The Highland Council in Scotland is launching a 12-week public consultation on a proposed visitor levy while seeking expanded legislative powers from the Scottish Government to tax campervans and motorhomes parked outside designated campsites.
The consultation will gather public and industry feedback on the proposed fixed-rate fee structure across the region.
Under the current proposal, overnight stays in hotels, bed and breakfasts, and short-term rentals would incur a £5 fee per room per night.
Campsites, hostels, and motorhomes pitched at designated sites would be charged £2 per night.
The proposed charges would apply across the Highland Council area for nine months of the year, excluding December, January, and February, according to an article by The National Scot.
Accommodation providers would retain 5% of the collected funds to cover administrative costs, with total annual revenues estimated at £9.5 million to support local infrastructure such as roads.
Because existing legislation limits the council’s ability to tax vehicles parked away from official facilities, municipal leaders are actively negotiating with government officials for broader authority.
The push follows increased resident concerns regarding overtourism, littering, unauthorized fires, and waste management along popular travel corridors like the North Coast 500 and Glencoe.
Robin Pettigrew, a Lochcarron resident living along the North Coast 500, expressed support for raising municipal funds but advocated for an entry-point vehicle tax rather than taxing only designated accommodations.
Pettigrew suggested using automatic number plate recognition systems at key regional entry points such as the A9 and A96 roadways to administer the charge.
“I wouldn’t demonise motorhomes and campervans, but what we have a problem with is people who are coming up in whatever vehicle,” Pettigrew said. “I’m aware there are talks going on to bring them into some kind of levy. It should be a vehicle levy, not a campervan levy.”
Pettigrew added that public sentiment favors taxing visiting vehicles across the region. “I know there is a considerable body of feeling up here that they should be taxed or levied. My feeling is it should have been a vehicle levy and not effectively a bedroom tax,” Pettigrew said.
He noted that high traffic volumes would allow for a lower individual rate while generating needed revenue. “You wouldn’t have to charge loads of money with the sheer amount of vehicles coming up,” Pettigrew said.
“I totally understand how desperate the council are for funds. I fully support the idea [of a tourist tax], and I hope they get their act together [on the vehicle aspect] because our infrastructure, our schools, our communities need the help,” Pettigrew said.
Pettigrew, a former chartered member of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, resubmitted a parliamentary petition in July requesting a ban on campervans outside designated zones. The petition had previously been set aside due to a lack of parliamentary time before elections.
Donald Macdonald, founder of Campaign for Real Aires, indicated that motorhome owners are generally willing to pay visitor fees if local authorities construct safe, designated parking areas.
Macdonald launched the organization in 2020 after observing network models for motorhome overnight stops across France and Spain.
“We’ve been working since 2020 for the creation of safe, authorised overnight parking spaces for self-contained motorhomes,” Macdonald said.
“What’s ideal to make people want to visit somewhere is that there’s somewhere allocated that you can park up and you’re not going to have the local residents chapping on your door at 2am,” Macdonald said.
Macdonald noted that clear infrastructure reduces friction between visitors and local communities.
“I think there’s a feeling across the Highlands from some people that motorhome owners look at the map and think ‘where can we go to annoy people the most?’, when they’re the same as anyone that goes on holiday – you want to go somewhere and enjoy the scenery, eat out, do a bit of shopping. You don’t want to be getting into a confrontation with residents,” Macdonald said.
Citing dedicated motorhome locations in Northern Ireland, Macdonald emphasized that proper facilities foster a more welcoming environment. “It was really welcoming. There was recognised places where people could park up, and there were facilities for them. If that happens, I would expect someone in a motorhome to be making as much of a contribution to the ongoing costs of tourism as someone who is in a sports car staying at a BnB,” Macdonald said.
“We’re happy to pay that, what we need is for places to be created,” Macdonald said.
Member of the Scottish Parliament Ariane Burgess expressed support for a point-of-entry taxation model for visiting vehicles. Burgess noted that unmanaged roadside parking remains a primary operational concern for local communities.
“Part of the problem people talk about is that campervans park up anywhere and over the years there’s been problems where there’s no way to really make sure people are leaving the place well,” Burgess said.
“The other challenge I’ve heard from people is that most people arrive with their campervans with their food and fridge fully stocked and so don’t contribute to the local economy by going and eating in a restaurant,” Burgess added.
“If you go to Scandinavia, people recognise that paying a tax is a way of contributing, and so I would say this is a way for people to contribute to the beautiful landscape they love to come and experience,” Burgess said.
A Highland Council spokesperson confirmed that officials are engaging with the Scottish Government regarding expanding current legislative powers to cover additional visitor groups.
The public consultation will run for 12 weeks, with council members set to review the findings in December.
