15 Top Tips for Wild Camping in Scotland

When you’re planning to wild camp in Scotland, Bradly of “Dream Massive, Journey Far” shares his 15 prime ideas and tips to make your expertise safer and extra nice. They’ve been driving around the world since 2020 and have knowledgeable ideas for wild tenting in Scotland and past.

Tips on how to Wild Camp in Scotland

Since changing our van (who is named Helen), we’ve pushed to dozens of nations throughout Europe, in addition to to North America & South America. Nevertheless, Scotland stays very near our hearts as we spent greater than 4 months there, dwelling in our van and driving round this spectacular nation.

It’s hands-down certainly one of our private favourite places to visit anywhere in the world. Significantly for vanlifers, as a result of many wonderful spots for wild tenting in Scotland. Teeming with extraordinary nature and wildlife, there’s no higher technique to discover the nation than in your individual car. With out additional ado, let’s get proper into it!

1. Perceive what wild tenting is

However first… what is wild tenting?

Also referred to as free tenting or boondocking, it’s primarily tenting in a single day outdoors of registered campsites, or at a location the place you don’t must pay for.

Wild tenting isn’t the identical as camping normally. Whereas establishing tents in wilderness areas is a type of wild tenting, so is sleeping in an RV, campervan, or motorhome! Some examples embody parking in a subject, close to a lake, or in a public automobile park.

Because the latter is what we’re finest accustomed with, our strategies at the moment are for vehicle-based wild tenting. Nevertheless, most of the factors truly apply to the opposite type of wild tenting, reminiscent of in a tent. Take a look at a Scotland highway journey at: North Coast 500 – The Ultimate Trip Guide to Scotland’s Epic Drive

2. Select the fitting motorhome or campervan

The very first thing you need to do earlier than beginning your journey is to decide on the right vehicle. Whether or not you’re shopping for your individual or renting a campervan, it’s essential to choose one of the best one on your wants. Some options to consider embody:

• Dimension – Are you travelling alone or with another person? Just be sure you can confidently drive your chosen car. Whereas a bigger motorhome could also be extra snug to stay in, they’re more durable to navigate tough terrains and off-the-beaten monitor. That is crucially essential to recollect, as most roads in Scotland are very slim; even alongside the NC500 and significantly in cities.
• Variety of beds – Likewise, take note of the variety of berths or passengers {that a} car can accommodate.
• Finances – Don’t neglect to find out your finances, which is able to have an effect on the kind of car you may get and its situation.
• Full service historical past – This final one shouldn’t be a trouble in the event you’re renting from a dependable rental firm, however essential in the event you’re shopping for your individual car. Ideally, you need it to come back with a full service historical past to make sure that it’s well-maintained.

When contemplating which camper or motorhome to get, bear in mind that it’s going to not solely be a car, but additionally the place you’ll sleep, cook dinner, eat, and loosen up all through your journey.

We noticed every kind of campers throughout Scotland. Some travellers have been even in massive transformed 4×4 ex-military automobiles that may be pushed onto seashores. You’ll be able to lease all types of automobiles from massive rental companies like McRent.

And even from native Scottish individuals by means of websites like Outdoorsy. It actually does rely in your private desire; although I’d suggest the smaller the higher if you’re unfamiliar driving within the UK, and on smaller slim roads.

3. Know the wild tenting legal guidelines in Scotland

Be sure you’ve learn up on all of the wild tenting legal guidelines in Scotland. Is wild tenting authorized in Scotland? The quick reply isn’t any, however it’s tolerated and usually allowed, so long as you do it responsibly.

Land Reform Act 2003

This Scottish land reform act doesn’t think about parking in a single day in a motorhome as wild tenting. Whereas it’s undoubtedly simpler to wild camp in the event you’re on foot or bike, as you don’t have to fret an excessive amount of about the place you may or can’t park, it’s typically fairly straightforward to get permission.

The Scottish Out of doors Entry Code

The Scottish Outdoor Access Code grants you accountable entry to the Scottish open air. This contains forests, hills, seashores, rivers, lochs, parks, and a few farmlands.

Respect others, look after the atmosphere, and be accountable for your actions. Principally, present frequent sense and decency when you’re wild tenting. Extra on Scotland Journey at: 7 Crazy Adventures in Scotland

Whereas this regulation provides entry to all unenclosed land and inland waters in Scotland, it doesn’t truly embody vehicular entry. It does, nonetheless, enable wild tenting so long as it’s “light-weight and carried out in small numbers”.

Street Visitors Act of 1988

The Street Visitors Act of 1988 acknowledges most roads as personal land, which implies it’s crucial that you just ask for permission earlier than parking your car anyplace.

Loch Lomond Byelaws

Wild tenting is mostly doable in most locations throughout the nation, apart from one: the Loch Lomond and Trossachs Nationwide Park. Between March and September, tenting is just allowed on official campsites or you probably have a tenting allow.

