Trowels provided in Highland lay-bys for 'urgent toilet breaks'

26th of August 2020
Trowels provided in Highland lay-bys for 'urgent toilet breaks'

An increasing number of people have been visiting the Scottish Highlands since lockdowns have eased - but few washrooms are open in the area.

So one local council has responded by buying plastic trowels and leaving them in 90 lay-bys as an "emergency last resort" solution to tackle the problem of outdoor toileting.

The Highlands are becoming an increasingly popular post-lockdown destination according to Lochbroom Community Council chairman Topher Dawson. But some tourists seem unaware of the scant public toilet provision in the region.

While he hoped that all tourists would attempt to find a toilet, he said the 90 plastic garden trowels provided would serve as a "temporary urgent solution" for those who desperately needed the loo, enabling them to dig a hole and bury the waste.

"We have about 100 lay-bys in our area, but 90 trowels were all that were available to buy," he added.

The community council - which covers the north-west Highland area around Ullapool and Dundonnell - plans to provide lay-bys with maps as well, pointing out where the nearest public toilets are located. Dawson hopes more lavatory facilities will be available next year.

Other Highland regions have been experiencing problems with "dirty camping" where tents have been found discarded and human waste left behind in beauty spots. The Western Isles local authority Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has urged island visitors to plan ahead for toilet breaks. And other Highland council and community groups have urged visitors to "leave only footprints".

 

 

Our Partners

  • ISSA Interclean
  • EFCI
  • EU-nited