UKH

As the thread title.

I'm planning a trip to Carnmore in the autumn for some pre-winter hillwalking to get my fitness up and I'm aiming to stay out for a couple of nights, maybe 3 or 4 depending on weather.

What's the score with leaving a vehicle in Poolewe? Don't want to upset the locals. I've used the little pay and display next to the bridge for a day trip but I think there might have been signs up about no overnighting.

Ta, Jim

The carpark by the bridge is where to go. Used it while overnighting in Fisherfield last weekend - I don’t remember seeing any ‘no overnight parking’ signs (and I was looking for them). It isn’t pay and display either - there is an old pay machine there but it is for donations to the community trust and doesn’t actually issue tickets.

We left the van for a few nights while we were climbing there this spring. The machine is donation based and no tickets like malkey_c says. One thing to note is that for some reason it said "coins only no notes". Not sure why but we plugged all the change we could find between the 4 of us into it, make sure you've got some change with you. Enjoy, it's an amazing place to visit and climb.

Thanks both, 

I remember there being a meter but I'd forgotten that it was a donations thing rather than a ticket thing. Also really good coffee from a little cafe up a side street, unless I'm conflating small villages in the NW in my tiny little mind.

You are correct about there being a no overnight parking sign but it was mysteriously removed earlier this year.

There is no proof but there was suspicion it was done by someone in a caravan, motor home or camper van as the sign was specifically against overnight parking for caravans and camper vans.

Its replacement is being looked at the local community council.

I don't know but I think the community is not against someone leaving their car empty overnight, eg while they did a couple of days in the hills, but they did not want the car park being treated as a campsite for caravans and campervans.

However, give the behaviour of some visitors the local view might have hardened, but malky_c's and zb1's experiences suggest you aren't going to have a problem.

Dave

If you mean the Bridge Cottage, then it has changed hands (again) recently. It's now a takeaway (with indoor seating) called the House of Pie. The pies are good, but the coffee is filter with UHT milk  

Seems to be a trend. No overnight parking in campervans signs in a few places now.

I always worry that the little car park at Poolewe will be full up when doing overnighters in Letterewe, but it's always had quite a few spaces.

Anti-campervan parking measures can have significant collateral damage to hill access and overnight camping access by car.

I think I would interpret no overnight parking signs to mean no sleeping in vehicles rather than no leaving a vehicle overnight. I know that is not taking them literally, but that is presumably the intention.

I tend to prefer, where possible, to be mindful of signage around inhabited areas - even if it's annoying. It would be unfortunate to come back to a car with flat tyres.

So it's good to see clear signage appearing.

The Poolewe sign was specifically against caravans and camper vans but I can see some places just putting up signs saying, "No Overnight Parking" which, even the intention is to stop people treating a car park as a campsite, will affect everyone, unfortunately.

I think the problem in the Highlands is the NC500 has attracted people to the NW who have no interest in the area and would never have thought of visiting, until they heard of the NC500 and unfortunately the relatively few whose behaviour is appalling are the ones who get remembered.

Dave 

Wasn't it the case that the no overnight parking signs in Glencoe were removed because they had no standing in law?On

If so this surely applied elsewhere, except for private car parks, which the Poolewe one may well be.

Across Highland, not enforceable in Law.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-19672972

As a Rule of Thumb if something isn't a standard road traffic sign or there isn't a guide to penalties for infraction then I view it as a request rather than an order.

That's a shame. Posh coffee is my only vice these days and, pleasingly, seems readily available in even the remotest corners of the highlands. It's a win-win way of contributing to the local economy for me.

Interesting. Thanks for posting.