If you’re planning to wild camp in Scotland, Bradly of “Dream Big, Travel Far” shares his 15 prime ideas and tips to make your expertise safer and extra nice. They’ve been driving all over the world since 2020 and have skilled ideas for wild tenting in Scotland and past.
How to Wild Camp in Scotland
Since changing our van (who is known as Helen), we’ve pushed to dozens of nations throughout Europe, in addition to to North America & South America. However, Scotland stays very near our hearts as we spent greater than 4 months there, residing in our van and driving round this spectacular nation.
It is hands-down one among our private favorite locations to go to wherever in the world. Particularly for vanlifers, as a result of many wonderful spots for wild tenting in Scotland. Teeming with extraordinary nature and wildlife, there’s no higher option to discover the nation than in your personal car. Without additional ado, let’s get proper into it!
1. Understand what wild tenting is
But first… what’s 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 need to pay for.
Wild tenting will not be the identical as tenting in normal. While 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 area, close to a lake, or in a public automotive park.
As the latter is what we’re finest accustomed with, our strategies right now are for vehicle-based wild tenting. However, lots of the factors really apply to the opposite type of wild tenting, similar to in a tent. Check out a Scotland highway journey at: North Coast 500 – The Ultimate Trip Guide to Scotland’s Epic Drive
2. Choose the fitting motorhome or campervan
The very first thing it is best to do earlier than beginning your journey is to decide on the fitting car. Whether you’re shopping for your personal or renting a campervan, it’s vital to select the perfect one for your wants. Some options to consider embody:
Size – Are you travelling alone or with another person? Make certain which you can confidently drive your chosen car. While a bigger motorhome could also be extra snug to dwell in, they’re more durable to navigate tough terrains and off-the-beaten observe. This is crucially vital to recollect, as most roads in Scotland are very slim; even alongside the NC500 and significantly in cities. Number of beds – Likewise, take note of the variety of berths or passengers {that a} car can accommodate. Budget – Don’t overlook to find out your finances, which can have an effect on the kind of car you will get and its situation. Full service historical past – This final one shouldn’t be a problem should you’re renting from a dependable rental firm, however essential should you’re shopping for your personal car. Ideally, you need it to return with a full service historical past to make sure that it’s well-maintained.
When contemplating which camper or motorhome to get, keep in mind that it’ll not solely be a car, but in addition the place you’ll sleep, prepare 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 can lease all kinds of automobiles from massive rental corporations like McRent.
Or even from native Scottish folks by means of websites like Outdoorsy. It actually does rely in your private choice; although I’d suggest the smaller the higher in case you are unfamiliar driving in the UK, and on smaller slim roads.
3. Know the wild tenting legal guidelines in Scotland
Make certain you’ve learn up on all of the wild tenting legal guidelines in Scotland. Is wild tenting authorized in Scotland? The brief reply is not any, however it’s tolerated and customarily 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. While it’s undoubtedly simpler to wild camp should you’re on foot or bike, as you don’t have to fret an excessive amount of about the place you may or can not park, it’s usually fairly simple to get permission.
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code grants you accountable entry to the Scottish outdoor. This consists of forests, hills, seashores, rivers, lochs, parks, and a few farmlands.
Respect others, care for the setting, and be accountable for your actions. Basically, present frequent sense and decency whilst you’re wild tenting. More on Scotland Travel at: 7 Crazy Adventures in Scotland
While this legislation offers entry to all unenclosed land and inland waters in Scotland, it doesn’t really embody vehicular entry. It does, nevertheless, permit wild tenting so long as it’s “lightweight and done in small numbers”.
Road Traffic Act of 1988
The Road Traffic 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 wherever.
Loch Lomond Byelaws
Wild tenting is mostly potential in most locations throughout the nation, besides for one: the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park. Between March and September, tenting is barely allowed on official campsites or in case you have a tenting allow.
This byelaw goals to guard the National Park from environmental injury, which is sensible as a result of Loch Lomond is without doubt one of the prime vacationer locations in Scotland!
Overall, the overall rule of thumb when wild tenting is to respect any “No overnight parking” signal. And so long as you park someplace distant and wise, you need to be fantastic.
