25 Best Wild Camping Spots in Scotland by Region

Quick Summary

• Scotland has thousands of legal wild camping spots — we've picked 25 across five regions that combine good ground, water access, beauty and practical access from a road end or path
• The biggest caveat: Loch Lomond & The Trossachs Camping Management Zones — parts of this region need a £4.50/night permit from 1 March to 30 September
• Most of the best spots are in the north-west Highlands and islands — Sandwood Bay, Camasunary on Skye, Loch Avon in the Cairngorms, Suilven in Assynt
• Plan the trip — our Gear Checklist Generator builds a Scotland-specific wild camping kit list for your exact destination and season

Scotland's wild camping freedom is unique in Britain, and most of the good spots are not in guidebooks — they're known locally, passed between hillwalkers, or discovered by accident on a day that turned into a night out. This is our attempt to collect 25 of them in one place, spread across the regions, with the honest access details and caveats that tourism writing usually glosses over.

Quick Answer: Scotland's best wild camping spots are spread across five main regions — the Trossachs and Argyll, the Cairngorms, Glencoe and Lochaber, the north-west Highlands (Wester Ross, Torridon, Assynt and Sutherland) and the Hebridean islands. Loch Avon in the Cairngorms, Sandwood Bay on the far north coast, Camasunary on Skye and the glens below Suilven in Assynt are consistently named as the finest. Most are free under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code; a small number within Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park require a £4.50/night permit from 1 March to 30 September. See our full Access Code guide for the legal framework.

How we chose the 25

There is no objectively correct list of Scotland's best wild camping spots. Everyone with strong opinions about this has a different top five. Our criteria were practical rather than romantic:

1. Beauty is necessary but not sufficient. A spot has to be worth the drive and the walk-in on its own merits.
2. Good ground. Peat bog that holds water half the year is not a wild camping spot, however pretty the surroundings. Every entry has at least one known patch of well-drained pitching ground.
3. Water access. A reliable burn within 50m for water collection (treated or boiled before drinking — always).
4. Legal clarity. Every entry is either clearly legal under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code or clearly requires a permit inside a Camping Management Zone. No grey areas.
5. Realistic access. Under 10km walk-in from a road end or a ferry. Several spots are roadside; a handful are a full day's hill walk.
6. Geographical spread. Five spots per region, five regions, across the whole country from the Trossachs to the Outer Hebrides.

The five regions

1-5. Trossachs & Argyll

Central-belt accessible wild camping, with the permanent caveat that parts of this region sit inside Camping Management Zones. The spots below are either outside the zones or clearly flagged as inside.

1. Head of Glen Etive

One of the most photographed wild camping spots in Britain, and for good reason — the glen head at the end of the single-track road off the A82 opens onto an amphitheatre of hills with multiple flat grass pitches beside the river. Free under the Access Code. Drive straight to the road end from the Kingshouse, pitch next to the water. Hugely popular in summer — go midweek or shoulder season for any chance of solitude.

2. Bridge of Orchy / Rannoch Moor north edge

Along the West Highland Way a few kilometres north of Bridge of Orchy station, Rannoch Moor opens out into wild, exposed country with pitches beside the track. This section is outside the Loch Lomond & Trossachs CMZs. Train-accessible via Bridge of Orchy or Rannoch station — one of the few truly car-free wild camping bases in Scotland.

3. Loch Chon (Trossachs — permit required)

Inside the Loch Chon Camping Management Zone. Clearly waymarked pitch areas with designated spots, composting toilets and picnic tables. Permit £4.50/night, 1 March to 30 September. Book at lochlomond-trossachs.org. A good introduction to wild camping for nervous first-timers because the zone is managed and the boundaries are clear.

4. Loch Lomond east shore (permit required 1 March–30 September)

Iconic but heavily managed. The east shore of Loch Lomond — the stretch walked by the West Highland Way — is inside the CMZ system and needs a permit in season. Outside the season (1 October–28 February) standard Access Code applies and it's genuinely beautiful in winter with shorter days and almost no other walkers.

5. Ardgour peninsula (Loch Sunart / Strontian)

The quietest corner of the southern Highlands. From the Corran Ferry across from Fort William (5-minute ferry, runs daily), the Ardgour peninsula has dozens of coastal and glen wild camping spots along Loch Sunart. The classic pitches are near Strontian and Resipol, with big views to Mull and the Morvern peninsula. Midge-heavy in summer — pack accordingly.

6-10. Cairngorms & Eastern Highlands

The east side of Scotland is drier and colder than the west. Cairngorms wild camping is characterised by pine forest, plateau, and some of the best big-loch basins in Britain.

