Boris Johnson ends holiday ‘early’ after reports he angered Scottish landowner by pitching tent

Johnson and his fiancée Carrie Symonds were reported to be staying in a remote three-bedroom house on the ‘north-west coast’ with dog Dilyn and son Wilfred.

Social media users were sceptical on Friday after pictures published in the Daily Mail on Friday showed a canvas bell tent erected near a cottage towards the islands of Raasay, Rona and Skye.

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There was no sign of the rest of the family, nor did the tent in the pictures appear to be properly erected.

However, the owner of the field where the tent appeared to be erected, fumed about Johnson’s behaviour during the holiday.

Sheep farmer Kenny Cameron told the MailOnline there was no permission for the land to be used for camping.

He also claimed the prime minister climbed over a fence, using chairs from the cottage, rather than a gate.

He 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.’

Cameron said the prime minister could ‘easily have damaged the fence by climbing over it as a short cut’, and also criticised him for apparently lighting a bonfire after a period of dry weather.

In a different explanation for the holiday ending abruptly, The Sun claimed the end of the holiday had more to do with the safety for the family.

They quoted a senior Tory who blamed the SNP for the location of the PM’s holiday being revealed.

But the party’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford said on Twitter: ‘To blame @theSNP for this is classic deflection from a prime minister who is under attack for his shambolic government.

‘It was not @theSNP who told the Daily Mail and for what its worth so many folk in the Highlands told me they knew where the PM was.’

Former director of communications for Downing Street Alastair Campbell tweeted: ‘The British police are among the best in the world at protecting Rryalty, prime ministers, terror targets etc, at work and at play. The idea that

@BorisJohnson had to cut short his Scotland ‘camping holiday’ because of security concerns is just one more lie in a long catalogue.’

Johnson had been urged to end his holiday to deal with the A-Levels fiasco and the continuing coronavirus pandemic, something Number 10 dismissed, as they insisted he was remaining in touch with his ministers.

A government source confirmed to the PA news agency that the prime minister has returned from Scotland.