Touring Scotland

[Venturerdave]

Touring Scotland

Hello

We are planning a trip to tour round the Highlands and Northern Scotland leaving when the schools return after Easter (weather permitting).

We have been led to believe that there is a fairly relaxed attitude to wild camping in Scotland but have no experience of it. I know the basics are the same for wild camping anywhere i.e. leave nothing but your footprints but is the attitude as relaxed as I have been led to believe and is there anything in particular I should be aware of or advice
I have only wild camped a couple of times and both have been at the side of the road in a town so not too wild.
thanks
Dave

 

[2cv]

Certainly it's easy to find nice spots to stay in Scotland, plenty in the pois at wildcamping. Personally I don't stay anywhere with no overnighting signs even if not legally enforceable, there are plenty of places where you're not annoying anyone. Just use common sense, only stay in a place for a night, don't set up camp with an awning and even a fire, and as you said leave no trace of your stay unless it's positive like clearing up rubbish from someone else. I'm sure that you'll find it easy in Scotland to stay in some lovely spots.

 

[oppy]

Just a thunk, but has the Morbihan marauder sneaked back in by another name ??????????????????????

 

[2cv]

Just a thunk, but has the Morbihan marauder sneaked back in by another name ??????????????????????

No that particular former member isn't back. I think that all will be made very welcome here who can be civil, a place to be nice to each other I hope.

 

[Wully]

Hello

We are planning a trip to tour round the Highlands and Northern Scotland leaving when the schools return after Easter (weather permitting).

We have been led to believe that there is a fairly relaxed attitude to wild camping in Scotland but have no experience of it. I know the basics are the same for wild camping anywhere i.e. leave nothing but your footprints but is the attitude as relaxed as I have been led to believe and is there anything in particular I should be aware of or advice
I have only wild camped a couple of times and both have been at the side of the road in a town so not too wild.
thanks
Dave

Remember the most important thing about coming to Scotland is the exchange rate you get one Scottish £1 to the English £5 but if you pop in by my place on you’re way north I'll give you £2 for you’re £5 how generous am I. O and one other thing watch out for the locals trying to scam you. You can’t go wrong the further north you go wilding is more enjoyable anywhere north of Perth there’s plenty wee towns villages I like staying in or near fishing villages with harbours there’s usually some facilities there like water and waste disposal and I find working fishing towns the people are more down to earth and don’t mind the odd camper van parked up for one night.

 

[Phillybarbour]

Great place to wild camp. Get up there and enjoy it. Spend some money locally and take your rubbish with you. Other than that go enjoy.

 

[Kito]

Hi I live in the East cost of Scotland and as others have said a lot of small fishing villages and yes there's a lot of motorhomes even now wild camping. But I was in Cruden Bay just the other day down at the harbour where the vans park up there was a van there and the grey water was running out of the van and across the quay and into the harbour and another one where the van had left but had done the same the soap suds was still there you could see the people that as walking stepping over it. I knew that it was not black water but they didn't. If I am wild camping its the first thing I do is make shore the valve is shut. There's just so much that the Harbour Master & locals will put up with. I would have liked to gone and asked if they knew that the valve open and to close it but I was not brave enough. Its a case of Abuse It and we LOOSE IT. It only takes one bad apple and we all suffer.

 

[tonybvi]

Hi I live in the East cost of Scotland and as others have said a lot of small fishing villages and yes there's a lot of motorhomes even now wild camping. But I was in Cruden Bay just the other day down at the harbour where the vans park up there was a van there and the grey water was running out of the van and across the quay and into the harbour and another one where the van had left but had done the same the soap suds was still there you could see the people that as walking stepping over it. I knew that it was not black water but they didn't. If I am wild camping its the first thing I do is make shore the valve is shut. There's just so much that the Harbour Master & locals will put up with. I would have liked to gone and asked if they knew that the valve open and to close it but I was not brave enough. Its a case of Abuse It and we LOOSE IT. It only takes one bad apple and we all suffer.

Fully agree with the above - we live near Banchory in N E Scotland and the amount of motorhomes abusing the many wildcamping spots in the area is really unbelievable.

 

[nicholsong]

I would second that wildcmping is very easy in Scotland - there are very few places with restrictions and some wonderful spots and views.

In the wilder areas there are few places for cassette emptying; for which there are two solutions - firstly take a second cassette, secondly buy a folding shovel with serated edge for turf/peat cutting - we bought ours in Callender, so presumably the Scots expected Boy Scouts, and others, to use them, but be careful to dig deep away from watercourses and cover the spot. If anyone disapproves, my answer would be that sheep, cattle and deer do not carry shovels.

For water we found that fishing quays were obliging when asked, as they use a lot to wash-down so a few more litres are de minimis, but I always offer something.

There are lots of single-track roads, with passing places, and I always try to give way to locals since they are paying for the roads and we are visitors, but sometimes if one does not flash early enough or catch the local driver's attention there can ba a stand-off with both vehicles in a passing place and out-of-sight of each other, but it usually works out well.

Just go! It is one of the easiest wildcamping areas in Europe and we would be there more often if the Scots would move it nearer to Poland

Geoff

 

[Kito]

Fully agree with the above - we live near Banchory in N E Scotland and the amount of motorhomes abusing the many wildcamping spots in the area is really unbelievable.

I was there last year and was going to over night in the layby on the right overlooking Linn of Quoich but there was a old caravan which I thought that had been abandoned I carried on to Linn Dee and on my way back pulled in again and there was a old car and a young couple with young kids in the caravan I was out of the van just admiring the view and they came and spoke And it was obvious that they were not tinkers but very professional people. I stayed at the club site a few nights. And went back to layby van gone But the waste and rubbish was left just a mess Just makes wonder how they could leave such a mess in such a bountiful place.

 

[Kyran]

we just spent the half term driving around Scotland looking at the mountains and the snow wilding is ok everywhere except the lock lomond national park tro.... summat I forget but you need a licence to stop overnight there , mostly due to people leaving their rubbish. was a fantastic week and this time we got home in time to have a nights sleep before school, last time we got back in time to GO to school. (wife is a teacher)

 

[paulhelenwilko]

We did three weeks in August last summer and only used a campsite once ( and that was because we chose to ). Wilding is easy and it us way to get spot on your own.

helen

 

[Carrerasax]

Are there faculties for waste grey and black disposal and fresh water?

 

[2cv]

Are there faculties for waste grey and black disposal and fresh water?

Phils latest blog post mentions this as far as the Hebredes are concerned. https://youtu.be/BVx4CAU_-Tg
Elsewhere many campsites seem to provide such facilities for a fee, and there's the tap pois on WC.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

We got back from the wild country on Sunday, this is the first chance I've had to come on here.

We had a great time, rained on two days for about an hour or so, saw a flurry of snow on day two up the east side.

We did most of the NC500, splitting off to go onto Skye for a couple of days went over to Uig then came back down the west coast more or less, via Dumfries, M6 and home to Pudsey, 18 days away, and the weather was bright and sunny almost every day, looks like we were lucky, it was bloody cold at night though BRRRRRRRRRRRR

Saw a bit of wild life, Harbour seals at Fraserburgh, and magically an otter in the water near the big car park in Fort William, posing for pictures, only had the phone cam, so not very clear, the we saw 4 otters playing on loch awe, I just looked up at tsome movement, and they were playing away, 2 minutes gone, never saw them again, saw a few red kites and other browny coloured BOP, but not close enough to get a pic or identify.

 

[Carrerasax]

Any recommendations for overnighting near Portree (Skye) or Ft William?
thanks in advance.