6. Loch Avon basin

Often named as the single finest wild camping spot in Britain. Loch Avon (pronounced “a'an”) sits in a vast glacial amphitheatre in the heart of the Cairngorms, surrounded by Ben Macdui, Cairngorm and Beinn Mheadhoin. Pitch on the flat ground beside the loch beneath the Shelter Stone — a famous boulder hollow used by climbers for over a century. Walk-in around 8km from Cairngorm ski car park over the plateau (serious navigation in bad weather) or from Glenmore via Coire Cas.

7. Glen Feshie — Ruigh-aiteachain area

One of the last stretches of ancient Caledonian pine forest in Britain, along the Feshie river south of Aviemore. The landowner has spent two decades restoring the forest and the results are visible — natural-feeling pine woodland with plentiful pitching ground beside the river. The Ruigh-aiteachain bothy sits within the forest. Walk-in 6-8km along a stalkers' track from Auchlean car park.

8. Ryvoan Pass / Abernethy Forest

Short walk-in from Glenmore along a forest track, past the small An Lochan Uaine (the “Green Loch”) and into Ryvoan Pass. Ryvoan Bothy sits at the far end if the weather turns. Legal wild camping anywhere on the surrounding heather moorland. Excellent first-bothy-or-wild-camp option for beginners — only 3-4km from the car park and the Green Loch is worth the walk alone.

9. Loch Einich

A quieter alternative to Loch Avon, sitting in its own glacial corrie between Braeriach and Sgoran Dubh Mòr. Walk-in from Whitewell near Aviemore along a good track, about 8km one way. Less famous than Loch Avon but arguably a better first visit — easier access, clearer navigation, pitches beside the loch and a genuine remote feel.

10. Glen Derry / Derry Lodge area

The main eastern approach into the Cairngorms from the Linn of Dee car park. Legal wild camping on the flats around Derry Lodge (which is now a locked climbers' hut — don't rely on it) with views up Glen Derry towards Ben Macdui. 4km from the road end and Bob Scott's Bothy sits on the track as a weather bailout option.

11-15. Glencoe, Lochaber & the West

Big dramatic glens, remote peninsulas and the country around Ben Nevis. The wettest region in Scotland by a wide margin — pack waterproofs regardless of forecast.

11. Upper Glen Nevis

The upper glen beyond the Nevis Gorge is one of the most popular wild camping spots in the western Highlands — for good reason. Pitches beside the river below Steall Waterfall, classic views, easy access from the road end car park beyond Fort William. Very busy in summer — go early or shoulder season. The Nevis Gorge path can be treacherous in wet weather.

12. Coire Ardair (Creag Meagaidh National Nature Reserve)

Corrie on the north side of Creag Meagaidh off the A86, with the dramatic Lochan a'Choire at its heart and the Pinnacles of Creag Meagaidh rising straight out of the water. A NatureScot reserve with a flat, well-drained pitching area beside the lochan. 6km walk-in from Aberarder on a stalkers' path. One of the best one-night wild camps in the central Highlands.

13. Loch Ossian (Corrour)

Reached only by the West Highland Line train to Corrour station (no road access — one of very few stations in Britain like this), Loch Ossian sits in a vast shallow basin with a youth hostel at the east end and legal wild camping on the surrounding moorland. The journey alone — the Glasgow–Fort William sleeper to Corrour — is worth the trip. Remote, wind-exposed, midge-heavy in summer.

14. Kinlochleven / Mamores high corries

Above Kinlochleven (day 6 of the West Highland Way), the Mamores range offers high corrie wild camping at around 600-700m elevation. Classic pitches in Coire nan Saighead and Coire na Ba with views down to Loch Leven. Significant climb from the village but the summit-level reward is worth it.

15. Ardnamurchan peninsula coast

The far-western tip of mainland Britain. Remote beaches and machair pitches along the Ardnamurchan peninsula west of Strontian, accessed via the winding B8007. Sanna Bay and the coast near Kilchoan have classic coastal wild camping. Midges are ferocious here in summer but the payoff is total remoteness.

16-20. North-West Highlands

The wildest part of mainland Scotland. Wester Ross, Torridon, Assynt and Sutherland are genuinely remote by European standards and have some of the finest wild camping anywhere in Britain. Five-hour drive from the central belt — the reward is proportional.

16. Coire Mhic Fhearchair (Beinn Eighe)

The hidden corrie on the north side of Beinn Eighe in Torridon, containing one of the most dramatic lochans in Scotland with the Triple Buttress rising straight out of the water above it. Pitch on flat grass beside the lochan. 8km walk-in from the A896 at Beinn Eighe Mountain Trail car park. Serious weather exposure — the corrie sits at 650m and catches wind from every direction.

