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Because often there is nowhere else.
But what i dont get is why youd do that. To me if your gonna wild park do it for solitude.
I had 5 nights in the NC500 area in my van last August. I saw loads of places like the ones you describe but all 5 nights I had a parking spot to myself. But that's me, with extensive local knowledge and a deep seated crowd aversion, plenty of people don't have those things or are the exact opposite.
I'm not judging them everyone is different and the tendency to cluster potentially makes it easier to target services and management of the problem.
We always used campsites - but we were mainly in France and Spain.
In France even with Aires the problem of free campers rocking up in vans/motorhomes and sleeping in beach carparks was a nightmare all down the Atlantic coast. Carparks full of vans and motorhomes of all shapes and sizes and dunes basically open air toilets
This now means most beach carparks have height restrictions which stops most vans and campers but also means you can't access to just park up for the day to surf if you are staying at a campsite.
North cost of Spain better and much less of an issue but for the sake of a few Euros a night I'd sooner use a site.
In the UK, as others have said, there is such a big network of CL type sites which are often much nicer and less crowded than the free spots - we never free camped.
I converted my van last year and have only used proper sites apart from once, it's just so much nicer knowing that you'll not be viewed as a problem. We were down at Loch Faskally last weekend and my boys loved it. We head over to Gairloch quite a bit too and always stay at Big Sands, the convenience of the facilities and the closeness to the beach definitely trumps staying in a layby.
One thing I did want to use the van for was days where I'd be hillwalking or out early with the bike and would want to stop over but feel that campervans have become such a lighting rod of hate that it's really put me off...
One thing I did want to use the van for was days where I’d be hillwalking or out early with the bike and would want to stop over but feel that campervans have become such a lighting rod of hate that it’s really put me off
I've become much more cautious about how I do this over the last year but with a bit of though to timing and location it's still possible to do it with out pissing people off or causing a nuisance.
We need a "I'm a local - honest!" badge.
surely you are an incomer tho Scotroutes?
Do you want to tell my wife that? 🙂
Anyway, local means living, working and paying tax in the area.
🙂
i have discussed this before – but what is ‘no overnight parking’? 11pm to 1am?, 7pm to 5am? it just isnt clear. Is no overnight parking the same as ‘no over campervans’?
I suspect to be legally enforceable on the public highway they would need to be accompanied by a traffic regulation order (which would state the limits) and the signage would probably then state something less ambiguous.
Most such signs are probably either a polite request/instruction that might see you moved along by a bored cop, or are on private land and then your are into the usual minefield of private parking restrictions/enforcement. I'd guess you can solve 80% of the problem without the signage being legally enforceable - just because most people don't want to be somewhere they are not wanted or run the risk of someone knocking on the window asking why they are there at 3am.
Parking doesn't require the occupant to be in the vehicle, so it won't matter if you are in a campervan, night fishing 100 yrds away or parkup whilst you fly off to spain for a week.
Rent a campervan first, it may not be for you.
We hired one and frankly prefer tents. Unless there's only 2 of you, and you have minimised everything / got a really good routine, its a massive faff and believe people only pursue it as they've invested so much in it. Its a dream.
A tent you can roll out of bed and make a brew, especially useful if you or the dog wakes early.
A tent you can leave everything as is and just drive away for the day.
However a tent is noisier and colder in bad weather.
For me the amount of extra, unexpected hassle outweighed any of the benefits.
A tent you can roll out of bed and make a brew
OTOH we just switch the kettle on while still in bed whilst in the van.
Which is fine if you both sleep unil the same hour, but if your dog wakes up at the crack of dawn and you want to go for a run with it whilst your wife and daughter sleep it doesn't work so well.
We hired one and frankly prefer tents
Each to their own but on the whole I find my van far more comfortable and less hassle than a tent for roadside camping, no pitching, no packing up, no drying stuff when you're home. But it's just a converted panel van that doesn't require any sort of set up other than filling the water container, packing clothes etc. And because it's ours, not a rental it's pretty much in a permanent state of readiness.
