3 Ladies - new to motorhome travel - need advice/help

[Dottie]

Hi All,

Just joined your site. We are three ladies hiring a motorhome and during two weeks of August we intend to travel through Northumberland, onwards to Loch Lomond/maybe Bute then down the west coast of Scotland and into the Lake District and back along the yorkshire moors. Its our first time doing this and are quite excited. However, thought we could get some campsites to offer a pitch - but at the moment proving difficult as we have left it a bit late to book in some of the areas we want.

Can anybody gives us some advice on how and where to wildcamp in these areas with the opportunity for water/hook ups.

Cheers

 

[bob690]

Hi All,

Just joined your site. We are three ladies hiring a motorhome and during two weeks of August we intend to travel through Northumberland, onwards to Loch Lomond/maybe Bute then down the west coast of Scotland and into the Lake District and back along the yorkshire moors. Its our first time doing this and are quite excited. However, thought we could get some campsites to offer a pitch - but at the moment proving difficult as we have left it a bit late to book in some of the areas we want.

Can anybody gives us some advice on how and where to wildcamp in these areas with the opportunity for water/hook ups.

Cheers

Hi girls, you can always call in at a camping and caravanning site for a couple of hours to fill up with water empty the loo and have a shower. Costs £5.80 but between 3 of you worth it for the simplicity.
You will find attitudes different in scotland to england(more laid back), suggest you trawl through the forums of the places you will be visiting to find wildcamping spots, good luck.....Bob

 

[Dottie]

Hi girls, you can always call in at a camping and caravanning site for a couple of hours to fill up with water empty the loo and have a shower. Costs £5.80 but between 3 of you worth it for the simplicity.
You will find attitudes different in scotland to england(more laid back), suggest you trawl through the forums of the places you will be visiting to find wildcamping spots, good luck.....Bob

Hi Bob

That's very kind and good to know that we can 'pop in' and get a quick shower etc. Cheers.... Dottie

 

[BedfordMJ]

It would probably be worth joining the camping and caravanning club and use their sites.

 

[rolandrat]

Hi Bob

That's very kind and good to know that we can 'pop in' and get a quick shower etc. Cheers.... Dottie

just watch out for those man of war MIDGES whilst your around Loch Lomond, make sure your fly screens are in use and at night make sure your doors and windows are closed before you put the lights on otherwise you will be invaded like you have never known before.

 

[Jacques le foot]

Och Aye!! The wee beasties are definitely out in force in August, especially around the edges of lakes, and in forestry areas. We only ever once went up that way in July/August, and I had a bad reaction to their bite...so now we go in September, when most have gone..wherever it is they go to !!
I have been reading on several sites, and blogs, how good Avon's Skin So Soft dry oil spray is for warding them off (the one in the pale green/ blue packaging), so I have stocked up for this years trip.
We have had some wonderful holidays, wild camping our way throughout the highlands and Islands..asking advice as we go from locals as to where we can stay overnight. We've always been greeted with help and courtesy. I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time..just remember the mantra..."Take nothing but photographs..leave nothing but footprints"..and you won't go far wrong.
Welcome to the site, and be assured there is a wealth of knowledge here, just waiting to be sourced.

Jackie

 

[Dottie]

Thanks for the info - handy to know about the midges.

 

[Randonneur]

Hi all,

We spray Avon Skin So Soft on our flyscreens so we can have the windows open a little for ventilation when the door is shut at night. So far it seems to work ok. We were ok in the Western Isles and Arran last month anyway.

 

[Barbt]

You will find plenty of places to wild camp on the Scottish west coast. If you get as far as Bute a good place to wild camp is down by the ruined St Blanes Chapel - the views are wonderful. You will find that most petrol stations will let you have water. You can empty your loo at a public conveniences.
I would advise that every time you pass through a town or village you check that you have enough supplies and water. We always carry a jerry can for spare water, just in case we run out. We haven't found anyone yet that would refuse to give us water.
If water is getting low there are plenty of rivers and streams - just fill up your tank from these and remember to only use the water for showering, then your spare jerry full of water is there for drinking.
We stock up on things such as tinned fish, beans, crispbread, lentils, dried milk, etc so that we have always got a meal as we are often 30miles away from the nearest shop when travelling around Scotland.
Try not to stop to close to water at night as the midges are a nuisance. The best thing to do is to pull up and wait for a few minutes - you will soon see if there are any midges around, if there are then just move on to a drier place. Have fun!

 

[vera]

wilding in scotland

Hi we spent 2 weeks in June.You can park at the side of Lomond there is a large layby on the right hand side between two Hotels/Restaurants we were there with 3 other vans.we spent 4 nights in the Forestry Car parks.Two of them had Visitor Centres with toilets open 24hrs.If you go into all the local tourist boards and pick up the Forestry Brochures it gives you all the Car Parks.We bought a bottle of Citronella from the local Chemist and dabbed it on ourselves but we had to buy a Midgie Head Mask in the end just to keep them off our face.Have a good Holiday -Sue and Steve

 

[Jacques le foot]

Hi all,

We spray Avon Skin So Soft on our flyscreens so we can have the windows open a little for ventilation when the door is shut at night. So far it seems to work ok. We were ok in the Western Isles and Arran last month anyway.

Is it the dry oil spray that you use on your fly screens, and doesn't it stain the screens??

jackie

 

[Randonneur]

Hi, yes its the spray that comes in the green and white bottle, you only need a few quick sprays on your screens to do the job. If you go too heavy then it does stain the screens but it washes off with water easily.

We get ours off Ebay, its about a £1 a bottle cheaper than the Avon reps sell it and you can also buy bulk packs, 5s, 10s, etc.