LOCALS have slammed a wild camper who was pictured hanging their washing on a 130-year-old Scottish memorial sculpture.
Shocking images captured the silver camper van parked just inches from the Nicolson Barometer in Wick, Caithness on Sunday.
A makeshift washing line can be seen connected from the roof rack to the stone sculpture while three towels are pictured blowing in the wind.
The Nicolson Barometer was built by local fisherman John Nicolson in 1889 – dated by a carved seaward wall making it 131-years-old.
It has become commemorative amongst locals and was built to honour local fishermen.
Locals and relatives have branded the incident “disrespectful” with one family member saying the creator John Nicolson would be “turning in his grave”.
Kenneth McElroy, director of the Caithness Broch Project, shared the image on Facebook while slamming the behaviour as “bizarre” and “disrespectful”.
He wrote: “Hi, wild campers, could you not, please? Thanks.”
Relative Margo McBoyle wrote under the post: “Gee, my Great Grandfather John Nicolson would be turning in his grave. Unbelievable”.
Mairi Reid said: “The rats have left their sewers this year, unfortunately..”
Anne Campbell commented: “That’s awful, that’s a precious part of our local history.”
Chris Murphy said: “That’s not a proper camper , that’s a Covid camper. What a d***head.”
The sculpture has the inscription ‘Festina Lente’, which translates from Latin to ‘More haste, less speed’.
Nicolson’s most iconic monument is Mervyn’s Tower, a commemorative memorial to the founder of the Nybster Broch Sir Francis Tress Berry.
Speaking today Kenneth said: “It’s bizarre. They are hanging their washing on a 130-year-old memorial. It’s just disrespectful and obnoxious not being aware of this.
“The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a rise of tourists with some being new to camping and not seeming to understand the traditions and community.
“It gets a lot of money from tourism and then you see this lack of awareness. It is annoying.”
The Coronavirus pandemic has seen a rise in wild camping and the number of people taking staycations with communities in the Scottish Highlands.
This has seen an increase in the amount of litter abandoned in the country and human waste.
