Running down the glen is the pretty Sannox Burn, edged by heather and bracken. The Quiraing was formed by an ancient landslip that is still moving, and includes a jagged 37m-high pinnacle known as The Needle, a flat expanse of short grass called The Table, and a pyramidal rocky peak that resembles a medieval keep, and is known as The Prison. You no longer need to be booked into a campsite for all your amenities. An obvious path leads up into the higher reaches of Glen Nevis, following the river. The Best Wild Camping Spots in Scotland July 27, 2020 by Kristine Palmer 0 0. For the adventurous, and those willing to tolerate some unpredictable weather, the rewards are plenty. Wild Guide Scotland: Hidden Places, Great Adventures & the Good Life by Kimberley Grant, Richard Gaston and David Cooper is published by Wild Things Publishing at £16.99. Freedom to roam was ensconced in the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, meaning that the general public has the right to access public land for leisure or exercise purposes. Look out for deer wandering the beach, and in late September and early October for rutting stags challenging each other. Looking for the best wild camping spots Scotland has to offer? There is room for plenty of campervans, but just be aware that you are high up and exposed to the elements, so it will get windy!Â. You can park up here and actually walk through the forest to the Caerlaverock Castle which is a beautiful walk.Â, There is room for around 7 motorhomes and free water is available to refill your water tanks and grey waste disposal!Â. Safety First! If you have a tent, then your options for wild camping in Scotland are crazy wide.Â, You can almost camp anywhere you desire, but when you have a vehicle, you’ve got to be more strategic and respectful.Â. Read more. Accessed via a walk in through forest from Glen Doll car park and visitor centre, Corrie Fee is one of Scotland's hidden and unspoilt gems - and an excellent spot to camp in peace. You should always try to minimise your impact on the environment, avoid disturbing wildlife, be considerate of the land owner and leave no trace at the end of your stay. As the type 1 diabetic half of Dream Big, Travel Far, I'm passionate about encouraging fellow type 1's to travel the world and not let their diabetes hold them back. Walk ½ mile along the tarmac road ending at Achlean farm, pick up the main path through a gate and over a stream, and walk into the glen. This was one of our first wild camping spots on our Scottish road trip and it was one of the windiest! We stayed at one not far from the “Loch Tulla Viewpoint” which was very beautiful.Â. If you’re a Harry Potter fan then you’re going to love this wild camping spot in Scotland! We pick 10 of the best from Wild Guide Scotland, Mon 8 May 2017 06.30 BST This is because, generally speaking, most wild campers will be walking or hiking to their camping spots. For wild camping, you follow these same basic rules. We recommend downloading the apps Park4Night and CamperContact, both of which provide a wide range of campervan … Access rights extend to wild camping. Wild Camping Spots in Scotland. Always take away your litter and remove any trace of a tent pitch or campfire. We were completely on our own, and when you park in the forest overnight, the gates are locked, but the Forestry commission guys will give you a code to get out if you need to!Â, Within the Forest Lake drive there is a toilet block to use the loo, and it is possible to have a small fire (where there are already fire pits), we asked permission from the Forestry Commission and they said it was fine.Â. Map ref: 56.6549, -4.9940. This lovely little place has plenty of space to pitch the tent and park the car. This is probably one of my favourite wild camping spots in ALL of Scotland. Walking time from vehicle: 20 mins. haha), but the views here are incredible.Â, This is actually outside of Fort William, and closer towards the Loch Ness direction, so a great stop-off point if you’re going between the two.Â, What’s great about this spot is that there is room for parking for around 4-5 campers, and there is a “beach” area by the lake that you can pop up your camping chairs, just fire at the fire pit and enjoy the views.