EXCLUSIVE: Get off my land! Furious farmer reveals Boris Johnson 'climbed over his fence to set up 8ft tent WITHOUT permission and lit a dangerous campfire before fleeing Highlands holiday cottage'... leaving his MINDERS to clean up
- Farmer Kenny Cameron was livid after discovering PM had gone onto his land to camp without his say-so
- He told MailOnline: 'Usually if people want to go inside a fenced area, they ask for permission first'
- Boris Johnson's minders have apologised and told the irate farmer they believed land was okay to use
- Prime Minister and his family holidayed in property called The Old School House in remote Scottish peninsula
- Property cost £1,500 a week to hire, but needs a £200 deposit and has honesty box for using the phone
- Mr Johnson's group is understood to have left the hideaway last night and is on his way back to work
- Number 10 Downing Street is 620 miles away, which the PM had been due to go back into on Monday
- The holiday house is in Applecross, which warned visitors to say away during the coronavirus pandemic
- It has recently endured a different type of invasion when millions of midges swarmed on the area
- Location was also the spot where a BBC 2 reality TV show called the Great Escape filmed in 2009
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Great Escape descended into farce this afternoon after it emerged he had camped in a local sheep farmer's field without permission.
Applecross Landowner Kenny Cameron was left fuming today when he realised the PM and his fiancée Carrie Symonds had pitched their trendy eight foot bell tent on his land and had a camp fire without asking him first.
He was also angered that Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds, 32, appeared to have been climbing over his 3ft high wire fence to get to the cream-coloured canvas tent, instead of using the gate into the field.
Mr Cameron found a pair of wooden chairs from the cottage had been placed either side of the fence to form steps to clamber over it.
The sheep farmer was also concerned that lighting a campfire had posed a potential risk due to the tinder dry conditions in recent weeks.
Speaking exclusively to MailOnline as Boris's minders hastily packed away the offending canvas tent, a bewildered Mr Cameron said: 'Mr Johnson is meant to be leading the country and yet he is not setting a great example.
'Usually if people want to go inside a fenced area, they ask for permission first, but I was not asked at all. It is only polite to ask.
'He could have put up his tent in the garden of the cottage and there would have been no problem – but he didn't do that.
'He could easily have damaged the fence by climbing over it as a short cut. There is a gate a little way up and they could have just used that.
'Having a bonfire is always a risk when you have dry weather. I know we had rain last night but it has been very dry.
'It was the first time I had seen a tent in the field. I last came up here a few days ago and it was not here then.'
The farmer stormed up to idyllic spot overlooking the sea in the Scottish Highlands that he has leased for 20 years to confront the PM after a friend saw the exclusive pictures on the front page of today's Daily Mail and tipped him off.
Kenny Cameron was left fuming today when he realised that the tent had been pitched on his fenced land without permission
Mr Johnson's minders were left to deal with taken it down after the Prime Minister left the secluded Highlands spot
Mr Johnson's minders were left to deal with taken it down after the Prime Minister left the secluded Highlands spot
Who chairs wins? The distinctive wooden seats used to climb over the fence appear to be the same as the rental's kitchen
A pair of dining chairs 'used by Boris Johnson to hop over the 3ft wire fence' belonging to Applecross landowner Kenny Cameron. The chairs appear to have been taken from the kitchen of the nearby rental cottage, named The Old School House
Boris Johnson stayed on the Applecross peninsula where BBC 2 reality TV show Monty Halls' Great Escape was filmed in 2009
The Prime Minister was seen in the tiny 452-populated community earlier this week by curious locals
The clean-up crew: Boris Johnson's minders tie-up the 8ft tent erected by the PM during his stint on the remote Scottish peninsula Applecross
Charred remains of the campfire lit by Boris Johnson during his Highlands break. Landowner Kenny Cameron has complained the PM risked sparking a bigger blaze due to the tinder-dry conditions
He shook his head as he surveyed the tent in his 20 acre field beside a pile of charred wood from the remains of the campfire.
As Mr Cameron stood there, clearly angry with what he was looking at members of Mr Johnson's security team arrived at the cottage and promised him that they would take it down.
Looking bewildered at the sight in front of him, he said: 'It's just that I was not told about it.'The Metropolitan Police officers apologised to Mr Cameron, saying that they and the Prime Minister had believed that the field was part of the cottage.
One officer said in front of a MailOnline reporter: 'We are going to take the tent down and clear away any rubbish.'
Mr Cameron complained directly to the officers that he had not been asked for permission for the tent to go up.
The farmer then watched as the officers climbed over the fence and started taking down the tent.
Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds are believed to have spent romantic cosy evenings in the tent with their four-month-old baby son Wilfred and their dog Dilyn while warming themselves by the fire. The couple would have heard nothing but the sounds of waves lapping on the rocky beach below them.