We will cowl extra ideas under that it is best to observe to have a protected and enjoyable wild marketing campaign expertise in Scotland. But lengthy story brief, 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. Download Park4Night
Park4Night is by far the perfect place to search out wild tenting spots all throughout Scotland (and Europe). It’s a free cellular app out there on each iPhone and Android that reveals you all of the spots the place you may park up in a single day.
Whether you’ve lived in a van earlier than or that is your first-time wild tenting, that is critically such a helpful app that can make your journey much less aggravating. 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 each day. Plus, you may share private experiences and ideas a few spot, and studying updates from different customers provides you with 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 to search out new areas
Another useful gizmo for discovering new areas is Google Satellite. You can use the satellite tv for pc view on Google Maps to search out massive open automotive parks or areas the place you possibly can probably keep the night time.
Or merely search “parking” in any space of the map, which can then listing parking spots and you may zoom in to test if it’s viable.
Alternatively, if you have already got a selected spot in thoughts, that is nonetheless a good way to scout the realm and see what it seems like.
When you’re wild tenting in Scotland or wherever else, all the time attempt to be as ready as potential. This consists of having an thought of what the positioning you’re planning to sleep in seems like.
6. Ask at pubs & eating places should you can keep there
For instances if you’re wanting to remain close to the town, it’s value asking at pubs and eating places should you can park your car close by and keep the night time. We have finished this a couple of instances ourselves and persons are typically very good about it. Just be certain to ask in advance.
On the same be aware, asking locals can also be a good way to search out the proper tenting spot. This approach, you’ll find locations that aren’t even talked about in guidebooks and on-line databases. A pleasant howdy might take you to a hidden gem or two!
7. Buy the Brit Stops e-book
This one is a extremely cool idea. You purchase a bodily Brit Stops e-book for the 12 months (it’s launched on a yearly foundation) which can then provide you with entry to over 1000 wild tenting spots throughout the UK, together with Scotland, the place you may keep at for free.
It was impressed by the corporate Harvest Hosts in the USA (which we additionally love), so that is just like the UK model. The listing options a lot 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 offers you the possibility to remain in some actually cool areas. You also can buy some native goodies if you would like while visiting.
What’s extra, they now provide a model new app with the acquisition that you should use to satisfy native hosts. It’s undoubtedly a good way to satisfy new folks and get native suggestions of issues to do across the space!
8. Don’t depart any mess (Leave no hint coverage)
Following Covid lockdowns, van visitors and wild tenting in Scotland has exploded. And the poor behaviour of many of those new van lifers has actually upset locals. As a consequence, lots of the finest wild tenting spots have began to shut down and now have obstacles, indicators and police patrols to cease the observe. Be part of the answer, not the issue.
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code encourages campers to keep away from inflicting issues for native folks and animals, therefore the “leave no trace” coverage.
This consists of issues like:
Removing all of your litter Keeping fires small and placing them out fully afterwards Not inflicting any type of air pollution Travelling and tenting on sturdy floor, similar to rock, gravel, dry grasses and snow Not damaging what you discover (flowers, crops, previous archaeological buildings, and so on)
In normal, attempt to minimise any lasting impression on the grounds!
9. Be respectful in different methods
In addition to cleansing up after your personal mess, it’s additionally good to be respectful in different methods. This is related regardless of the place you’re wild tenting, and being thoughtful whereas tenting out in nature or public locations goes a great distance.
For instance, don’t be noisy, particularly as soon as night time falls. Noise might disturb different campers in the realm 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 every time potential. Whether meaning going to native pubs and eating places or procuring from native shops, you’ll be serving to enhance the native economic system whereas being extra supportive to the observe of untamed tenting.
Also, don’t go establishing such as you’re at a campsite. This actually winds folks up, particularly if it seems such as you intend to remain in the identical spot for many days! As a rule of thumb, I’d say that staying for solely an evening or two is finest.
10. Avoid consuming alcohol
If you might be requested to maneuver on by police and you might be over the alcohol restrict, there’s a probability you’ll get fined and prosecuted for driving beneath the affect. So, it’s all the time finest to keep away from consuming, particularly if you’re transferring to a brand new metropolis or space.