Â, Definitely a memorable moment on our Scotland road trip. Wild Camping POI (Points Of Interest) Wild Camping (Overnight Stops) Wild camping spots in West Scotland. Outside of the summer months, if you’re brave enough, there are no overnight parking restrictions. This quintessentially Scottish glen curves up from the sandy bay at Sannox village and into the heart of the rugged Goat Fell mountain range. (Kind of near where this photo was taken.) Wild Camping in Scotland. It is situated on the north east side of the island. • From Cannich on the A381 take the road signposted Glen Affric past IV4 7NB. There are the Forestry Commission area and the non-forestry Commission area which is right by the lake.Â, If you stay in the Forestry Commission area, you’ll pay a small fee overnight there, but if you can get one of the spaces just outside of that, then you can stay for free.Â, We got one of the free spots which were right on the lake and it was amazing!Â, This is the perfect place to wild camp in Scotland if you plan on doing the Ben Lomond hike the next morning.Â. From the gate opposite, follow the well-marked track across moorland, turning left at the end of the second loch, towards the bay. Scotland boasts a wealth of wild camping spots, dotted all over the countryside — and what a countryside it is! There are no facilities.Â. The Leave no trace policy should be followed wherever you wild camp around the world. Wild Camping and Caravanning is legal in Scotland. We never had any issues in our 6 weeks in Scotland and we didn’t feel unsafe at once. 5. The Merrick is South Scotland’s highest peak at 843m. However, wild camping is highly tolerated in Scotland for motorhomes and campervans and more and more spots are becoming available.Â, As long as you park somewhere sensible, remote and you aren’t invading a “no overnight parking” sign then you’ll find you have no trouble wild camping in Scotland.Â, They’re encouraging it further with their “Stay the night” campaign that was trialed by the Forestry Commission.Â, This meant you could stay in certain Forestry Commission car parks if you had a fully contained campervan or motorhome (toilet on board), for free overnight.Â, This trial was successful and they’re intending on reintroducing it next year for a cost of £5 per night per vehicle, which is a great option!Â, I’ll update this post as more details are released.Â, Scotland is a big place and there are a few ways to find great wild camping spots across the country.Â, We recommend downloading the apps Park4Night and CamperContact, both of which provide a wide range of campervan spots across Scotland.Â, Some of these can be hit or miss, and one tip I will give is only to choose spots that actually have photographs.Â, We’ve driven to stops with only 1 review and no photos, and most times they never turn out to be usable!Â, Sometimes when you meet other campers on the road, you’ll end up chatting and they’ll give you some wild camping recommendations too!Â. If you literally type the words “Set of film Shell” into Google Maps, this will take you directly to this parking spot. It is exposed so be prepared for some shaking if the winds are high, but overall we really enjoyed this wild camping spot in Scotland.Â, We didn’t stay here overnight because when we arrived there was no phone signal, but it was a wild camping spot we were planning to stay at. This … Note: Some posts may contain affiliate links. Wild camping laws don’t extend to motorized vehicles, so basically it doesn't mean you can just park up anywhere you wish. One of our favourite go to spots is Loch Morlich as it’s such easy reach from Edinburgh. • Park at the John Muir Trust car park in Blairmore (IV27 4RT). This was a stunning place for a view of the sea and a perfect sunset. Wild camping in Scotland was one of the highlights of our entire trip. There are toilets here too which are super clean! As you can imagine, the whole area of Glen Coe is breathtaking, so all the wild camping spots here will be incredible. Scotland is bursting with beautiful wild camping spots and in this post we are going to take you through all of our favourite wild camping spots in Scotland.Â, Wild camping is basically staying in a tent, campervan or motorhome NOT in a registered campsite.Â. It’s still allowed, but there are definitely fewer options than before. It’s very level, but there are no facilities. Pitch your tent amid the high rolling sand dunes at one of Britain’s most famous wild beaches. No facilities here.