Mr Cameron turned up with his sheepdogs Bud and Paddy this morning just hours after the prime minister ended his holiday and left for London.
He said he feared that the tent would be left to 'blow away in the wind' and that he would have to clear up the mess from the fire.
He admitted that he had not found any evidence of damage being done and said that he may have given permission for the tent if asked 'as long as they respected his fences and did not make any mess.'
Mr Cameron said that he had rented the field for 20 years and kept it as winter pasture for some of his 700 sheep which spend the summer on the hills.
He added: 'As far as I can see, there is no damage, but there could easily have been.'
Mr Cameron admitted that he was not a fan of Mr Johnson's politics and was a supporter of Scottish independence.
But he said: 'It is nice that the Prime Minister came here with his family. This area is very remote. There is plenty of peace and quiet. 'The weather is wonderful at this time of year. Some people bring boats and others go hill walking.
The Prime Minister (pictured on holiday) travelled to Scotland with his fiancée, baby Wilfred, and their dog Dilyn last weekend
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his partner Carrie Symonds with their son Wilfred at 10 Downing Street on July 14
The living room of the property boasts incredible views towards the picturesque islands of Raasay, Rona and Skye
The living room has a plethora of sofas and a smart wooden table and sideboard, featuring plates from the local area's past
'There is also a lovely sandy beach about four miles away – but the water is cold.'
The Old School house is set in splendid isolation with beautiful views over the islands of Rona and Raasay.
It costs around £1,500 a week to rent in the summer and the nearest neighbours are half a mile away.
It is off a single track coast road and is around six miles from the village of Applecross which has a pub and a restaurant.
The cottage is accessed by a 200 yard gravel and grass track down a boggy hillside with piles of sheep dung which visitors have to step around.
The track which is lined with dry gorse bushes scorched by the Scottish sun crosses an area of common land.
Staff at Nanny’s café, the village shop and the Shieldaig Bar & Coastal Kitchen restaurant in Shieldaig insisted that they had not seen any sign of the prime minister during his five day break in the Highlands.
The Old School House is believed to have been built in the 1800s and was used as a school for many years until around the Second World War.
Children living on the Isle of Rona opposite the school are said to have rowed across the sea to attend lessons.
Visitors to the house have to access it by crossing the remote Applecross pass over nearby mountains or using the 20 mile long coast road from Shieldaig.
The narrow coast road is mostly single track with regular passing points for vehicles and has the added hazard of shaggy-haired Highland Cattle strolling off the hills and standing in the middle of it.
The area is famed for its craggy beauty with mountains and moors cloaked in Scottish heather which is in full purple bloom at this time of year. The road which passes the Old School House is part of Scotland’s North Coast 500 – a 516 mile route circular route around both the East and West coasts of the Highlands.
The simply furnished cottage has an outbuilding without a roof and is owned by an English woman who is believed to live in the Midlands.
It stands in a simple garden plot, measuring around 30 yards by 20 yards and surrounded by a dry stone wall.
The back gate of the cottage goes on to the common land which is bordered by Mr Cameron's fence.
Staff at the Applecross Inn hotel and pub said that Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds had not popped in during their stay in the area.
But a holidaymaker said he had seen the couple walking with their dog on a trail near the village of Shieldaig around 20 miles from their cottage.
Judith Fisher, the owner of the Applecross Inn, said she could understand why the prime minister had chosen the area for his holiday.
She said: 'Every morning, I look out across the bay and it is one of the best views in the world. You are looking over the Isle of Skye. It is absolutely magical.'
But she added: 'I hope he brought his midge cream with him because the midges have been particularly unbearable in the last week.
'They have been terrifyingly awful from about 7pm every night unless there has been a breeze to blow them away.'
A small table in the corner of the living room could offer visitors a space to do some work or catch up on the week's news
Boris Johnson's Highlands hideaway: The Old School House on the Soottish peninsula of Applecross, where the PM has been staying this week while leaving his ministers to face the music of the A-level and GCSE exams debacle
Field trip: Boris Johnson's stay at 'The Old School House' in Scotland coincided with chaos for thousands of A-level and GCSE students whose grades were automatically downgraded by the government's algorithm then reassed after a U-turn
The PM would seem likely to approve of how seriously his holiday destination took the coronavirus lockdown.
In May residents placed a large notice along the famous Bealach na BÃ road, part of the North Coast 500 route.
It read: 'Attention Visitors! Businesses are closed in Applecross. No food/drink available. Public toilets locked. No facilities. Community isolating – please respect.'
There was also a BBC 2 reality TV show filmed there called Monty Halls' Great Escape which was was broadcast back in 2009.
It saw Marine biologist Monty Halls 'escape from the city' to be a crofter, to raise animals and grow vegetables on his own farm.
