UKC

Does anyone know if it's open this year please?

Nothing online so I'm guessing it's still shut. Currently on Rum but back into Mallaig this evening and booked on the ferry to Armadale tomorrow morning.

I believe it's owed by the same people who own the pub, so maybe with calling there to ask.

The manager was on R4 yesterday or the day before saying they were having severe problems getting staff this year (interviewed with several other business owners, including Zefirellis in Ambleside)

I was there on Monday night for work. Apparently the campsite won't be opening this year. The unpredictability of coronavirus regulations was cited as the reason. Last minute recruitment being less effective than the normal long term system. Judging by the new hotel pricing scheme and its occupancy rate they may not miss the campsite. 

That's sad news. I guess it will also see an inevitable increase in the amount of wild camping and associated issues.

I can understand the issues with staffing, but surely they could just run it from the pub rather than having the site managed 24/7? Maybe putting key codes on the toilet doors to prevent use by non guests.

Last time I passed by a couple of weeks ago the entrance to the site was full of roadmending gear and crew and utterly inaccessible.

What they mean is that they usually get international gap year students to run it and the bunkhouse for a low wage with accommodation. That deal is not attractive to the locals.

I can understand the does a campsite take tents or not question, or just self contained.

but not being able to open anything just shows what a honeypot the place is and how lacklustre its owner /mangers are. 
 

Unless they are hoping by adding to road side camping, camper and/motorhome issues, that the regulations will change in response to dirty camping, making them an even more of a monopoly on that side of the cullins in future.

Judging by the number of motorhomes (rather than vans) parked up in the nearby laybys and the car park by the bridge the campsite would have been full.

Accommodation anywhere on Skye is a problem. (Especially when you have work three days in a row of the kind that requires you to wear a suit, the campsite was always my last resort but I have had to use it a few times, got me some strange looks...) 

I’ve done the ‘suit and boot’ thing from a campsite before, closest I’ll get to feeling like royalty........all heads turn to watch you.

The best encore is when it’s wet and the outfit then gets wellies! (To keep your shoes shinny and mud free).

Thanks for the info, guess it's Glenn Brittle or just head straight over the bridge and up to Applecross or Torridon.

I think the new community campsite at Broadford is open for tents, but you may want to check. Handy for Blavern and a short drive to Slig. I’ve never stayed there so can’t comment what it’s like.

https://campingskye.com/

I don’t think Applecross was opening for tents, but happy to be corrected.

I had a look at Applecross before I left and it looked like it was ok for tents but you probably need to book.

Thanks for the link to the Broadford site, last time I was that way they hadn't got the grass seed to grow enough on the tent pitches yet so I couldn't stay.

Also they were locking the gates at night between 10.30pm and 6.30am which I wasn't that keen on, I think you could arrange in advance to get let out by the warden but not really what I wanted.

Applecross was open for tents last year, don't see why they wouldn't this time. It's a good site with good pitches.

Just checked as of 28thMay opened for tents.

Tim Martin is having the same problem.

Had email today from the CEO of St Austell Breweries apologising that many of their venues are affected by staff shortages. We found out first hand a couple of weeks back at The Old Success,  Sennen when they closed their outside seating at 1700 on a warm sunny Saturday afternoon. 

We looked at it last year and thought it was expensive and rather to much of holiday park for our liking.

It actually wasn't open to stay at yesterday as they had a big community day of stalls etc there.

Looked like a good afternoon when they were setting up but I headed onward to Glen Brittle.

Oh dear. How sad. Never mind.

Maybe all his former staff did what he told them at the start of lockdown, and f*cked off to get better jobs elsewhere.

How is Glenbrittle?

A real shame.

Definitely shut when I passed early this morning.

Open.

Nice site, especially if there is a breeze!

Was getting a bit busy last week. Just turn up. Seemed to be having some water problems.

thanks, good to know it's open

Shut for sexond year in a row using covid regulations as an excuse, I won't be returning to it. 

Glen brittle is open and good facilities although lacking in phone reception. 

Walk back up the road until you reach the gate with the no camping / parking sign on it. Get signal with EE there.

Also ee signal behind the green tanks on the path to Laggan up the hill behind the toilet block. Also picked it up in front of the static next to the reception and the metal gate near the toilets last month when we were there

Great, busy at the weekend but pretty quiet yesterday.

Totally battered my shin on the ridge yesterday though and it's properly swollen up so that's the end of any hillwalking for this trip. At least I made it down ok without having to get any help.

that's bad luck.  I popped my foot right off when I turned my ankle over coming back down from Pinnacle Ridge on SnG alone.  An audible pop followed a little while later by the foot popping back on, a definite dislocation.   Fortunately that was on the last day of a trip!

After nearly vomiting until the pain subsided I found that I could place weight on the foot as long as the foot was absolutely flat so once Gerry Ackroyd and his party had had a smirk at the state of me after they passed through I was able to hobble back to the car (about 2 and a half miles) along the track from SnG with the aid of the two poles I had been carrying all day.   Very useful for self rescue!

Hope you make a good recovery.

For me and a tent it's the same as Glen Brittle, for 2 people and a tent it's cheaper.

If they weren't full I'd definitely have tried it for a couple of nights.

I think because as we turned up in a van they wanted to charge campervan prices, plus extra for the tent. (Our van is not converted and takes up no more parking space than many estate cars)