Highland Council warns the demand for traveling with motorhomes “is intensifying and creating significant pressures for safe overnight parking in rural communities”.

Now landowners are being invited to set up their own stopping sites and charge a fee for the privilege.

Councillor Alan Henderson represents Caol and Mallaig, which has been badly affected by motorhomes and dirty campers – with Scottish artist Hope Blamire this week accusing them of direspecting the landscape around them “without a care in the world”.

Mr Henderson said: “We encourage any community groups or landowners that may have suitable land to submit a short inquiry form to the council’s planning team.

“This approach is necessary in Highland to allow us to adapt to the increased popularity of this type of travel and to mitigate the problems experienced in many communities from overnight parking in unsuitable places and congestion caused in beauty spots.”

Tourism committee chairman Gordon Adam said the demand for traveling with motorhomes has been intensified during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“As a result this has created significant pressures for safe overnight parking in our rural communities,” he said.

“The Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to a temporary relaxation of planning controls allows Highland Council to consider temporary use of appropriate locations for overnight stops in motorhomes without formal planning permission.

“This change allows temporary use of appropriate locations for overnight stops in motorhomes without the need for formal planning permission, where it is considered safe and reasonable.”

A landowner guide to create temporary motorhome stopovers is available here.

Anyone with an interest is asked to complete the inquiry form and submit it to:

Planning.Technical@highland.gov.uk