Camping in Scotland

[Matthew.Passmore]

Hi everyone i want to go camping soon and have been told that you are allowed to wild camp in scottish forests, thats they have an open policy like sweden, is this true?

Thanks.

 

[Toddy]

Rights and responsibilities are expalined on this site.
http://www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/default.asp

Enjoy your visit

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

Thanks, big help

 

[Chainsaw]

but the answer's essentially yes right Toddy, as long as you don't damage anything, take everything away with you, don't freak people out by peering in their windows in the middle of the night and don't pitch up in someones garden.

And if the landowner asks you to leave (hopefully with good reason), you probably should!

Cheers,

Alan

 

[Toddy]

Pretty much; there are some exceptions, 'plantations' are exempt from the right to light a fire for instance, the curtiledge of a someone's property, that is the close environs are not free access, sites of special scientific interest and some nature reserves are to be accorded due care, etc. Growing crops, and animals about to deliver young, in fields are not to be disturbed, that kind of thing.

Even if we do live in a country where, "Just out for a walk." has always been a reasonable and acceptable excuse for being someplace, the right of access is a very great freedom that has been enshrined in our laws.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[w00dsmoke]

To all our friends in ENGLAND and WALES...

I keep encouraging you all, why not free yourself from the shackles that bind? YOU HAVE the POWER to CHANGE it.

For goodness sake it drives me absolutley nuts to think how many millions want to freely enjoy access to your countryside and can't. Is it not about time something radical was done about it? We all played our part in Scotland. Freedom

 

[British Red]

Pretty much; there are some exceptions, 'plantations' are exempt from the right to light a fire for instance, the curtiledge of a someone's property, that is the close environs are not free access, sites of special scientific interest and some nature reserves are to be accorded due care, etc. Growing crops, and animals about to deliver young, in fields are not to be disturbed, that kind of thing.

Even if we do live in a country where, "Just out for a walk." has always been a reasonable and acceptable excuse for being someplace, the right of access is a very great freedom that has been enshrined in our laws.

cheers,
Toddy

Toddy,

I know this is an odd question but how does one know what constitutes a plantation - would this just be the normal military rows of conifers?

Red

 

[Toddy]

Usually, but basically it's any timber planted and grown for crop. So orchards too are exempt from firelighting or hazel or willow grown for coppice.
This doesn't mean there is no access, just please no firelighting on these sites.
It's really just a mix of common sense and courtesy.

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

Just stay away out of sight of housing and farms and off the beaten track. Yes you can change the law down there.

Nick

 

[Clark]

Last year i went camping in a forest nearby that was owned by the forestry commission only to be thrown out by two of their employees and told in no uncertain terms there was no camping and no fires allowed on any forestry owned land. On ym return i e-mailed the forestry commission only to complain about the behaviour of the two men and the reply i got was very nice. They said anyone could camp on the forestry commission land aslong as you leave the site as you found it and you can have fires aslong as they were only small fires to cook on etc..
Myself and fiends go camping atleast once a month now on forestry commission land and have never had any hassles since.

 

[Scuba Pete]

Scotland is a great place to camp. I am English, I moved here some years ago. I really feel for everyone down south.

I have always followed the rules and I have never had any problems at all. There are so many places to go. It is a shame some people do not respect the land, leaving rubbish laying around.

One tip though. Just because an OS map shows a forest, don't count on it being there when you arrive. A few times I have found only stumps, when I was hoping for trees. lol

Oh and a midge head net is a must.

 

[gregorach]

One tip though. Just because an OS map shows a forest, don't count on it being there when you arrive. A few times I have found only stumps, when I was hoping for trees. lol

Yeah, or you find that the "forest" is about 2 feet high...

On the other hand, there's often quite a bit of woodland in the blank areas.

 

[stu1979uk]

Another tip for midges; Avons woodland fresh moisturiser works a treat for me and many others

 

[Grooveski]

Another one to watch is that some areas are so dense that walking around is a pain. Don't trust firebreaks to continue in any direction as they can wander about and terminate at crags, rivers, etc.
The 1:25000 OS shows firebreaks - again though, things can change. Who knows the last time the OS hung out their airship gondola and sketched them out?

Good - if a bit odd - camps can sometimes be found on recently cleared plantations. The pine needles still forming a cushion for bivying on and tons of cutting remnants for firewood.

You find the occasional glen where it's been too steep for the pre-plantation clearance. Islands of real wood in a sea of pine. They make the best sites....
...apart from having grass hence more midgies.

Another tip for midges; Avons woodland fresh moisturiser works a treat for me and many others

There does appear to be an increase in the number of shiny happy people these days.
I'm an old-fashioned dress-up-for-them sort of guy myself.

 

[mace242]

Any chance of a copy of this email? I'd really like to know who it's from and be able to keep a copy.