17. Suilven approach (Loch na Gainimh)

Suilven, the most distinctive hill in Scotland, rises from the Assynt moor like a Fisher-Price illustration of a mountain. The classic wild camp is beside one of the small lochans on the long walk-in from Glencanisp Lodge near Lochinver — Loch na Gainimh or its neighbours. 6-8km from the lodge along a rebuilt stalkers' path, flat pitches beside water, and Suilven directly in front of you for breakfast. Unforgettable.

18. Bealach below Quinag

High between the peaks of Quinag (one of the best Corbetts in Scotland) with views east across Assynt to Suilven and west to the Sutherland coast. Walk-in 3-4km from the Quinag car park on the A894. At around 400m elevation, above most midges in summer. Exposed in wind but spectacular in settled weather.

19. Sandwood Bay

The most famous wild camping spot on the Scottish mainland. A mile-long white-sand beach at the north-west tip of Scotland, backed by dunes and machair, reached by a 7km walk from the road end at Blairmore on the Cape Wrath Trail. Pitches on the dunes above high-water. Completely exposed — bring good tent pegs and factor in wind. In clear weather it is an extraordinary place to wake up.

20. Kearvaig Bay

On the Cape Wrath peninsula itself, reached via the foot-ferry and minibus from Keoldale (or on foot along the Cape Wrath Trail). Bright red-sand beach, a working bothy, and the sense of being at the literal end of Britain. The minibus to Cape Wrath lighthouse passes the turn-off for Kearvaig. One of the most remote legal wild camping spots you can realistically get to.

21-25. Islands & Outer Hebrides

Scottish island wild camping adds ferry logistics to the equation but the payoff is the finest coastal and machair pitching in Britain. All of these are legal under the Access Code on unenclosed land — with the usual requirement to camp away from houses, crops and livestock.

21. Camasunary, Skye

A crescent of shingle beach at the foot of the Cuillin ridge on the south coast of Skye, with the old Camasunary bothy (now MBA-maintained) at the inland end. Pitch on the grassy flats between the bothy and the beach with Bla Bheinn and the Cuillin rising directly behind you. Walk-in 5km from Kilmarie car park over a low pass. Most iconic wild camping spot on Skye.

22. Coral Beaches, Claigan (Skye)

A pair of bright-white beaches on the north-west coast of Skye near Dunvegan, formed from eroded coral-like algae. 2km walk from the small Claigan car park. Much shorter access than Camasunary but correspondingly busier. Legal above the high-water mark on the machair. Classic sunset spot.

23. Calgary Bay, Mull

White sand and machair at the north-west corner of Mull, a short walk from the small road-end parking. The beach itself has designated aires and some parking restrictions, so camp on the surrounding headland rather than the beach. Access via the CalMac ferry from Oban to Craignure, then the A848/B8073 west — about 90 minutes drive from the ferry terminal.

24. Luskentyre Sands, Harris (Outer Hebrides)

Pale sand, turquoise water, machair-and-dune backing, no crowds. Luskentyre is the most famous beach in the Outer Hebrides and wild camping on the machair is legal under the Access Code. Access via CalMac ferry from Uig (Skye) to Tarbert (Harris), then 15 minutes by car. Midge-light compared to the west mainland because of wind exposure.

25. Berneray (Outer Hebrides)

The smallest island in the main Outer Hebrides chain, connected to North Uist by a causeway. Three-mile west-coast beach with machair pitches, cattle (so camp with awareness), and the kind of silence that's hard to find anywhere else in the UK. Ferry from Leverburgh (Harris) or drive the causeway chain from Lochmaddy on North Uist. The quiet one.

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When to go, by month

Wild camping is legal and accessible year-round in Scotland, but the experience changes dramatically with the seasons.

Source: Met Office Scottish climate averages; OutdoorSCOT midge tracking data.

The consistent advice from experienced Scottish wild campers: May and September are the best two months. Both give tolerable weather, midge-free or midge-light conditions, long enough daylight, and a fraction of the summer crowds at the popular spots.

What to avoid

Things that turn a good wild camping trip into a bad one, based on the kinds of questions we see in forums and the mistakes most first-timers make:

• Pitching too close to water. Access Code rule is at least 30m from any burn, loch or river. This is for everyone's water source, not just yours.
• Pitching on peat. Wet peat compresses, holds water, and leaves visible damage. Look for well-drained ground — grass, gravel, sand, machair. The 25 spots above all have good ground specifically because we filtered for it.
• Pitching inside a Camping Management Zone without a permit in season. Check the CMZ map on the Loch Lomond & Trossachs national park website before any trip in that area.
• Lighting fires on peaty ground. Peatland can smoulder underground for weeks. Use a stove. If you must have a fire, only on bare mineral ground (sand, gravel, shingle).
• Leaving toilet paper or human waste visible. The single most common reason for wild camping restrictions being introduced. Bury it properly (15cm deep, 30m from water). Pack paper out in peaty ground.
• Bringing a group bigger than six. Access Code expects “small numbers.” Split into sub-groups pitched at least a few hundred metres apart.
• Ignoring the midge forecast in summer. See our full midge survival guide. A midge-heavy night at a west-coast lochside pitch in July is the single most common reason first-time wild campers say they're never doing it again.
• Staying more than 2-3 nights in one spot. Access Code rule. Move on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where are the best wild camping spots in Scotland?

