Wild Camping
Wild Camping in Lochaber & Glencoe
The big dramatic glens around Ben Nevis — wild, wet and unforgettable
Current conditions
Daylight Today
- Sunrise
- 04:27
- Sunset
- 22:14
- Civil dawn
- 03:21
- Civil dusk
- 23:21
NOAA Solar Calculator · 16 June 2026
About this region
Lochaber is the heart of the western Highlands: Ben Nevis, the Mamores, Glen Coe and Glen Etive, the roadless country of Knoydart and Ardnamurchan reaching to the far west coast. The wild camping here is the most dramatic in Britain and also the wettest — this is the rainiest corner of the country, and the midges to match. It is permit-free Access Code land throughout, but the honeypot glens (Glen Etive, Glen Nevis) are heavily used in summer and ask for real Leave No Trace discipline.
Best camping spots
- Upper Glen Nevis below Steall Falls (beyond the Nevis Gorge)
- Glen Etive road end (riverside flats off the A82)
- Loch Ossian at Corrour (train-only access)
- Coire Ardair, Creag Meagaidh (lochan corrie, 6km walk-in)
- Ardnamurchan coast near Sanna and Kilchoan (far-west beaches)
- The Mamores high corries above Kinlochleven
Getting there
Fort William is the hub (ScotRail and the Caledonian Sleeper from London). Corrour station gives roadless access to Loch Ossian. The Corran Ferry opens Ardgour and the road to Ardnamurchan. Expect rain on more days than not, in any season.
Best months
May and September. June can be superb between showers. Avoid July–August at sheltered low-level pitches unless you are committed to a head net and a tent you can seal.
Key challenges
The highest rainfall and the worst midges in mainland Scotland; honeypot pressure and litter in Glen Etive and Glen Nevis; the Nevis Gorge path is dangerous in spate; serious winter conditions on any high ground November–April
Why come here
Ben Nevis, the Mamores and the Aonach Eagach on the doorstep; Steall Falls; the roadless wilds of Knoydart and Ardnamurchan; Corrour, the most remote station in Britain
Frequently asked questions
- Where can I wild camp in Glen Coe and Glen Etive?
- Both are permit-free Access Code country. Glen Etive's riverside flats at the road end off the A82 are the classic — and the busiest — pitches in the area; go midweek or shoulder season. Upper Glen Nevis beyond the Nevis Gorge, below Steall Falls, is the other honeypot. Both have suffered from overcamping and litter, so the Leave No Trace expectation here is absolute: carry everything out, use a stove rather than a fire, and bury waste properly well away from the river.
- How bad are the midges in Lochaber?
- This is the worst of it. Lochaber combines the highest rainfall in mainland Britain with sheltered, damp glens — perfect midge breeding ground from mid-June to early September. A still evening at a low-level Glen Nevis or Loch Ossian pitch in July is genuinely punishing. Defend with timing (May, September), altitude (the Mamores corries above 600m), and wind (the Ardnamurchan coast). A head net is not optional in summer.
- Can I camp at Loch Ossian without a car?
- Yes — that is the whole appeal. Loch Ossian sits beside Corrour station on the West Highland Line, with no public road access at all. Take the train (or the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Glasgow and on), step off at Corrour, and there is legal wild camping on the moorland around the loch within a short walk. The SYHA hostel at the east end is a roofed fallback if the weather turns.
- Do I need a permit to wild camp around Ben Nevis?
- No. There are no camping management zones in Lochaber — the permit byelaws are specific to Loch Lomond & The Trossachs. Standard Access Code rules apply throughout, including Glen Nevis, Glen Coe and the Mamores. The constraints here are practical rather than legal: weather, midges, honeypot pressure, and serious winter conditions on the tops.