‘Feels like an invasion’, cry NC500 locals as ‘entitled’ campervan drivers take up special parking spaces
LOCALS hit out after NC500 campervans “invaded” a car park in the middle of a tiny village.
A raging resident spotted eleven motorhomes filling up the spaces right in the heart of Lochinver, Sutherland.
There is anger because these parking spots are mainly taken up by patients heading to the nearby GP surgery.
One resident said: “This feels a bit like an invasion. People are not happy about it.
“This is known as the doctor’s car park because it’s where we park when we’re going to the health centre. It’s usually quite busy and the spaces are tight.
“There is nothing else nearby so if you’re not feeling well you could be facing a long walk. It is just not on.”
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Lochinver is promoted as one of the must-visit destinations on the popular NC500 trail.
The small fishing village boasts a harbour, amazing scenery and some shops and businesses that cater for tourists.
A resident took a photo of the eleven motorhomes, and it appeared at least one of them might be leaking or discharging something.
It’s thought some of them may have spent all night there and this has been blamed on a website that's used to find camping spots.
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It’s unclear whether people are allowed to stop there.
A local said: “The residents always come in second place behind the tourists.
“There used to be big No Overnight Parking signs but they have largely disappeared.
“Something like that in this car park would go a long way towards solving the problem. Most visitors will go elsewhere if they see that.”
After the snap was posted online, residents weighed in. One said: “No wonder folk get sick to the back teeth of these vans.
“Can you speak to the surgery and ask them to put up a big sign saying parking for patients or surgery?
“I know a lot of these entitled asses will park wherever they fancy, but it might just put off some of them.���
Another added: “I don’t think this is a good place for overnighters beside the surgery and shops. It needs to be removed from the website.”
The NC500 was launched to boost tourism in the Highlands and it appears to have done the trick.
More visitors than ever before are flocking to the area to follow the trail and tick the area off their bucket lists.
But fed-up residents say this attitude has led to a different kind of tourist visiting.
They claim they have to deal with bad behaviour on a daily basis because guests think they’re heading into some kind of theme park where they can do as they please.
Read more on the Scottish Sun
And as the popularity of rented camper vans tourists seem reluctant to pay for official sites.
One of the biggest issues for locals is finding them stopped in places where they shouldn’t, including graveyards.