Residents of Dores in the Highlands hit out over bad behaviour as coronavirus restrictions eased
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Residents of Dores have claimed they were "under siege" from people flouting social distancing rules after lockdown rules were eased.
The Courier reported earlier this week how there was concern online over a large gathering at Dores beach.
Now more locals have come forward troubled by what they say has been bad behaviour from a number of visitors amounting to a public nuisance.
They have claimed people used public areas as a toilet and left broken bottles lying around.
They also said some people lit fires and left them burning despite the Scottish Fire Service issuing a a wildfire warning for last weekend.
One woman who did not want to be named said: “Dores has been under siege.
"I live in the village and we are down at the beach daily for our exercise and we found there was a crazy increase in footfall, cars are parked all over the place across residents driveways, they are abandoned in the middle of the village.
“There was a group of about 40 teenagers down at Aldourie pier and we called it in to the police because I think they thought it was Ibiza. The music was so loud, there was broken glass in the water – this is a place where I walk my dogs and my children like paddling.
“We left because the language coming out of them was absolutely atrocious and they were even taking their bikes and cycling off the pier into the water.
“Then you have the rubbish so it is not just the disruption of not being able to walk where you would normally go but it is the rubbish as well. We walked down the next day, you are talking about maybe five or six black bags (worth of rubbish).”
Another resident said she and her mother had witnessed a man using playing fields as a toilet.
“If it was a kid, a three year old, you might understand," she said. "I have never seen anything like it.
“We are used to having people in, it always gets mobbed in the summer, but it is the behaviour.
“They were smashing bottles last night so now we can’t take our dogs down there.
“The village kids know to wear shoes but another family visiting in the future might not know that.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon suggested earlier this week that what are currently guidelines on travel and public gatherings may have to become rules if people continue to behave irresponsibly.
There has even been talk that fuller lockdown could be reimposed if the relaxation proves to have led to an increase in the number of coronavirus cases.
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