Want to escape to nature for the weekend but don’t want to break the bank? Chances are you or someone in your family has a tent gathering dust in the garage, right? And guess what? Scotland is just bursting with beautiful spots begging to be discovered. You’re in for a treat! Here’s some super handy info that’ll make your next adventure a breeze—whether you’re packing up those tent pegs or just hitting the road with your Tentbox on top.
What is the right to roam?
Ah, the right to roam—Scotland’s little gift to nature lovers and adventurous souls! In simple terms, it’s like getting a VIP pass to hang out anywhere you fancy, as long as you promise to be nice to Mother Nature and the landowners.The law was enacted in 2003 and gives the general public access to all countryside, privately owned or not.
Whether its open countryside or lakes and rivers. The law lets you access these places to do recreational activities which includes camping. It also includes hiking, swimming, sailing and cycling etc.
Restrictions
There are a few limitations which prevent things getting silly, like no access to crop fields, enclosed farmland and obviously peoples gardens. I don’t think the Scottish would take kindly to see someone pitching up in the back garden (pun intended).
There is also the expectation to leave the area as you found it to maintain some very beautiful places that are in Scotland. This is more commonly know as “leave no trace”, which we think should be a global phenomenon—after all, the world has enough clutter without your leftover biscuit wrappers.
Why not just stay at a campsite?
Isn’t it obvious? To save MONEY! If you’re only staying somewhere for a couple of nights and aren’t fussed for things like showers and toilets then why do you need to spend money on a campsite? Yes there are some lovely campsites in Scotland, but trust us when we say there are some even better wild camp spots.
The amount of wild camping spots are endless, and we truly mean that. Whether that is on top of the mountain in the Highlands or on the side of a lake in the Cairgorms. You’ll be sure to be in for some breathtaking views, and all for free.
Even like ourselves with a roof tent, camping does not have to be expensive. We can go anywhere we can get the car. This does limit us, but we have still managed to find some top notch spots.
How to find these spots?
Now for this we mainly use an app called Park4Night which gives you exact locations with photos, descriptions and reviews from others on the area. This means you can look through an area you want to stay, see what it has to offer and what other people think of it before you arrive. This saves wondering round aimlessly hoping to stumble open a hidden gem. Which you probably would do in certain bits of Scotland.
Then there is the devil that is social media. This can be a great tool but also an absolute pain in the a***. Social media allows you to see what certain places look like, but as we all know everything we see online isn’t always the truth. Sometimes you might get the the place and its not exactly as you expected so please take social media posts with a pinch of salt.
Social media is also terrible for ruining some idyllic spots. Once that post is online, thousands if not millions of people might see it. They all may flood the area which can leave it in a terrible state as not everyone practices ‘leave no trace’. If there are any locals to this spot then they will be driven insane by the random influx of people to there once quiet slice of heaven.
So please please please practice ‘leave no trace’ and try your best to leave the area in a better state then when you found it. Whether that’s picking up a bit of rubbish or educating other please do your bit to keep places pristine.
Always remember to stay safe while wild camping.
Tight Travellers 