WILD CAMPING - Dos and Don’ts
WILD CAMPING Dos and Don'ts
Surely wild camping is the dream for most vanlifers? The idea of discovering remote places, being at one with nature, waking up surrounded by stunning landscapes or wildlife!? You will have to sacrifice some day-to-day comforts, but if you are happy with this, then wild camping could be for you and your family. Scotland is the only place in the UK where wild camping, aka ‘informal camping’ or ‘freedom camping’ is legal.
As a family of four, plus our four-legged friend, the idea of informal camping has always been something we were eager to try. Experienced, well-travelled campervanners, we learnt so many new things on our trip to Scotland that we felt it was important to document some key dos and don’ts, for those wishing to experience something similar.
✔️ DO respect your surroundings. Leave-no-trace, so that means you must take ALL your rubbish with you, disposing of it correctly. Ideally campers would leave spots cleaner than when they arrived!
✔️ DO recycle as much rubbish as possible. Recycling bins can be found in most towns or council owned car parks.
❌ DON'T empty toilet waste into streams, rivers, lochs or undergrowth! Even if it is only urine - it can kill vegetation and pose potential health risks. There are lots of campsites, that will enable you to empty waste for a small fee.
✔️ DO make use of apps e.g. park4night or britstops so you know you are staying somewhere that is safe for campers.
✔️ DO pay back to the local communities by using pubs and small local businesses to buy provisions - coffee shops, grocery stores etc.
❌ DON'T overstay your welcome. One night - arriving late and leaving early is enough!
✔️ DO check it is safe before starting a fire and supervise it properly, ensuring it has gone out before you go to bed.
❌ DON'T leave remnants of your fire. This should be removed before you go - Leave-no-trace!
✔️ DO behave responsibly and keep noise down, or you might be disturbing wildlife as well as other campers.
✔️ DO allow at least 4m between you and other parked vehicles for fire safety reasons.
✔️ DO park discretely and out of sight from residential homes (unless it is within a designated area).
❌ DON'T park in villages or places where a sign explicitly says 'no overnight parking'.
❌ DON'T stop overnight in a passing place. It is against the law.
If you see anyone disposing of toilet waste or rubbish illegally in Scotland, Dumb Dumpers advise you to take photos of the motorhome and driver, including the registration numbers, making a note of the exact location. To report it to the Dumb Dumpers Stop Line, see link below.
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