I recently visited Arisaig in Lochaber, and it is a beautiful area, with a great deal of tourism driven visitors. I was heading off for a coastal walk when I came upon this sign, stating NO CAMPING, NO FIRES.
Under the Land Reform Act 2003, wild camping (and the lighting of fires) is permitted in most of Scotland, so long as it is done within the guidelines outlined in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. Signs like this which simply try to rule it out should be reported to the Local Authority Outdoor Access Officers. No easy task in some cases. I reported the above sign to Highland Council after much searching, as many of the links on their website are out of date and do not work. I’ll update this with any progress, as yet I’ve had no response. With luck, the Access Officers should be able to liaise with the land managers and remove the non-compliant signage, hopefully advising them as to how to put up signs which allow them to convey advice without contravening the act.
The Airdrie Rambler 