Mr Johnson's three-bedroom cottage is fully booked up for most of this year and the start of the next, according to its website.
The kitchen is complete with all mod cons and has been immaculately cleaned in line with current coronavirus regulations
The house has three bedrooms, but the master has a smart double bed with gingham style duvet for guests to relax
Another of the bedrooms has two single beds, but with a window offering terrific views of the Scottish Highlands
It describes itself as a 'wonderful location to explore' and boasts of how it is both 'secluded and spacious'.
Ironically given the education crisis that engulfed his government while he was away, the cottage still retains signs of its former life as a schoolhouse.
The cosy-looking property makes much of it 'part-panelled living room' and has its own woodburner.
It has its own water supply from a spring and requires a £200 deposit to book, but has an honesty box if people want to use the telephone.
A listing for the rental exclaims: 'Relax and unwind in this former school house. Secluded, yet within a wonderful location to explore. Excellent walking and climbing nearby.
'This secluded and spacious cottage, with its own walled garden, enjoys a gloriously sunny position on the seashore with spectacular views towards the islands of Raasay, Rona and Skye.
The master bedroom also has a small dressing table to get ready before taking any of the walks available in the area
The third bedroom only has one bed so would be perfect for a child to be based, with plenty of space for their belongings
Just yards away is the sea, which publicity for the property says offers a' gloriously sunny position on the seashore'
A wood burner in the living room solves any issues with the cold in the house, which also has full central heating throughout
The house has three bedrooms, but only has one bathroon, which comes with a shower over the corner bath, and toilet
The Old School House is remote from any other buildings in the locality so is the perfect way to unwind from life's stresses
Unlike previous prime ministers, including David Cameron and Theresa May, who have allowed the Press to take pictures during their summer breaks, Mr Johnson decided not to.
No 10 insists Mr Johnson has been kept briefed on the exams situation while at the Scottish property.
But yesterday, when the Daily Mail offered the Prime Minister the opportunity to issue a public statement on the A-levels furore, Downing Street declined.
Mr Johnson travelled to Scotland with fiancée Carrie last weekend.
The Old School House is believed to be connected to the neighbouring land, where the canvas tent was set up this week
The bell-style camping tent was staked out just yards from the sealine and looked to have plenty of space for a family
Yesterday, Mr Johnson was seen coming and going to talk with his six-strong security team, whose three vehicles have been parked outside throughout his stay.
At one stage, Mr Johnson pulled on a woollen hat in the bracing coastal winds.
The Prime Minister's presence in the remote corner of Scotland has caused a flutter of excitement among those who have managed to catch a glimpse of him.
One holidaymaker told the Mail how he was taken aback when the Tory leader stumbled past him on a hiking trail on Wednesday.
He described how Mr Johnson, whose face was covered with a specialist hat designed to keep away the area's notorious midge population, was joined on the walk by a small entourage.
As well as two close-protection guards who are routinely at the Prime Minister's side, he was joined by Miss Symonds, a local guide and an unknown woman who was walking Dilyn.
The tourist said: 'It just looked like any other normal family day out.'
Last night, opposition politicians said Mr Johnson should have interrupted his stay to address the exams fiasco.
Layla Moran, the Liberal Democrats' education spokesman, said the Prime Minister's silence on the issue had been 'deafening'.
She added: 'The very least the Prime Minister should have said was sorry. Holiday or not, he must apologise for the impact of this fiasco on young people, and for choosing 'yes men' over competent ministers.'
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: 'Instead of heeding warnings and addressing this looming crisis before it was too late, the Prime Minister has been invisible.
'Parents, young people and teachers deserve a public apology from the Prime Minister and a plan for how he will get a grip of his Government.'
On Monday, the Government performed a U-turn on A-level results just days after they were published, allowing students to receive their teacher-assessed grades, instead of those moderated by a controversial algorithm.
The row has led to pressure on Education Secretary Gavin Williamson and triggered charges of government incompetence.
Sir Bernard Jenkin, the Tory chairman of the liaison select committee, yesterday broke ranks to express concern that Mr Johnson's Government had been repeatedly refusing to take the blame for its mistakes.
He told Radio 4's The World At One that there was a 'sort of pattern setting in' under Mr Johnson's watch, whereby 'something goes wrong and it is the permanent secretary's fault or it is some public body's fault'.
Earlier this year, Mr Johnson was called a 'part-time prime minister' by former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for refusing to cut short a break to respond to flooding in the UK.
The Prime Minister last month said he would be working 'flat out' through the summer but revealed plans to escape for a mini-break at some point.
He said: 'I would encourage people still to think of wonderful staycations here in the UK. There are all sorts of fantastic destinations, the best in the world.
All my happiest holiday memories are of holiday vacations here in the UK, bucket-and-spade jobs or whatever, and I thoroughly recommend it.'
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