Isle of Harris overnighting?

cancunia

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I'm thinking about going over to Harris next week but saw the wording on the calmac web site about needing to use campsites. Is it still possible to park overnight night at the poi places in the app? Or are there still places that you can overnight for free?
 
Horgabost campsite is good. Nice beach across the bay from Luskintyre. Trying booking a couple of nights there or The North Harris Trust they have some lovely places to park up.
 
North Harris trust sounds possible, thanks. As ever I'm on a tight budget so any free overnight stops are really good to hear about!
 
If you carry on on the road from Horgabost towards Leverburgh right at the end of the coast road before it turns left along the bottom of the island there is a huge sandy beach. We parked in a lay-by there all night 3 years ago and it was amazing. Once the last ferry had docked at Leverburgh there was next to no traffic. We had the place to ourselves, a huge sandy beach of our own and a quiet night. All the pay overnight stops run by the Trust were all taken when we got there after 4pm. Harris & Lewis were incredible but some places were just rammed, like everyone heads for the same spots! Finding little out of the way places was a fun challenge!
 
There are still places to overnight for free. As you get on the ferry, they ask you if you have somewhere booked but that is all.
 
I have done but it's not clear, at least not on my phone. I get the impression that they are donations welcome sites but may be wrong so thought I'd ask the forum.
 
That was just over a year ago.
 

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As there were problems with the ferries, uncertainty about overnight stopping and a fairly gloomy weather forecast, I decided to give it a miss this year and instead stayed on the mainland. Just got back home and had a chance to look in more detail on the North Harris Trust Website. It is indeed an 'honesty donation' setup as per the picture posted by @The Jacks .


DONATION POSTS
The North Harris Trust does not impose charges for the use of parking areas, footpaths and picnic facilities. We welcome visitors and recognise their important contribution to the local economy. Nonetheless, if you would like to make a contribution towards the maintenance and improvement of our visitor facilities, please make use of the donation posts distributed throughout the Estate. Alternatively, donations can be made via text.

Text 5TRUST to 70460 to donate £5

Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message
 
The Island economy is fragile always best to book a campsite for 1 or 2 nights Horgabost is best, or farmers will let you stay if you ask for a nominal amount.
 
We spent 2 weeks traveling down the entire Outer Hebrides in April this year. Really enjoyed it, beautiful places and real sense of remoteness can be had. There is a leaflet you can download on this website that we found handy. We tried to stick to places mentioned on this as mentioned elsewhere we felt it was the right thing to do to support the places offering spots/services.


There are some parking spot places that are pretty cheap, but spaces are limited at most. Nobody asked on the ferry if we had anything booked.
 
I'm now hoping to go next year in April or early May, or possibly September this year, but am thinking about Wales for September.
Many thanks to all that have helped, I now have a much better idea of what to do & expect.
 

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