Â. There are very nice toilets here (do NOT dispose of your chemical waste! https://www.theguardian.com › travel › 2017 › may › 08 › 10-best- Wild camping in Scotland is totally accepted, and even encouraged. At about 8½ miles, roughly a quarter of the way up the loch, there is a large layby. Home to one of the most successful “rewilding” projects in the country, the careful deer management at Glenfeshie has led to a host of young trees and a hugely increased variety of wildlife. • From Fort William take the road that winds up the glen (PH33 6SY) to the Upper Falls car park at the end. I don’t recommend wild camping inside Glasgow city center. Hemmed by rugged mountains and ancient Scots pine, glassy Beinn a’ Mheadhoin is a peaceful freshwater loch nestled to the east of Scotland’s loveliest glen, the exceptionally picturesque Glen Affric. There is also a donation box to leave a donation for staying here. It’s only a 7-minute drive from the Glenfinnan Viaduct.Â, Located just off the A830, across a small bridge, there is parking here for around 3 vans, and there is tent camping too.Â, There is also a fire pit, so a great place to park up, have a fire and star gaze since it’s super clear at night here!Â. Scotland is frequently voted the most beautiful country in the world — regularly beating the likes of Canada, Iceland, and New Zealand! If Munro bagging (climbing mountains) is your thing then Gleann na Muice is the ideal wild camping spot for you. Located a 30-minute drive from the centre of Glasgow in Lochwinnoch this beautiful wild camping spot is located by a lake and old castle remains. This is a great wild camping spot on the Isle of Skye if you want to be close to the Old Man of Storr for an early morning hike. There is room for over 10 vehicles and if you park next to the toilet near the bins, you’re protected from the wind.Â, A fantastic camping spot that also offers easy access to the beach if you wish to go for a walk, or even a swim!Â. It’s right by the water, so you’re exposed to the wind, which was crazy strong when we visited, so we didn’t get much sleep!Â, There were toilets here but they were not open. The otherworldly hanging valley of Coire Gabhail is hidden away from famous Glencoe behind a number of towering peaks. Scotland also has one of the most liberal approaches to wild … Beautiful views, quite level and there was 4G! It’s right on the lake with beautiful views, has fantastic 4G, and it’s pretty flat parking.Â, You can get a view of the Jacobite steam train going across from here too, and if you’re feeling brave, you can dip in the water!Â, This was a very peaceful spot and the views were brilliant.Â. If the car park is full, then the community also runs a couple of other motorhome and campervan spaces just down the road in the little town of Glencaple.Â. So if you’re planning on camping in the Outer Hebrides, there’s no need to worry about other people. Located just 25 minutes from Fort William, the Glenfinnan Viaduct is well worth a visit. It is said that in exchange for help building the castle the MacLeods pledged Eimhir to the Clootie (devil), and so in hiding from him she dived into the loch and began living underwater. Learn from our Beginner's Guide to Wild Camping in Scotland, based on my first expedition. Glen Feshie in the Cairngorms National Park is a perfect spot for wild camping | © Jan Holm / Alamy Stock Photo 8. Walking time from vehicle: 1½ hrs. We stayed here one night. Some of Scotland’s finest wild camping … Guide to visiting the Glenfinnan Viauduct, Riding the Jacobite Steam Train in 1st Class. This is a great overnight parking spot that’s suitable for all vehicles. I wouldn’t rely on having a good internet connection! There are some pretty good facilities here for campervans, including chemical waste disposal, and access to hot showers which are £1 for 10 minutes.Â, Overnighting here used to be free, but now it runs on a donation system, so you can donate £10 to stay overnight, and if you’re just using the facilities, then a donation of £3 is suggested.Â. If you fancy upgrading for the night, seek out Ruigh Aiteachain, an MBA bothy deep in the glen where Sir Edwin Landseer studied the red deer for his famous painting, Monarch of the Glen. Combining breathtaking scenery with easy access, this picturesque glen in the heart of the Highlands is hard to beat. These aren’t overly expensive (Around £5 for a night), but it is necessary before you wild camp. Applecross is a wild and rugged area on the NC500, but it’s clamping down on wild camping in certain areas. • Park in one of the National Trust car parks on the A82 in Glencoe, 3½ and 5 miles E from PH49 4HX. 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