Wild Camping in Scotland

[Howard]

As a new motorhome user ( a retirement project) but with some experience of camping in tents mainly in the UK over 30 years ago. What's the present law on wild camping? I'm mainly interested in Scotland. I always believed that you could pull off the road and have an overnight stop pretty much anywhere providing no obstruction is caused. Is this true? I've bought an oldish Auto-Sleeper Executive which is just ideal for the two of us.

 

[jann]

We do plenty of wild camping in Scotland .If there is a sign saying no overnighting, then don't.
We will be going for Christmas and New Year this year. The West Coast is better for finding places.
We look out for picnic sites or Forestry Commission car parks.

 

[roifromnwales]

I suppose that means we will get another photo to make us jealous Jann. :lol:
thanks for last years.

Scotland's rule on wild camping is different to the rest of the UK. There is no trespass in Scotland, only criminal trespass, which means that you have to damage something to be done.
They can pass a local bye law to stop camping though so a sign that says no overnighting is probably a legal law and could cost you money. I would not like to test it. There are some places that stick the signs up but are not backed by law [rowardennan, loch Lomond]

basically- like everywhere- if you don't cause a problem and leave the place clean then you wont have a problem.
I have not had a problem, even in England, when I have been wilding.
I tend to pull in late and leave early and try to use lay bys that the wagon drivers use.

I know the areas that I can spend a couple of leisurely days and use others on the way to and from.

Scotland we spend 6 weeks travelling around and have no probs.
We missed it this year due to our van being vandalised again. We are now arranging [which is why I am not on here often at the moment] to move away from here to a house with a drive so we will not have this problem again and we will be there every year.