Campers blasted for parking 'fleet of 4x4s' at Highland beauty spot

Conservationists blasted campers for parking a fleet of 4X4s with rooftop tents at a Highland beauty spot – and warned the cars leave long lasting damage.

Bosses at the National Trust for Scotland claimed they discovered five Land Rovers parked up on a grassy verge at Glen Etive, near Glencoe, on Sunday, with ladders leading up to pop up tents on the roof of the motors.

The group has now urged tourists not to drive off road and warned it could lead to “long lasting” damage of the protected landscape.

Under Scotland’s outdoor access code, powered vehicles are not permitted to leave roads and laybys unless they have landowner approval.

NTS Glencoe said: “Please don’t do this. It is not ‘wild camping’.

“There is no access right to drive off-road with five, heavy vehicles in a precious protected landscape.

“It will inevitably leave a long-lasting trace.

“Heavy vehicles inevitably have an impact on grass verges, vegetation and soils, especially when wet.

“The cumulative effect of this activity, weekend after weekend, is what causes the long term damage and the land struggles to recover because it spends so much of the year under pressure in Glen Etive.

“We also think people who travel in these vehicles should be made aware (or make themselves aware) of Scotland’s outdoor access code at the time of hire or purchase, in which case they would know that powered vehicles are not permitted to leave roads and laybys unless they have landowner approval.”