are there places where you are allowed to camp just where you want rather than at an actual campsite?

[juicychops]

as that would obviously be cheaper. i mean if you was travelling and just needed somewhere to sleep so you could move on again in the morning

[millenniumfalcon]

i'm pretty sure you can camp in a lot of places on dartmoor. if you google wild camping that should turn you up a few pointers. there are also campsites that have wild areas away from facilities etc. if you fancy trying it somewhere "safer" first.

[troutpout]

You can in Scotland i believe

[Overmydeadbody]

Yes you can camp wild at places over a certain height above sea level, but I forget what the actual figure is, so in much of the Lakes and Scotland.

Not sure it would necessarily be cheaper if it means travelling further though.

I have friends who do just pitch up in the middle of the night in any old field or wood and then leave early in the morning without getting 'caught' but I wouldn't bother with DS, we'd be noticed for sure

[nuttysquirrel]

You can wild camp in very many places in Scotland as long as you do so responsibly, its a right enshrined in law, along with the right to walk anywhere (well apart from peoples gardens).....I do love Scotland.....the freedom.....!!!

Its nothing to do with height above sea level, although that bit made me laugh OMDB . You can wild camp next to beaches, in many fab spots.....

www.outdooraccess-scotland.com/default.asp?nPageID=189

[2to3]

Anywhere in Norway - and there's a lot of space there!

[juicychops]

what about wild animals? that is what i would be most worried about.

OMDB, im planning on goin on a long camping trip around great britain next summer with ds so will be travelling lots anyway to different places. it would work out cheaper for me to 'wild' camp as i wouldn't have to worry about pitch costs

[saggyhairyarse]

I think you can in Snowdonia National Park.

[nuttysquirrel]

You mean spiders or what? No big wild animals usually come anywhere near you (although I do remember one occasion camping on Islay when a red deer stag took offence to us.....it was the middle of the rut tho......I made DP get out and flash a torch around to scare it off......as I was worried about it charging the tent.....they have got some big antlers.........

[Fennel]

I thought it was anywhere over 1000 ft, traditionally in the Lakes.

Dartmoor is the only place in England you can officially camp rough as long as you're not right by a farm or a house - we have had some lovely times camping there.

Scotland you can officially, as people say, but in practice it can be hard to find somewhere suitable if you aren't halfway up a mountain, lots of places are boggy or midgey or rocky.

[WidowWadman]

I love wild camping and before having our daughter for me it wasn't camping if we didn't have to take a shovel, but we usually did that with a lightweight 2 man mountain tent, which fitted into the backpack easily and didn't need a big space to pitch.

When wild camping, and Scotland indeed is the place to go, make sure that you take everything with you when you leave and get up and leave early in the mornings.

Take a good midge repellant and off you go. I've camped wild half way up mountains as well as right next to the road side, depending on how far we've got.

[fluffles]

wild camping - ok in most of scotland although the land must be 'wild' so nobody's field or garden. you also have to be something like 100m from a road so no parking next to the tent unless you have an offroad vehicle.

rules are - take everything you came with, bury human waste away from water sources and arrive late and leave early.

alternatively there's a campsite in torridon that's free and even has a shower!

[janmoomoo]

Anyone know any outside Scotland? I am in Kent so its a long way to go...!

[EleanoraBuntingCupcake]

even scotland was covered in 'no overnight parking' notices this year, which is sad