Wales/Lake district/Scotland campsite recommends
Discussion
Over the next 3 or so weeks, we will be traveling up the length of the UK.
We are pretty much self contained bar shower facilities (L2H2 Transit Custom). Just looking for some gem campsites to stay for 1 to 3 nights, in Wales/Lake district/Scotland.
Coming from Devon, prices look mad (up to £50pn)...compared to our most recent cornish stay at a lovely site for £12pn. So if possible, more reasonable sites would be appreciated. No hookup required, just would like clean/reasonable shower facilities, to be able to top up water and get rid of waste.
Kind regards, Rob.
We are pretty much self contained bar shower facilities (L2H2 Transit Custom). Just looking for some gem campsites to stay for 1 to 3 nights, in Wales/Lake district/Scotland.
Coming from Devon, prices look mad (up to £50pn)...compared to our most recent cornish stay at a lovely site for £12pn. So if possible, more reasonable sites would be appreciated. No hookup required, just would like clean/reasonable shower facilities, to be able to top up water and get rid of waste.
Kind regards, Rob.
I can heartily recommend The Quiet Site overlooking Ullswater. Been going there for about 15yrs for MTBing and hiking and keeps getting better as a site. Lovely bar, great pizzas on site and a sustainable shop and approach to their energy setup.
I’ve just got back from 4 days there on a mix of working during the day from the van (wifi is great) and hiking in the evenings on the fells around the site.
Shameless plug of my Knaus hogging most of the picture!
Another favourite of mine is Creagan Station Tourers on the shore of Loch Creran between Oban and Fort William. Only a short walk to a super restaurant on the same shoreline The Creagan Inn.
Then it depends on how far you’re going up through Scotland. Personally I hate campsites in general in the U.K. and would prefer to “wild camp” (with the exception of the above two). The only other one I would single out for consideration is Sango Sands at Durness.
I’ve just got back from 4 days there on a mix of working during the day from the van (wifi is great) and hiking in the evenings on the fells around the site.
Shameless plug of my Knaus hogging most of the picture!
Another favourite of mine is Creagan Station Tourers on the shore of Loch Creran between Oban and Fort William. Only a short walk to a super restaurant on the same shoreline The Creagan Inn.
Edited by Spuffington on Friday 11th August 09:46
Then it depends on how far you’re going up through Scotland. Personally I hate campsites in general in the U.K. and would prefer to “wild camp” (with the exception of the above two). The only other one I would single out for consideration is Sango Sands at Durness.
Edited by Spuffington on Friday 11th August 09:53
Rob_125 said:
Wow thank you.
I'll hopefully be taking my mtb so some great suggestions! We intend to 'wildcamp' also maybe every other location - two nights on two nights on as it were (the van is fairly stealthy and obv we are respectful). I'll be pinning those locations to my Google maps!
Yes Edinburgh has the festival. Every camping location between Edinburgh and Berwick is usually full for it. I'll hopefully be taking my mtb so some great suggestions! We intend to 'wildcamp' also maybe every other location - two nights on two nights on as it were (the van is fairly stealthy and obv we are respectful). I'll be pinning those locations to my Google maps!
Any MTB area in Scotland will be full of all the gear no ideas just now too due to the UCI champs in 'glasgow".
The Scottish schools go back on the 16th so it should get a bit quieter then.
Rob_125 said:
Wow thank you.
I'll hopefully be taking my mtb so some great suggestions! We intend to 'wildcamp' also maybe every other location - two nights on two nights on as it were (the van is fairly stealthy and obv we are respectful). I'll be pinning those locations to my Google maps!
Very welcome - happy to provide you a few more recommendations up in Scotland (West Coast) if you like, but don't want to advertise them on here since the beauty of them is how unspoilt and unknown they are. I've done the Western part of the NC500 three times now in various different vans. PM me if you're going up beyond Fort William and I'll share with you a few wild spots.I'll hopefully be taking my mtb so some great suggestions! We intend to 'wildcamp' also maybe every other location - two nights on two nights on as it were (the van is fairly stealthy and obv we are respectful). I'll be pinning those locations to my Google maps!
