ROWDY campers are causing havoc at St Mary's Loch at weekends, writes Sally Gillespie.

Noisy visitors ‘wild' camping at the beauty spot build bonfires, play loud music and drink into the night and leave their mess, say local businessmen.

Tibbie Shiels Inn owner Alistair Moody said: "People come here and run riot. They come with their £20 tent from Tesco and 40 Stella and they don't care."

His wife Selina said: "They do what they want. They don't see that this is someone's home.

"Last year they set fire to the trees opposite us and they put a gas cannister on a fire at 2am. It's outrageous."

Locals raised the issue with local MSP Jeremy Purvis at his surgery at Cappercleuch Hall last week.

The problem centres on the definition of wild camping, allowed under 2003 ‘right to roam' law, but which should be over a mile away from an official campsite.

Mr Moody, who runs a campground at the hotel, said: "Wild camping is not bringing cars, beer and lighting fires in the car park. The police have been great but there is nothing in the system to stop this.

"We need someone official to come down on a Friday and Saturday night to make sure they are following the camping code."

The lochside Glen Cafe's Ian Fernyhough said: "To a lot of people it doesn't seem like a big problem but to the people in the area who are trying to keep a hold on it it's a big issue and it causes a lot of stress."

One group brought solar panels and lights, a generator and satellite dish. And three years ago men in caravans had a stag party on the cafe green.

Mr Fernyhough said: "There were up to 70 or 80 people that night: people were dragging trees out of the wood and chopping trees down outside the cafe.

"The atmosphere was very intimidating."

Wemyss and March Estates have put up signs banning vehicular camping on the picnic area next to the loch to try to tackle the problem.

"All we can do is try and appeal to their better nature but they just stand and look as you explain and when you walk away, giggle and smirk and take no notice.

"We don't want to stop people coming and enjoying themselves but it's got to be done in a regulated way, " said Mr Fernyhough.

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