advice for Scotland hike and camp

[ddave489]

Hi all, I'm looking to take a little break in Scotland, I live in Durham and would preferably only want to drive a max of 2 hours. I'd like to be able to park up somewhere, hike for maybe 5/6 miles and then wild camp by a nice loch for a bit of fishing for a cpl of nights before returning. Does anyone have any suggestions for an area, any advice as always would be much appreciated.

 

[nic a char]

The Grey Mare's Tail NTS car park north of Moffat is about 120 miles from Durham. Stiff climb by peregrines & wild goats to Loch Skeen, free wild brown trout fishing. May earliest as it's quite high. It's not 5-6 miles' hike, but further on Gameshope Loch will be, tough rough walking, and it has trout too. I camped there in May a couple of years ago, got plenty trout in the evening after a brassy blue-sky day - in the morning the (green) tent was white with frost & the ground frozen. Kept awake by myriad frogs...

 

[ddave489]

Cheers mate sounds good, will definitely keep in mind for summer time, was hoping to go in next few weeks though.

 

[nic a char]

ay well trout season starts 15th March, but the old adage is, they aren't in shape till the waterside birches' leaves are the size of a mouse's ear = VERY sheltered low-ground lochs/burns... Lots of coarse fishing venues in the Borders though - which I've only read about.

 

[bopdude]

You've been reading my mind ddave489, was thinking along the same lines.

 

[ddave489]

Well 2 minds are better than 1 bopdude! Where abouts are you?

 

[bopdude]

Stockton on Tees ( must change in location ) so just down the road a ways.