Wild camping in Scotland could be restricted for the first time since the activity was legalised in 2005, if a new byelaw proposed by Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park authorities is approved by the Scottish government later this year.
Although camping in the wild is not permitted in England and Wales, it was made legal across Scotland by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, which came into effect in February 2005, after campaigning by recreational groups such as the Ramblers Association.
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park authorities are now calling for Scotland's first wild camping ban since the land reform act across a 14 sq/km area around east Loch Lomond, near Glasgow, to crackdown on anti-social behaviour.
A park spokesperson said the proposal is a last resort after years of failed efforts by police to stop the small minority of campers from nearby cities from vandalising property, leaving piles of litter, cutting down trees with chainsaws and having raucous parties by the loch.
Loch Lomond is easily accessed from Glasgow by road, making the area a popular getaway for city dwellers, many of whom drive up to the loch and camp next to their cars.
The park authorities acknowledge that the proposed byelaw, which will impose a £500 fine on wild camping, would affect walkers who want to camp, but say that the loch can no longer stand the "unacceptable" abuse of irresponsible campers, which started in the 1960s, long before wild camping was officially legalised.
Aside from the two official campsites by Loch Lomond, the park is planning a new "informal" (less manicured than a regular campsite), fee-charging campsite to make room for people who would have otherwise camped wild.
Although the park authorities say they are confident that the ban will be approved by the Scottish government after a consultation period in August, the Rambler's Association is opposing the byelaw, concerned that a 17km stretch of the West Highland Way, a famous hiking route, would fall under the camping ban and that the ban may be extended to other parts of Scotland. Sport Scotland have also encouraged the national park to "explore all of the options available to them" before introducing the ban.
Some national parks, including the Cairngorms, have already ruled out the use of camping bans to control anti-social behaviour. But Bridget Jones, visitor manager at Loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, said other parks in Scotland will be "keeping a close eye" on the ban, if approved, with a view to implementing similar measures.
