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Hi has anyone done it in a caravan?

I am thinking of doing it soon in Scotland for a few days.

Niall

This is us wildcamping in Harris.

And wildcamping on Lewis.

And wildcamping on Barra.

However, the Western Isles is geared up for "wildcampers" and there are showers, toilets and CDPs all over the place specifically for their use.

On the mainland, wildcamping trips require a little more planning and I would advise that you book into an ordinary site every 4 or 5 days to empty the loo and perhaps recharge your batteries.

I am ofcourse talking only about Scotland here as I have no experience of wildcamping in a caravan, anywhere else. We have however wildcamped in motorhomes in both England and Ireland.

Wildcamping I have always considered as walking with a backpack into a wilderness area far from any roads or people.  In a MH or caravan it is more remote camping, but it seems that it means camping without paying these days, which is fine in areas set up for it.

Brian

Ok thanks everyone

Just an idea to pass a few days away

Niall

Quote: Originally posted by neil and lena on 02/10/2009

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I would not advise it anywhere in the Northern Constabulary area which covers most of the Highlands as you will be moved on , Most laybys have signs up prohibiting overnight parking

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Oh? Since when?

I have never been asked to move on by anybody and I have been wildcamping for years. It is my understanding that the only "official" people that have the authority to "move you on", are the Police and Traffic Wardens.

Now, Traffic Wardens go home at 5pm and are not usually found roaming around the countryside during overtime hours looking for wayward wildcampers!

The Police on the otherhand, if they are out in the countryside, are usually on their way to an incident elsewhere and are not interested in you.

Lay byes and the like come under the roads dept and as such, as long as your vehicle is legally road taxed etc, you have every right to use that lay bye to "lay bye". If I have been driving a long distance and I am tired, I have every right to have a sleep for a few hours and no one, Police or otherwise, can force me to "move on". That, really would be against the law!!!!!

"No Overnight Parking" Notices are a grey area. I doubt if they have any legal authority . They are certainly not enforced in our county.

However, lay byes are not usually used by wildcampers. They are too close to busy roads and the traffic noise alone would put most wildcampers off.

Thankfully there are many areas that are much more appealing, like the old roadside quarries where you can get right off the road and you can usually be completely hidden from any passing traffic. These old quarries, originally made when the road was constructed, are kept in good nick by the roads dept for storing their road vehicles when they are resurfacing and repairing the road. I have never yet seen one gated.

Picnic spots, church and graveyard car parks, view points, industrial estates, shopping car parks and, when all else fails, go and ask at the local Police Station, they will point you to a place that they think suitable and then check up on you through the night to make sure you are safe. I have had this service in both Dumfries and in Glasgow and I know of others who have experienced the same.

The only caveat that I would give you is to go to bed dressed in such a way that you can open the door and go outside to speak to whoever may want to ask you why you are there.
I personally have never needed to do this but it is better to be prepared. I also never drink when wildcamping as then I could be in trouble with the law.

You will never know how good wildcamping is until you try it and for many here in Scotland, wildcamping in a caravan or a motorhome is just the natural progression from the wildcamping they did when they were younger, in tents and backpacking.

There is no law of Trespass here and as long as you leave nothing behind but your tyre marks and take nothing away but your memories, you can enjoy yet another form of camping that is second to none.

Quote: Originally posted by LobeyDosser on 02/10/2009

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Quote: Originally posted by neil and lena on 02/10/2009

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I would not advise it anywhere in the Northern Constabulary area which covers most of the Highlands as you will be moved on , Most laybys have signs up prohibiting overnight parking

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Oh? Since when?

I have never been asked to move on by anybody and I have been wildcamping for years. It is my understanding that the only "official" people that have the authority to "move you on", are the Police and Traffic Wardens.

Now, Traffic Wardens go home at 5pm and are not usually found roaming around the countryside during overtime hours looking for wayward wildcampers!

The Police on the otherhand, if they are out in the countryside, are usually on their way to an incident elsewhere and are not interested in you.

Lay byes and the like come under the roads dept and as such, as long as your vehicle is legally road taxed etc, you have every right to use that lay bye to "lay bye". If I have been driving a long distance and I am tired, I have every right to have a sleep for a few hours and no one, Police or otherwise, can force me to "move on". That, really would be against the law!!!!!

"No Overnight Parking" Notices are a grey area. I doubt if they have any legal authority . They are certainly not enforced in our county.

However, lay byes are not usually used by wildcampers. They are too close to busy roads and the traffic noise alone would put most wildcampers off.

Thankfully there are many areas that are much more appealing, like the old roadside quarries where you can get right off the road and you can usually be completely hidden from any passing traffic. These old quarries, originally made when the road was constructed, are kept in good nick by the roads dept for storing their road vehicles when they are resurfacing and repairing the road. I have never yet seen one gated.