This byelaw goals to guard the Nationwide Park from environmental injury, which is smart as a result of Loch Lomond is without doubt one of the prime tourist destinations in Scotland!

General, the overall rule of thumb when wild tenting is to respect any “No in a single day parking” signal. And so long as you park someplace distant and smart, try to be advantageous.

We’ll cowl extra ideas beneath that you need to comply with to have a secure and enjoyable wild marketing campaign expertise in Scotland. However lengthy story quick, we by no means as soon as had any issues wild tenting in Scotland after dozens of nights in each single a part of the nation.

4. Obtain Park4Night

Park4Night is by far one of the best place to seek out wild tenting spots all throughout Scotland (and Europe). It’s a free cell app obtainable on each iPhone and Android that exhibits you all of the spots the place you may park up in a single day.

Whether or not you’ve lived in a van earlier than or that is your first-time wild tenting, that is critically such a helpful app that may make your journey much less demanding. No extra hours of researching on-line simply to find {that a} parking spot feels dodgy and unsafe.

I like that the database is made by fellow van lifers and that it’s all the time updating daily. Plus, you may share private experiences and ideas a couple of spot, and studying updates from different customers offers you insightful data.

The interface itself is tremendous easy and simple to make use of. My favorite perform is the short search, which helps you to browse particular factors like nature spots or water refill stations, and filter solely 5* areas.

5. Use Google Satellite tv for pc to seek out new places

One other useful gizmo for locating new places is Google Satellite tv for pc. You should use the satellite tv for pc view on Google Maps to seek out massive open automobile parks or areas the place you may doubtlessly keep the night time. 

Or just search “parking” in any space of the map, which is able to then checklist parking spots and you’ll zoom in to examine if it’s viable.

Alternatively, if you have already got a particular spot in thoughts, that is nonetheless a good way to scout the world and see what it appears to be like like. 

If you’re wild tenting in Scotland or anyplace else, all the time attempt to be as ready as doable. This contains having an thought of what the location you’re planning to sleep in appears to be like like.

6. Ask at pubs & eating places in the event you can keep there

For occasions whenever you’re wanting to remain close to the town, it’s value asking at pubs and eating places in the event you can park your car close by and keep the night time. We’ve carried out this a couple of occasions ourselves and persons are usually very good about it. Simply make sure that to ask upfront.

On an analogous word, asking locals can also be a good way to seek out the proper tenting spot. This fashion, you will discover locations that aren’t even talked about in guidebooks and on-line databases. A pleasant whats up might take you to a hidden gem or two!

7. Purchase the Brit Stops e book 

This one is a very cool idea. You purchase a bodily Brit Stops e book for the 12 months (it’s launched on a yearly foundation) which is able to then offer you entry to over 1000 wild tenting spots throughout the UK, together with Scotland, the place you may keep at without cost. 

It was impressed by the corporate Harvest Hosts within the USA (which we additionally love), so that is just like the UK model. The checklist options a number of distinctive spots, from nation pubs, wineries, and fruit farms to vacationer points of interest, vintage centres, and extra. 

The e book itself prices £32 and provides you the possibility to remain in some actually cool places. You can even buy some native goodies in order for you while visiting. 

What’s extra, they now supply a model new app with the acquisition that you should utilize to fulfill native hosts. It’s undoubtedly a good way to fulfill new individuals and get native suggestions of issues to do across the space!

8. Don’t depart any mess (Go away no hint coverage)

Following Covid lockdowns, van site visitors and wild tenting in Scotland has exploded. And the poor behaviour of many of those new van lifers has actually upset locals. Because of this, most of the finest wild tenting spots have began to shut down and now have limitations, indicators and police patrols to cease the apply. Be part of the answer, not the issue.

The Scottish Out of doors Entry Code encourages campers to keep away from inflicting issues for native individuals and animals, therefore the “depart no hint” coverage.

9. Be respectful in different methods

Along with cleansing up after your individual mess, it’s additionally good to be respectful in different methods. That is related regardless of the place you’re wild tenting, and being thoughtful whereas tenting out in nature or public locations goes a good distance.

For instance, don’t be noisy, particularly as soon as night time falls. Noise could disturb different campers within the space or worse, drive away surrounding wildlife from their pure habitat! I all the time go about it by remembering that I’m merely a visitor and to maintain quiet as a lot as I can.

I’d additionally suggest shopping for regionally each time doable. Whether or not meaning going to native pubs and eating places or procuring from native shops, you’ll be serving to increase the native economic system whereas being extra supportive to the apply of untamed tenting.

Additionally, don’t go establishing such as you’re at a campsite. This actually winds individuals up, particularly if it appears to be like such as you intend to remain in the identical spot for a lot of days! As a rule of thumb, I’d say that staying for under an evening or two is finest.