We personally haven’t had this downside, however have heard horror tales of this occurring to folks in Scotland and different international locations. If you might be 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 opinion, the dangers merely don’t outweigh the prices. If you propose 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
Here’s the factor about Scottish climate: it’s virtually fully unpredictable, and you may’t depend on forecasts. This dramatic local weather and shifting climate is, in half, what has helped make Scotland so wild, rugged and delightful.
The local weather additionally varies between areas, but it surely’s usually fairly changeable. For instance, the West will get twice as a lot rainfall because the East.
As you would possibly anticipate, summer season is the perfect time for wild tenting in Scotland in phrases of climate, although the visitors might get intense. Despite the sunshine, it is best to nonetheless put together for cloud, wind, and rain all in the identical day! As effectively as midges, that are famously horrendous to take care of so you’ll need bug spray should you go to in this time interval.
Winter in the Highlands means snow and ice, with the temperature reaching as little as minus 4 at night time. It’s all a bit overwhelming should you’re unprepared, however actually, I believe the changeable skies add to the expertise…
12. Pack blackout curtains in summer season 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 season months.
You can rise up to 18 hours of daylight in June in the Northern Highlands, which is a number of alternative to discover the wilderness! But that additionally means sleeping is usually 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 overlook a lot of sunscreen too!
On the opposite hand, you would possibly get daylight solely from 9am to 3pm in December. Pack sufficient headlamps and flashlights so you may nonetheless do stuff outdoors. Otherwise, you’ll simply be caught inside your van all day, which isn’t an thrilling option to camp.
While it’s most likely not the perfect time for wild tenting, the snowy panorama of the winter months does have its personal attraction…
13. …what in regards to the lavatory scenario?
One of the commonest considerations folks have when wild tenting is the toilet scenario. This shouldn’t be an issue if you’re staying near civilization. And in case your car has a bathroom, it’s all a matter of accountable waste disposal. If not… Well, time to study the artwork of doing your small business outdoor.
In the wilderness, it’s usually okay to decide on any spot that’s effectively away from trails. Avoid waterways and sapling bushes, although bigger established bushes and bushes are okay. Don’t go instantly in small our bodies of water, however larger lakes or rivers can dilute any urine. In alpine areas, it’s really helpful to do it on a rock floor.
Now, when doing quantity two, you need to be extra cautious. Walk a minimum of 200 ft away from a path or water supply, then dig a gap of round 6 to eight inches deep. This is an effective depth that can nonetheless decompose the waste whereas stopping others from stepping on it.
Once finished, it is best to cowl the opening with the unique dust. If you employ any bathroom paper, be certain to deliver it again with you and eliminate it correctly!
14. In busy season, plan forward
Many of the perfect wild tenting spots in Scotland will refill very early on, particularly in the busy summer season months of June, July and August. In some instances, chances are you’ll wish to arrive at your location by round 2 or 3pm to have a greater probability of securing a spot to arrange in a single day.
Better but, think about visiting in the course of the off season! We did North Coast 500, a 500-mile journey across the Highland space of Scotland, again in November 2020. It was improbable as a result of we just about had the route all to ourselves.
15. Try The 2:1 Rule
Intimidated by the thought of untamed tenting for the whole lot of your journey? There’s no motive you may’t strategy it slowly. For a number of first-timers, it’s an incredible thought to interrupt up the journey with extra snug campsites.
You’ll be wild tenting for two nights and staying on a campsite for one night time. This is a pleasant option to benefit from the pleasure of untamed tenting whereas nonetheless having fun with the advantages of a campsite’s services. A pleasant bathroom, scorching bathe, stocking up on necessities, and extra.
All in all, wild tenting is really top-of-the-line methods to expertise Scotland. You can cease wherever and don’t need to depend on registered campsites, so in a approach it’s way more releasing.
The Scottish countryside is certainly an oasis of breathtaking sceneries and numerous wildlife. I hope the following tips will assist make your upcoming journey go extra easily.
If you keep in mind just one factor from this huge listing, it’s to be respectful and thoughtful in all places you go!