TOURISTS turned East Lothian into a giant campsite last summer with huge numbers of tents on the coastline, according to a report.

And more than 90 per cent of people who think they are wild camping in East Lothian are not truly wild camping, it was revealed.

The number of visitors to the county rocketed last year to more than two million, with thousands of tents pitched along its coastline.

But a report into the management of the coast and countryside in East Lothian warned that too many visitors had turned the county into a giant campsite, with few understanding the rules and residents steering clear of the beaches.

The report, which has been lodged in the council’s members library, said: “In terms of tourist attraction, the visitor experience is being compromised by the sheer volume of tents and campsite feel of areas.

“In addition, locals have been staying away from these busy coastal sites during the summer.”

In 2020, the county experienced a then record number of visitors, with an estimated 1.3 million tourists.

Last year, it was estimated that more than two million people visited.

The report said that the Scottish Government’s promotion of staycations saw hotels and camping sites book up quickly, while the cost proved “prohibitive” for some.

Number of tents doubles

The number of tents along the coastline doubled last summer, with popular hotspot Yellowcraig seeing a 1,953 per cent increase in the number of campers.

In 2020, the council reacted to the sudden swell in visitors by producing wild camping guidelines for campers.

However, the report revealed that few seemed to understand the meaning of the term.

It said: “The car parks had a significant increase in the number of people camping next to their cars both at Whitesands and Yellowcraig car parks.

“Large signs did improve the situation but there were still those who were under the impression that they were ‘wild camping’.

“It is thought by staff that over 90 per cent of the people who turned up to camp at East Lothian’s coastal sites were not true wild campers.”

Wild camping is defined in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code (SOAC) as lightweight camping for one or two nights at most and all signs of being there should be removed when people leave.

It points out that while people have access rights to wild camp on land, their vehicles do not.

The report to East Lothian Council said that few campers had even heard of the outdoor code, adding: “With the interaction with the public there was the impression that a lot of campers were only hearing about SOAC for the first time.”