The single most-named spots are Loch Avon basin in the Cairngorms, Sandwood Bay on the far north coast, Camasunary on Skye, Coire Mhic Fhearchair in Torridon, and the glens below Suilven in Assynt. All five are in the top half of this article. Most are in the north-west Highlands — the region that combines genuinely remote terrain, good ground, and legal access under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.

Is wild camping legal everywhere in Scotland?

Wild camping is legal on most unenclosed land in Scotland under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003. The main exceptions are Camping Management Zones inside Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, enclosed farmland, land next to buildings, and any land covered by specific byelaws. You must follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code: small tent, small group, 2-3 nights maximum, Leave No Trace, pitch at least 30 metres from water, and bury human waste properly. See our full Access Code guide for the legal detail.

Do I need a permit to wild camp in Scotland?

Only inside the designated Camping Management Zones in Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, between 1 March and 30 September. A permit costs £4.50 per night per tent and is booked at lochlomond-trossachs.org. Outside the zones — which is most of Scotland — no permit is required and no fee is payable. Everywhere else on this list is permit-free legal wild camping under the Access Code.

When is the best time to wild camp in Scotland?

May and September are the best months for most wild campers. Both give tolerable weather, long enough daylight, manageable or non-existent midge levels, and much smaller crowds than peak summer. June has the best weather statistically but coincides with rising midge activity on the west coast. July and August are peak midge season — head for exposed coastlines, islands, or high-altitude pitches above 400m during these months.

Where can I wild camp near Glasgow?

The closest legal wild camping spots to Glasgow (outside Loch Lomond Camping Management Zones) are along the West Highland Way north of Bridge of Orchy, in Glen Etive, on Rannoch Moor, and in the Arrochar Alps. Glen Etive (75 minutes drive from Glasgow) is the best road-accessible option. For bothy alternatives see our Scottish Bothies guide.

Is wild camping in Scotland safe?

Broadly yes, but with the usual Scottish hill risks. Main hazards are weather (Scottish weather can turn hypothermic fast above 600m in any season), navigation (plan routes on paper OS maps, not just phones), river crossings after rain, and midges in summer. None of these are bothy-specific or wild-camping-specific — they're Scottish-hill-specific. Follow standard hill safety: tell someone your plan, carry appropriate kit, check MWIS before travelling, know when to turn back.

Can I wild camp on a Scottish beach?

Yes, on most unenclosed beaches and above high-water mark on machair. The same Access Code rules apply. Avoid pitching on the beach itself (high tide, wind exposure, sand everywhere) and look for the machair or dune backing. Sandwood Bay, Luskentyre, Calgary Bay and Camasunary are all classic examples. Avoid managed beaches in national park Camping Management Zones without checking the specific rules.

How do I find wild camping spots that aren't in guidebooks?

The best spots are rarely in tourist guides. Look at OS Explorer 1:25,000 maps for flat ground near water at the ends of stalkers' tracks or in high corries. Check that the approach is legal (outside CMZs, not through enclosed farmland). Use Strava heatmap and Komoot community routes to see where others have walked. Ask in hillwalking forums like WalkHighlands (politely — the community shares freely but resents lazy “where's the best spot” questions). And walk them yourself — the best Scottish wild camping spots are the ones you find by accident on a day that turns into a night out.

Related Articles

• Wild Camping in Scotland: What the Access Code Actually Means — the legal framework in full detail
• The Essential Wild Camping Gear List for Scotland — what to pack for any spot on this list
• Scottish Midge Survival Guide — essential for any summer wild camping trip
• Scottish Bothies for Beginners — the bothy alternative to wild camping
• OutdoorSCOT Tools — Gear Checklist Generator and other planning tools

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This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional safety instruction. Scottish hill conditions change rapidly — always check the weather forecast (MWIS) before heading out, carry appropriate equipment, and know your limits. Wild camping in Scotland is governed by the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code — you are legally responsible for following the Code at all times, including on all 25 spots listed above. OutdoorSCOT is not liable for any incidents arising from the use of this information.

Sources

• Scottish Outdoor Access Code — NatureScot
• Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 — legislation.gov.uk
• Camping Management Zones — Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park
• Heading for the Scottish Hills — stalking information service
• MWIS West Highlands forecast — Mountain Weather Information Service