Motorhome Wildcamping UK

Motorhome Wildcamping UK

What is wild camping?

Wild camping is simply free camping. It is somewhere you can use for overnight parking without any charges or costs, but comes with the downside of having no amenities; no washrooms/toilets, bins or electrical hook up. You need to be self-sufficient and be prepared to use your common sense while leaving no trace of you have ever been there. 
 

Wild camp spot at Gairloch

Wild camp spots can be found in different locations such as in the mountains, forests or by a beach. You can be parked up overnight on your own or with maybe only another one or two other like minded motorhome owners. Wild Camping offers a tranquil and idyllic spot away from people. However, staying on campsites does have some advantages, and sometimes it is necessary, for chores, such as emptying the chemical waste and filling up with fresh water. 

View from motorhome at Kinloch Campsite, Isle of Skye

The downside to campsites are being parked among 30 or so other motorhomes, campervans, caravans and tents. There is no comparison when you find your own wild camp spot. The laws vary throughout the UK for wild camping so ensure you do your homework on the area you wish to visit, Scotland is quite unique with its laws.

Where can you wild camp in a Motorhome?
 

In Scotland we have the right to wild camp responsibly through the 'Land Reform Act 2003', this was set out by the Scottish government. Anyone choosing to wild camp in Scotland should be aware of and follow the Outdoor Access Code. 

The only exception in Scotland is wild camping around loch Lomond and the Trossachs national park, here you are required to buy a permit to park overnight in certain areas. This is mainly due to overuse; the site being abused by wild campers not following the 'leave no trace rule' by damaging trees to make open fires, leaving rubbish behind and worse still human excrement. Permits are available online or via telephone and only £3 a night!
 

In England and Wales, wild camping is illegal unless you gain explicit permission from the landowner, so unlike Scotland, it's not as easy to wild camp overnight, and there is more reliance on campsites. So, make sure you do your homework and not end up with a nasty fine for poor choices.

The Outdoor Access Code and a Motorhome
 

Please remember when wild camping to show respect to the land, landowners, and locals although this may sound like common sense, it's worth being familiar with the Outdoor Access Code. This sets out some of your obligations when you choose to wild camp; this is to protect the area from irresponsible wild camping and not cause unnecessary problems for locals and farm owners/land managers.

• Do Not wild camp in large groups.
• Only stay 1 or 2 nights in the same place.
• Take away all your rubbish.
• Bury human waste (chemical toilets can ONLY be emptied in a toilet).
• Avoid having open fires (be aware of fire guidelines).
• Do not cause damage to the verge and grassy areas. 
• Do not block roads and access points. 
• Leave only footprints behind.

As a wild camper it's YOUR responsibility to make sure you are adhering to the guidelines and leaving only footprints behind you. We supply a sat nav with pre-programmed wild camp spots but ask our customers to think about their chosen wild camp spot and make sure you are not parked too close to someone's home or blocking off roads. 

How we help you wild camp during your motorhome travels
 

We prefer to wild camp rather than stay on campsites and have adapted our motorhomes so you can enjoy the experience of wild camping and more importantly the freedom and flexibility it can offer you while experiencing life on the road. 
We specialise in wild camping, preferring to find a quiet, idyllic spot to stay overnight rather than pay for a campsite where you tend to be parked up with 30+ other motorhomes. Over the last 25 years or so we have plotted all the places we have spent overnight. Even now, when there is a motorhome not on hire, we are off looking around for lovely spots for our customers to stay overnight. 

The screenshot below from Google maps is of some of our 2000 wild/free camp spots, Access and push pin codes are only given to those who have booked with us. 
We supply free of charge a GPS/ sat nav Sat which has all our wild camp spots, toilet stops (to empty chemical waste), water Stops (fill up with fresh water) pre-programmed onto it. So when you want to find a place to stay over or fill up with fresh water, just check the sat nav for the nearest location. Press go, and it will take you there. We are also adding Pub Stops where you can have a meal and a drink while staying overnight.

Scottish Tourer Motorhomes

 

Scottish Tourer motorhomes come fully equipped with everything you need to be able to wild camp you need to be self-sufficient.

• Solar panel to keep the leisure batteries topped up so no need to plug into mains electric so no need for campsites.
• Awning so you can cook and eat outdoors even in the rain.
• BBQ, picnic table and chairs to make outdoor cooking easier.
• Fully equipped kitchen with everything you need for meal preparation and real china plates and wine glasses, so no plastic.
• All our motorhomes have a bathroom with sink, shower, and toilet.
• Comfortable memory foam beds for a goodnight sleep.
• Comfortable lounge area with tv/dvd.
• WI-FI system.
• Electronic controls to monitor fresh water and wastewater levels.
• Gas powered Central heating and hot water system to keep you cosy all year round.
• Gas powered fridge freezer that runs all the time, even when you're driving.
• Sat Nav pre-programmed with places to wild camp, fill up with fresh water and empty the chemical waste.

This is all included in the cost, we use the motorhomes ourselves and know what you need to be self-sufficient and still have a relaxing and stress-free holiday.

A motorhome holiday is all about the open road and not being tied down to a schedule. All you need is to have a rough idea where you would like to go.
Wild camping is the perfect way to enjoy the freedom a motorhome holiday can offer you, there is never a need to book ahead, so you have the flexibility of going where you want and when you want. If you arrive at a wild camp spot and it’s got a motorhome there already or not quite what you expected just reset the sat nav and move on to the next one.

We have developed our own motorhome friendly route planners giving you a rough guide of places to stay and places to visit. We have over 30 years’ experience of touring Scotland in our own motorhome, please do not hesitate in contacting us for more information on hiring a motorhome or wild camping in a motorhome.