Year Round Camping Now Available In Scottish Forests

If you’ve a fully equipped campervan with toilet, you can now camp year round in many if the car parks operated by Forestry and Land Scotland. Previously this has been a summer only affair, but that’s now been extended. Note the requirement for a toilet – pop up toilet tents not allowed – and one night stays only. This is potentially of great use and interest to the mountain bike community, and is a welcome change to some locations where ‘van camping’ is increasingly being clamped down on. Read on for more information information in the press release and details of the rules to be observed:

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is now welcoming visitors to make use of its popular ‘Stay the Night’ scheme all year round.

Following a last year’s successful winter trial, FLS is pleased to announce the off-season option is now part of the popular overnight initiative.

There will be a slight reduction in the number of car parks participating over winter compared to the rest of the year, but visitors will still find sites across Scotland for those in self-contained campervans and motorhomes (with all facilities including toilet inside the vehicle and crucially used inside) looking for an overnight stopping place.

Alan Chalmers, FLS’ Visitor Planning Manager, said:

“On the back of a successful winter trial last year, it is exciting to be able to now confirm FLS is incorporating this option into the Stay the Night scheme, making it a year-round offer.

“There are people who prefer to tour in the winter months when the main holiday season is over, and the landscape and scenery offer a very different experience, and the trial showed us these visitors took up the opportunity to overnight responsibly in the participating car parks.

“Encouraging people to stop at locations that would normally be quiet in winter or that they would otherwise have passed through may help to provide a boost to many small rural businesses.”

FLS is again asking people using its sites to follow guidance that includes no fires or barbecues, taking away rubbish, keeping noise levels down and finding alternative options if the car park is already full.

The winter stop overs will be available on a first-come-first-served basis and the usual modest charge of £7 per stay, payable via RingGo by app or phone, will be in effect at most of the participating locations and £10 at the ones with chemical waste disposal.

Stays are for one night only between the hours of 6 pm and 10 am, with no return visit for 48 hours. Due to operational, environmental or other considerations, changes may have to be made to participating car parks during the year.

Stay the Night is only open to visitors in self-contained motorhomes and campervans. FLS staff will check participating car parks to ensure that the rules are observed and, if necessary, remind people that tents beside cars, pop-up, pup or toilet tents – or any motorhome or campervan without its own toilet facility – are not permitted. Neither are generators permitted.

Full details including a list and location map of all the participating car parks and restrictions please visit our Stay the Night webpage.

Hannah Dobson

Managing Editor

I came to Singletrack having decided there must be more to life than meetings. I like all bikes, but especially unusual ones. More than bikes, I like what bikes do. I think that they link people and places; that cycling creates a connection between us and our environment; bikes create communities; deliver freedom; bring joy; and improve fitness. They're environmentally friendly and create friendly environments. I try to write about all these things in the hope that others might discover the joy of bikes too.