Tourism in Scotland is changing. The main talking points for visitors, besides the natural beauty and the friendly folk, used to be the weather, the midges and the ropey service, from the rigid opening hours to the vegetarian-shaming.

But those old postcard jokes – “If you can see the mountains it’s about to rain, if you can’t, it’s raining” – are being supplanted by wry sketches about the joys of a loo with a view, as the prevalence of wild toileting continues to hog headlines.

The issue, which caused much annoyance during the staycationing years of the pandemic, is in the news this time because of the behaviour of certain tourists on Skye. Campervan owners, reports BBC Scotland, are getting the blame for instances of blatant outdoor toileting. Some campervan owners have hit back that, as they typically bring their own toilets, singling them out is unfair. Clearly, though, some wild campers, including some van owners, are failing to observe the exhortation to “leave no trace” and leaving unspeakable evidence of their presence.

Most wild campers respect the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. It states that if you have to “go” outdoors, you should be as far away as possible from paths, habitation and farm animals. But some are leaving waste and tissues strewn around near roads, and that, like all antisocial behaviour, spoils things for everyone.

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