I am not sure if it's been mentioned so will cover this perspective without covering gorund already covered with the lots of valid points from both 'sides':
1. As someone who has not lived in the UK for the last 13 years, has the simple fact of population density or rather population density of people in the outdoors 'wholesale' been considered? Rather than just 'the number of campervans littering the honeypots'. It seems to be that there is simply just more people out and about, and people are adapting to what they can/ can't do due to covid and covid related issues. They might not all necessarily want to head on foot into the Caithness flow-country across the bogs, nor head upto Foinaven etc. but they have just as much right as everyone else to be in these areas.
2. as a viewpoint (not one fully against/ for them) these 'simple' continental type aires that some are in favour of in the UK: It biases people in campervans and not tents.....
As a perspective: I live on the edge of the alps and also have done lots of cycle camping tours with my 2 children from when they were 6 months old over the last 12 years. It is becoming increasingly complicated in certain areas/ countries to go to a 'campsite' for a night with a small tent: much more interest in a campervan booking for 2 weeks....N. Italy including Lake Garda being notable in this aspect, and the Atlantic coast of France. 'Campsites' without actually any grass are not unknown.... Yes, France has a great system of lots of communes having a municipal camp-site, but they can be simply a lower star 'campsite' with focus on amenities...privet hedges...rusting caravans....plastic mobil-homes etc...what I really miss is the welsh famers field for £5 a night....Whilst I may have some rose tinted glasses...I think this is what the UK has done/ can do/ does do well!
Mamie and Papie in their campervan here are frequently a source of annoyance...sheep herd mentality...there's a lovely alpine meadow at the col du Lautaret. It's ram packed every summer full of camping cars....Rock up in a car and pitch a tent: you'd get some strange looks....never tried camping in some of these camping car aires...I bet you would get moved on from some of them....
We don't really have the drunkenness/ littering/ behaviour issues camping outside of campsites issue (we do in Campsites though....) to the extent of the UK. But I honestly think that is not an issue that has anything to do with campervans, aires, no aires, ban overnight parking etc: it's purely a human behaviour issue and more and more people are 'outdoors'.
As a curve I'm currently parked up wild camping.
3 of us on a big carpark miles from a house....
I'd post an image but I'm stoopid
you are NOT wild camping. You are roadside camping - the two are differnt things
I am aware Tj.
And have made that point before.
To top it off someones now watching TV loudly. Why ****ing bother...
Would the proposed legislation stop lorry drivers sleeping in lay-bys, under motorway bridges and industrial estates?
It was only me that proposed legislation I I have been shot down in flames
It was only me that proposed legislation I I have been shot down in flames
Now I feel bad. Maybe we could have a wee bit of legislation. 🙂
Don't worry about it Spin! I can take3 it! Been shot down many times
what I really miss is the welsh famers field for £5 a night….Whilst I may have some rose tinted glasses…I think this is what the UK has done/ can do/ does do well!
Are you sure its only 13 years ago! They've long since realised the money is in glamping and people who just want a small bit of fairly flat grass are not a way to make money!
Tbf I get your point Tj.
Trouble is with rules they need to cover such a wide and low spectrum. You cant make dont be a dick a law as people's perceptions aren't uniform.
I wish you could have a charge of bellendery leveled against people. Tried by a jury of unbellendery people but....
We could name it Tejislation.
*adds nobeer to the list*
We could name it Tejislation.
TJ's Law. There are precedents for that sort of thing. 🙂
Do you want to go on the list as well?
Will TJs law be nullified by the Edinburgh Defence?
*takes names*
*takes names*
Don’t tell him Pike
Meanwhile wild camping in the States
Don’t you’ll give TJ enforcement ideas
Do you want to go on the list as well?
I sort of assumed I was already on the list. 🙂
Poly wrote:
Are you sure its only 13 years ago! They’ve long since realised the money is in glamping and people who just want a small bit of fairly flat grass are not a way to make money!
Hmmmm, I am quite keen to start an nice campsite here on the farm but the 2 farms below me and the one above me in the valley all offer simple grass field camping for £5 a night. For me that is not enough to make any investment in infrastructure and hassle it would bring to make a tidy site, and there is little chance of competing if I were to charge a more realistic price. Trouble is, I still get the hassle of people wandering across fields to get to he pub, exercise their dogs, or take a wild shit in one of my fields (neither neighbour actually has any on-site facilities to speak of), but get nothing for my trouble.