10. Keep away from consuming alcohol

If you’re requested to maneuver on by police and you might be over the alcohol restrict, there’s a likelihood you’ll get fined and prosecuted for driving beneath the affect. So, it’s all the time finest to keep away from consuming, particularly whenever you’re transferring to a brand new metropolis or space.

We personally haven’t had this drawback, however have heard horror tales of this occurring to individuals in Scotland and different international locations. If you’re in your car with the keys accessible, and you’re the driver and over the restrict of alcohol, then it’s classed as an intention to drive drunk. 

Your name; however in my view, the dangers merely don’t outweigh the prices. When you plan on having a couple of drinks one night time (which, let’s face it, you’re in Scotland so why not?!) then keep in a campsite.

11. Be ready for temperamental climate

Right here’s the factor about Scottish climate: it’s nearly completely unpredictable, and you’ll’t depend on forecasts. This dramatic local weather and shifting climate is, partly, what has helped make Scotland so wild, rugged and exquisite. 

The local weather additionally varies between areas, but it surely’s typically fairly changeable. For instance, the West will get twice as a lot rainfall because the East.

As you may anticipate, summer time is one of the best time for wild tenting in Scotland when it comes to climate, although the site visitors could get intense. Regardless of the sunshine, you need to nonetheless put together for cloud, wind, and rain all in the identical day! In addition to midges, that are famously horrendous to deal with so you’ll need bug spray in the event you go to on this time interval.

Winter within the Highlands means snow and ice, with the temperature reaching as little as minus 4 at night time. It’s all a bit overwhelming in the event you’re unprepared, however actually, I believe the changeable skies add to the expertise…

12. Pack blackout curtains in summer time or headlamps in winter

Scotland is sort of far north and the hours of daylight could be fairly an excessive throughout peak winter and summer time months. 

You’ll be able to stand up to 18 hours of daylight in June within the Northern Highlands, which is quite a lot of alternative to discover the wilderness! However that additionally means sleeping could be a little bit of an issue. 

I like to recommend utilizing blackout curtains that may hold the within of your car (or tent) tremendous darkish. Oh, and don’t neglect a number of sunscreen too!

However, you may get daylight solely from 9am to 3pm in December. Pack sufficient headlamps and flashlights so you may nonetheless do stuff outdoors. In any other case, you’ll simply be caught inside your van all day, which isn’t an thrilling technique to camp.

Whereas it’s most likely not one of the best time for wild tenting, the snowy panorama of the winter months does have its personal appeal…

13. …what concerning the lavatory scenario?

One of the vital frequent issues individuals have when wild tenting is the toilet scenario. This shouldn’t be an issue whenever you’re staying near civilization. And in case your car has a bathroom, it’s all a matter of accountable waste disposal. If not… Nicely, time to study the artwork of doing your small business open air.

Within the wilderness, it’s usually okay to decide on any spot that’s nicely away from trails. Keep away from waterways and sapling timber, although bigger established timber and bushes are okay. Don’t go straight in small our bodies of water, however larger lakes or rivers can dilute any urine. In alpine areas, it’s beneficial to do it on a rock floor.

Now, when doing quantity two, try to be extra cautious. Stroll at the least 200 ft away from a path or water supply, then dig a gap of round 6 to eight inches deep. It is a good depth that may nonetheless decompose the waste whereas stopping others from stepping on it.

As soon as carried out, you need to cowl the opening with the unique filth. When you use any rest room paper, make sure that to carry it again with you and eliminate it correctly!

14. In busy season, plan forward

Lots of the finest wild tenting spots in Scotland will refill very early on, particularly within the busy summer time months of June, July and August. In some instances, it’s possible you’ll wish to arrive at your location by round 2 or 3pm to have a greater likelihood of securing a spot to arrange in a single day.

Higher but, think about visiting throughout the off season! We did North Coast 500, a 500-mile journey across the Highland space of Scotland, again in November 2020. It was implausible as a result of we just about had the route all to ourselves.

15. Strive The two:1 Rule

Intimidated by the thought of untamed tenting for the whole thing of your journey? There’s no cause you may’t method it slowly. For lots of first-timers, it’s a terrific thought to interrupt up the journey with extra snug campsites.

You’ll be wild tenting for 2 nights and staying on a campsite for one night time. It is a good technique to benefit from the pleasure of untamed tenting whereas nonetheless having fun with the advantages of a campsite’s amenities. A pleasant rest room, scorching bathe, stocking up on necessities, and extra.

All in all, wild tenting is really probably the greatest methods to expertise Scotland. You’ll be able to cease anyplace and don’t must depend on registered campsites, so in a means it’s way more liberating.

The Scottish countryside is certainly an oasis of breathtaking sceneries and numerous wildlife. I hope the following pointers will assist make your upcoming journey go extra easily.

When you bear in mind just one factor from this large checklist, it’s to be respectful and thoughtful in all places you go!