Balmoral, the Queen’s Scottish residence, is being used as a public toilet
Most public facilities are closed in the United Kingdom due to the country’s lockdown, but people are allowed to exercise and socialize outside, leading many to seek quiet public places if nature calls during a day out.
“Disappointed to see so many wipes discarded on the Estate today. Next to paths and monuments. Please remember there are no public toilets open for miles around at the moment,” staff at Balmoral wrote.
“Part of the problem is that we are seeing a lot of non biodegradable wipes being discarded in the countryside,” they added. “Also, people are choosing to relieve themselves right next to busy paths or monuments rather than move a little bit further away to avoid contamination.”
But the castle acknowledged that people may need to relieve themselves while walking around the royal estate.
“If you need to pee, please do so at least 30 metres from lochs or streams,” they added in a tweet on Sunday. “If you need to defecate, do so as far away as possible from buildings, paths, water courses and farm animals. Bury faeces in a shallow hole and replace the turf.”
The Queen and members of the family spend several weeks each year at the 50,000-acre estate in the Scottish Highlands.
She has spent most of Britain’s lockdown in another royal estate at Windsor, near London.