Picnic spots, church and graveyard car parks, view points, industrial estates, shopping car parks and, when all else fails, go and ask at the local Police Station, they will point you to a place that they think suitable and then check up on you through the night to make sure you are safe. I have had this service in both Dumfries and in Glasgow and I know of others who have experienced the same.

The only caveat that I would give you is to go to bed dressed in such a way that you can open the door and go outside to speak to whoever may want to ask you why you are there.
I personally have never needed to do this but it is better to be prepared. I also never drink when wildcamping as then I could be in trouble with the law.

You will never know how good wildcamping is until you try it and for many here in Scotland, wildcamping in a caravan or a motorhome is just the natural progression from the wildcamping they did when they were younger, in tents and backpacking.

There is no law of Trespass here and as long as you leave nothing behind but your tyre marks and take nothing away but your memories, you can enjoy yet another form of camping that is second to none.

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Ok if the signs are not legal or a grey area and perhaps not enforceable why do the local authority erect them in the first place ? Is it alright to ignore these official signs then and park up for the night ? 

once again thank you for all your help

Niall

>>>  Ok if the signs are not legal or a grey area and perhaps not enforceable why do the local authority erect them in the first place ? Is it alright to ignore these official signs then and park up for the night ?  <<<

Is it alright to keep driving past these No Overnight Parking places if you are tired and need to rest?

Like I said, I personally would not use any lay bye that was close to a main road, where these notices are usually placed, but if I needed to use one, then I would.

However, who is to say whether you are making yourself a cuppa and having a wee rest or whether you are there for an 8 hour kip? As long as you do not appear at the door in your Jammies or Nighty, then no one can accuse you of flaunting any local by law or road department ruling.

As far as I am aware, these notices were put up to dissuade Travellers from setting up their camps on Road Department Property. They are not aimed at those that want to stay for one night and then move on and I have never heard of any caravanner or motorhomer being asked to move on from such a site.

Passing Places on single track roads are ofcourse the exception. You must not park up on these but common sense would tell you that.

Passing Places on single track roads are ofcourse the exception. You must not park up on these but """common sense would tell you that."""

That debatable i have seen halfwits parked in them.

Niall :)

The only time I have recently wildcamped by the side of a road was on the B846 that runs along the side of Loch Rannoch to end at Rannoch Station on the West Hiughland Railway Line. It has a Tearoom on the station which closes at 6.30pm after the last train has passed through.

As there are no other houses on this road between Bridge of Gaur and the Station, after the staff have left for the night there are many miles of traffic free road to wildcamp along.

I sat by the van that evening watching herds a gold tinted deer on the mountain as the setting sun picked them out against purple heather.

Artificial knees and advancing years do not allow me to enjoy the pleasures of sitting alone on mountain tops admiring the scenery that I once took for granted, but there are places that I can still go where I can capture some pretty remarkable sights and still enjoy the solitude that I find in mountain passes or beside silvery sands. Albeit having towed my Tin (glassfibre) Tent with me.

There are many websites that will point you in the right direction for possible places to use and after doing it a few times, you will soon develope a taste for the type of site that suits you best and where these sites are likely to be found.

Quote: Originally posted by brianconwy on 02/10/2009

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Wildcamping I have always considered as walking with a backpack into a wilderness area far from any roads or people.

Brian

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Me too Brian !

What Lobey says is interesting. OH & I have only ever wildcamped in the way described by Brian, or alternatively not far from a minor road but in tents. In a tent I wouldn't risk parking anywhere that had a notice saying not to, grey area or not, as who wants to risk having to take down your tent & pack up all your gear etc in the middle of the night ? It also would be hard to claim you only had pulled over for a few hours due to fatigue !

We have only just started caravanning together so not tried the caravan equivalent  (`slightly off the road camping'/`laybye camping') but of course it would be easier to claim you are just avoiding driving when fatigued.

Have no definite knowledge as to the legal position. but I myself would be wary ... Occasionally Bobbies are to be seen (only in cars generally) even out in the `wilds' ! It would be just our luck to have one pass by who had some time on his hands &  nothing better to do at the time than wake us up, even if he/she couldn't force us to shift I just couldn't be doing with all the hassle.

PS My little dog would probably try to bite them for daring to touch her caravan & if they went NEAR her Landy she'd probably try to rip their throats out - think we'd all land up in jail !

Post last edited on 02/10/2009 20:07:30

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Today we did a wee run along Loch Lomond-side on the A82 and I noticed that the No Overnight Parking signs have been removed from every Lay Bye!

Even those Lay Byes that have picnic areas and have special bays where you can park your caravan/motorhome so that you are looking directly across the loch, have had these notices removed.