Bin bags full of rubbish, broken bottles, drinks cans and human excrement are just some of the items that are spoiling one of Scotland’s most picturesque glens.
Glen Etive in Lochaber has now been dubbed “Glen Midden” and a local couple have launched an online campaign on a social networking site to draw attention to the problem.
It was hoped the glen’s starring role in the James Bond movie “Skyfall” would attract more tourists to this beautiful area, but it is being ruined by fly-tippers, litter louts and lazy campers.
Stalker Mark Shone and his wife, Phillipa, who have lived in the glen for the past two years, launched their campaign – “Glen Etive – The Dirty Truth” – at the end of last month and almost 1,400 have now “liked” their page.
The pair say they set up the page “to bring the antisocial behaviour in Glen Etive near Glen Coe to the attention of the public”.
They write: “This happens almost every day throughout the summer months.
“We have put signs up, we have spoken to campers and we have reported to the authority’s, but all that happens is signs are ripped down and burnt, the campers ignore our pleas and the authority’s turn a blind eye.”
But they stress that they do not want to stop people visiting the glen.
They say: “We do not want a ban on camping in Glen Etive, we are in fact pro access.
“The laws that already exist only work if someone was willing to enforce them, this is where the problems start.
“These offences have all been reported and not once has there been a conviction or fixed penalty.
“The residents of the glen are just left to clean up the mess.”
Councillor Andrew Baxter, Fort William and Ardnamurchan, said he was angry that such a beautiful glen might as well be renamed “Glen Midden”.
And he is calling for a meeting between the various landowners, public bodies and police in a bid to tackle the ongoing problem of fly-tipping in Glen Etive.
A National Trust for Scotland spokeswoman said it shared the concerns about the mess left behind by” “irresponsible campers” in the glen.
She said the trust had tried various approaches to tackle the issue and to try to encourage responsible behaviour, but there were no straightforward solutions.