots are visited and reminded of their responsibilities. Where necessary, enforcement action will be taken, although that is by no means a simple matter. It is an approach that could be followed elsewhere in Scotland.
There is, in all of this, a real problem with stretched resources, not least because issues will often arise at weekends or outwith normal working hours. Leadership from the Scottish Government is required to assist both local authorities and the police in ensuring that they have what it takes to address the problem when there are so many other demands on their time.
A final point for consideration is whether adequate facilities in the form of more informal camping sites might be established, with the provision of toilet facilities and rubbish bins, so that those who want to camp informally have more safe and secure places in which to do so.
I have tried to summarise briefly what I believe is a significant problem affecting rural Scotland and what more needs to be done to tackle it. I am sure that other members will want to speak from their own perspectives about the issue and how it impacts on their constituents.
The key point is that the Scottish countryside should be there for all of us to enjoy, but that needs to be done in a responsible manner, and we need to take account of the interests of those who live and work there.