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Feb 2021
11:17am, 2 Feb 2021
38,856 posts
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♪♫ Synge ♪♫
"Wild camping" can mean a lot of things. (I have no doubt that you are at the minimum-impact end of the spectrum, NE!) It means different things for walkers and campervan users and also means different things in England and in Scotland.
One or two people backpacking with a late arrival and an early departure and a carry-out-everything-you-carried-in mentality is the way I think of it and in England you wouldn't really do that outside Dartmoor or pretty high ground in the Lakes. Possibly not any more in the Lakes since the advent of "dirty camping" last year. I think the legal position is more tolerant of wild camping in Scotland?
"Wild camping" in a campervan, to me, means any place which is not a recognised site. In England, people do it and get away with it even though it's probably not "allowed" anywhere. Round here, it's usually late arrivals in Council car parks at the seaside. In the Lakes, it's probably harder to achieve.
In Scotland, though, there is a view that you can park overnight pretty much anywhere and go unchallenged. I'm not sure it's quite so simple as that, though?
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Feb 2021
1:16pm, 2 Feb 2021
19,700 posts
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GimmeMedals
We've used sites when touring Scotland. Along the NC500, there's a great site, Sango Sands, in Durness, which overlooks a beach. You don't need to book but I would say it is advisable during school holidays, as it was really busy when we went in Aug 2017. There are a few lay-bys further along the road but I suspect more people know about them know so it might be hard to get a spot.
I think you can risk just turning up at Big Sand near Gairloch. The weather was wild - cold, wet and windy - whilst England was having a 30*c heatwave (2018).
Our "wild camping" experiences have been in lay-bys in Scotland - lay-by #81 on the A9, near Dalwhinnie; the Glenshee ski centre car park; a lay-by on the A87 next to Loch Garry. We tend to use sites.
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Feb 2021
1:28pm, 2 Feb 2021
5,293 posts
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TheScribbler
Sounds like a similar experience to ours GM. We booked one site for our first night at Coylumbridge and then left it to chance and got very lucky in September 2019. I think it must have been Sango Sands where we got a great last minute pitch overlooking the beach and then we got another one at Achmelvich where I swam in the bay.
We stopped in a layby just before Applecross where we met the stag.
We were going to stay in the Glencoe Visitor Centre car park, but they had an event on when we arrived, so it was packed and we found a really nice discreet little pull in on a nearby road. I suspect that wouldn't have been so easy in the summer.
Our reason for looking for wild camping spots is because we like photography and leaving a site in the early hours to head out for a sunrise opportunity wouldn't make you popular with your neighbours.
I might do a travel blog if I can dig out my notebook from the trip. It's what convinced us that we were suited to a campervan.
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Feb 2021
1:30pm, 2 Feb 2021
38,861 posts
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♪♫ Synge ♪♫
I'll volunteer to be a blog reader, Scribbler! 
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Feb 2021
1:42pm, 2 Feb 2021
19,702 posts
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GimmeMedals
It would be a blog I'd look forward to reading too, Scribbler!
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Feb 2021
2:10pm, 2 Feb 2021
5,294 posts
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TheScribbler
It's in the same notebook as my Rwanda diary that I'm working through at the moment. Remember when we used to be able to travel...
I'll add it to my creative prompts list
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Feb 2021
2:18pm, 2 Feb 2021
73,039 posts
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Gobi
LOL Scribs I have blogs to remind me of when I could travel
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Feb 2021
9:55am, 3 Feb 2021
1,945 posts
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RunningRonnie
Two current possibilities we've found:
5 year old van with 60,000 miles on it.
Brand new van on PCP.
Both of these options would mean an almost identical monthly payment, however the new van would leave us with a lump sum to pay off at the end of 5 years.
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Feb 2021
2:13pm, 3 Feb 2021
11,075 posts
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Mandymoo
60,000 miles is good for a 5 year old van.
Financial choice is down to own opinion
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Feb 2021
2:59pm, 3 Feb 2021
21,816 posts
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Angus Clydesdale
I would probably go for the second-hand van. Then I would know it was mine.
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