gillmacca said:
Isnt there any law against camping on a beach, and what about the driftwood fire?
Tricky one this!
I can only really comment for where I work as there are probably different rights / laws depending where you are in the country.
At Merthyr Mawr Warren(where I work) the sand dunes down to Mean High Tide are part of a private estate and also a National Nature Reserve. To camp here you would need the permission of both the landowner and the Countryside Council for Wales (who I work for).
As for fires on the beach, here at Merthyr Mawr this is a big no-no
. Although beaches and dunes appear to be of little importance to plants and animals they can be a very rich habitat .For example, it may seem a trivial thing but there is such a thing as the strandline beetle (Nebria complanata)that is restricted to sites along the Bristol Channel. This little beastie lives under driftwood and feeds on sandhoppers. As you can see if we burn the driftwood we destroy the home of this creature.
All I can say is
a) Check if you need permission to camp on the beach
b) Check if you are able to have a fire on the beach and that it will not damage any of the flora and fauna.
c) BE RESPONSIBLE!
I hope it doesn't sound like I'm having a go but it can be gutting sometimes to have to deal with the damage and mess that some people leave behind. As people interested in bushcraft I'm sure this does not apply to anybody here, but remember that it is very easy for us to be looked at in the same way by landowners etc.
To me bushcraft is not only about learning the skills needed to live in the natural world but also to make sure that there is a natural world for us all to live in.