We rented a VW T6 camper for a mini tour of the lakes. i had booked campsites as a fall back in case we couldnt find any wild (not wild) spots and also to use the facilities... so we mixed it up. it was fine we found plenty of places, some had signs up but didnt seem to put others off so we just pitched up... to be honest i preferred it when we had neighbours, came to the conclusion any places without vans was probably a big no-no.
decided its not for us tho, defo prefer my tent! but the best thing was waking up early and driving to a national trust carpark before the masses - get dressed, have breakfast, chill out etc when we get there without the rush! then returning to the van after a big walk and cracking a beer out the fridge!
Welshfarmer - I wouldn’t rule it out. I’ve camped twice in the last month, both times on proper sites. I’m not averse to genuine wild camping and even mrs p has come round to the idea of a shovel... up here I can do that for free virtually anywhere. But I still chose to pay (a total of £90 for three nights!) to be able to perk right next to my tent and therefore have comfort/luxury, have a toilet, and shower facilities etc. Importantly the family tent is a bit big for true wild camping and needs a large flat area. Both sites were small and basic - no shop, pool, games room etc like giant sites often have. One of the sites had electrics for tents. Do your neighbours only permit tents? At both sites there were probably 2:1:1 campers:caravans:tents and both had a small number of glamping pods.
Welshfarmer - Poly is still right even with camping you can move away from the flat bit of field mentality. People will pay £30 a night if you make it a bit different. Sell it as 'Wild Camping' the Instabangers love a tag to every activity they do, see 'NC500'.
Below is an example of a site near me that does this and it doesn't take much work apart from some facilities. Field left to go to long grass, mown to set out really spacious pitches. Offer breakfast rolls etc.
EDIT: I was writing at the same time as Poly. This site also has glamping pods which helps with facilities. Here because it is 'Wild Camping' there are no cars on the grass so you use wheelbarrows to get tents and stuff to your spot
A video about the new Aire that has opened in Kingussie.
Ruaridh is a bit of a character in his own right but it's worth watching as he tried to explain some of the economics involved, his costs and charges.
I will be interested to see if there is a difference this Summer. We have travelled to most of the UK over the years and usually do 3-4 nights stopping ‘wild’ or whatever you want to call it, followed by a campsite or b&b to freshen up.
Rules for unofficial stops are never in sight of a house, usually not in sight of a road if possible and never where there are signs saying you can’t. The more remote the better.
With persistence and google maps researching, plus avoiding areas where it’s clearly not going to work we have never been moved on.
I suspect the latest gang of van life latecomers just don’t bother being considerate and think they can stop where they like. Whether this has ruined it for everyone else remains to be seen….presumably many of them will give up with it all once Benidorm is available again…..
I thought I would share our experience this week - based in Sheildaig on NC500.
It wasn't as busy as we feared - only marginally busier than Highlands in the summer anyway.
More campers than not were on the (packed) campsites.
Of those that were roadside camping, there seemed a 3/4 split of people respectfully located, neat and tidy, with the mingers.
There was a constant 3-4 camper vans each night at the public loos parking, yet the neighbour who emptied the donations box said there was usually £2-5 a night in there.
I spoke to one camping couple who said they didn't like the (over)crowded sites, yet no one told them to bring a spade and bury it. They were looking to buy a spade or plot public loos around the nc500...and find bins they could use.
We had a couple of places with rubbish bags split open next to three caravans there all week. There was one person who thought parking a massive motorhome sideways across four parking bays in the village, in front of people's homes, was acceptable. But as ever this is the minority.
We pulled up to start a ride on Applecross peninsula and quickly backed out - the parking place had a view, and was littered with excrement and tissues.
We met one huuuuuuge camper burning his clutch up the Bealach na Ba. A bigger issue was the 'mates' all travelling round in a line of Clio/Fiesta St's/ MX5's - upto 10 cars at a time.
There was a lot of evidence of landowners and community locking gates, boulders blocking tracks etc.
The classic - a more numpties than normal spilling it for everyone.
I also think there is naivety - did the hire company provide a spade with the T5? Are there enough bins (and who pays?). Perhaps some more 'please bury your shit in the wild and take your rubbish to the bins at xxxxx' notices might help?
Perhaps some more ‘please bury your shit in the wild
And it would be nice if they defined In the wild is not just at the layby your parked in
Most lay-bys are overwhelmed with buried and non buried turds now.