Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
It's a resentment that you can see everywhere, not just on Skye... Wales, even the Lakes where i've borne the brunt of it on one memorable night out... in Spain when you go into the local's areas of towns and see the signs saying "no tourists" on the bars...

It's always going to be there... a bit of resentment that an area needs the financial input of outsiders to survive, and they don't like it... i think it usually falls into an uneasy truce... those who embrace it and happily work in bars/restaurants/b&b's/etc, and those who don't like it grudgingly acknowledge that tourists keep some economy's afloat... but we as outsiders have a part to play, i.e not trashing the place and showing a bit of respect.

Until something like this comes along and tensions boil over a little...
I think that most people in the Lakes accept that tourists are needed for survival, and hopefully make them welcome - those nice little shops/pubs/cafes cannot survive on local trade only. But it is nice when, in the quieter months of the year, most of them have gone, so we can walk on the pavements, and not have to drive on those same pavements to avoid badly parked cars. Having gone from a frequent visitor - for decades - to a permanent resident, I have seen both sides.
There have been no problems "fitting in" - we try to contribute by shopping locally, and by volunteering - my partner in social care/food bank, and I coach with AAC juniors, and try to support the vets. What people say behind our backs of course we may never know. Our neighbours are lovely - one chap nearby has lived in the same street for over 80 years - though he did move from one side of the road to the other!