Wild Camping - Great Bank Holiday Advice for Campervans

A fantastic pitch on a recognised campsite at Arisaig

Photo Steve Fraser

A campervan trip is a great way to explore the vast, rich and varied natural beauty of Scotland. There are plenty of fantastic campsites that provide a great base from which to explore - and all the good sites are listed on the Scottish Camping website which you can access through our Links Page.

There are also lots of opportunities to "camp wild" with your Big Tree Campervan - you'll never find an approved list of all these places, as that would direct too many folk to the same spot and ruin it very quickly.

So, with the August Bank Holiday almost upon us, it's timely to remind folk about the great advice we give our Big Tree Campervan customers when they ask the question: "Where can I wild camp?"

We teamed up with a few other campervan rental companies, and also folk such as Scottish Natural Heritage and Visit Scotland to produce these simple, commonsense guidelines about camping wild with campervans in Scotland.

If you follow these guidelines, you'll hopefully enjoy "camping wild" on your Big Tree Camper van trip, and help support a sustainable way of experiencing Scotland. That way, we'll all be able enjoy the freedom of of camping wild for many years to come.

Access Rights - Scotland is rightly very proud of its access rights, however when you are looking for places to camp wild in a campervan, it is important to bear in mind the following key points:

• The Scottish Outdoor Access Code and the Land Reform Act do not apply to motor vehicles.
• Most un-metalled roads, unfenced land and beaches are generally private property, and therefore you don’t have a right of vehicle access unless it’s authorised by the landowner by verbal agreement or signage.
• The Road Traffic Act 1988, states that you can only drive a vehicle off-road (ie off a public road) for the purpose of parking, within 15 yards of a public road.
• Some communities (eg Calgary Bay on Mull, and the whole island of Tiree) have established their own guidance for campervans and the use of designated overnight parking spaces... if you’re in such a place, follow the guidance!

Commonsense guidance

Do:

• Use commonsense and think whether the spot you have found is suitable for a vehicle.
• Think about the cumulative effect of camping in the "fantastic secret place which I’m sure no-one else has ever been"...it is very likely that others will use the same spot, not just you!
• Take great care to avoid fragile ground/sensitive habitats, (eg wild flower rich machair on the Western Isles) - never drive down to beaches or on to grass verges as it destroys the habitat.
• Avoid overcrowding. If another vehicle is parked in a secluded spot - try not to park right next to them and find your own spot elsewhere.
• Use only biodegradable detergents and drain kitchen waste water tanks in campsites at designated areas. If it has to be emptied in the wild, keep away from water courses and be aware that animals will be attracted to the scent.
• Carry a trowel to bury any human waste and urinate well away from open water, rivers and burns. Toilet paper should be bagged and taken away by you – not buried (animals dig it up).
• Do a full "litter-pick" before you leave, taking all of your rubbish, and any you found there already, and disposing of it properly when you’re back in civilisation.
• Support a sustainable tourism industry – buy groceries in local shops.

Don’t:

• Park in areas where signs state "no overnight parking".
• Park overnight within sight of people's houses, even in car park bays.
• Block access tracks to estates and fields.
• Light BBQs or fires unless it is safe to do so, and you can supervise it properly. They should be fully extinguished when finished and no evidence left behind.
• Empty any chemical toilet waste anywhere other than at a designated chemical waste area. All campsites have facilities for the emptying of a cassette toilet. Most public toilets are not suitable places to empty chemical toilets as it upsets the sewage treatment process.

At Big Tree Campervans we're really proud of the fact that supporting a sustainable and fun way of experiencing Scotland is at the heart of what we do.