Castle Douglas, Kirkcudbright, Newton Stewart, Portpatrick
All beautiful parts of SW Scotland. Various types of campsites from very basic on remote farms to fully serviced.
Just Google or Facebook to find one that suits you
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/stay-the-night
All beautiful parts of SW Scotland. Various types of campsites from very basic on remote farms to fully serviced.
Just Google or Facebook to find one that suits you
https://forestryandland.gov.scot/stay-the-night
I'd recommend Sands Camping Site at Gairloch:
https://www.sandscaravanandcamping.co.uk/
It's a huge site, which means pitches are really spread out, and its nestled within dunes so you can sometimes get your own private pitch. It's got a cracking beach, with awesome sunsets, and a great on-site cafe.
It's also a good base to explore that area, i.e. Applecross (via The Pass Of The Cattle), Torridon, Skye, Ullapool, etc.
https://www.sandscaravanandcamping.co.uk/
It's a huge site, which means pitches are really spread out, and its nestled within dunes so you can sometimes get your own private pitch. It's got a cracking beach, with awesome sunsets, and a great on-site cafe.
It's also a good base to explore that area, i.e. Applecross (via The Pass Of The Cattle), Torridon, Skye, Ullapool, etc.
There's also this site in North Wales:
https://www.coastalview-camping-conwy-northwales.c...
Great shower / toilet block, facilities, walking distance to a couple of pubs, walking distance to a local village where there's takeaways, Spar, Co-op, etc.
https://www.coastalview-camping-conwy-northwales.c...
Great shower / toilet block, facilities, walking distance to a couple of pubs, walking distance to a local village where there's takeaways, Spar, Co-op, etc.
Rob_125 said:
Wow thank you.
I'll hopefully be taking my mtb so some great suggestions! We intend to 'wildcamp' also maybe every other location - two nights on two nights on as it were (the van is fairly stealthy and obv we are respectful). I'll be pinning those locations to my Google maps!
You sound very similar to how we like to camp, even down to the biking. I'll hopefully be taking my mtb so some great suggestions! We intend to 'wildcamp' also maybe every other location - two nights on two nights on as it were (the van is fairly stealthy and obv we are respectful). I'll be pinning those locations to my Google maps!
Our favourite site in wales is https://nantcolwaterfalls.co.uk/
Absolutely beautiful but increasingly popular. It may already be booked.
Our favourite in the lakes is also our favourite in the UK, https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/holidays/lake-dis... is a national trust site that very much feels like wild camping in the woods or lakeside but with great showers and drying rooms. It even has a beck running through it you can use to paddle to your pitch if you get one close to it.
Awesome, I'll try and get out on the bike early while the wife reads or possibly a swim if we are near water, we'll then go walking/exploring.
[url]
|https://thumbsnap.com/sN8fDpat[/url]
I put an adhoc curtain in yesterday so you can't see the bike looking through. Bit of a tight fit getting everything in. But it's big enough for the two of us. Carrying 6kg gas, 50l of water, porta porti if anyone gets caught short, some gin and a fresh goods in the fridge.
Suspect we'll be pushing 2800kg to 2900kg once fully loaded, with us in it. Glad I bought a 3100kg van! It's easy to see how people go overweight, and our van isn't that big.
[url]|https://thumbsnap.com/sN8fDpat[/url]I put an adhoc curtain in yesterday so you can't see the bike looking through. Bit of a tight fit getting everything in. But it's big enough for the two of us. Carrying 6kg gas, 50l of water, porta porti if anyone gets caught short, some gin and a fresh goods in the fridge.
Suspect we'll be pushing 2800kg to 2900kg once fully loaded, with us in it. Glad I bought a 3100kg van! It's easy to see how people go overweight, and our van isn't that big.
Edited by Rob_125 on Saturday 12th August 14:07
Stayed here for a couple of nights Hay on Wye great town a five minute walk into the town, great cafes/bars in the town and by the river……oh and if you are into any sort of book it has more than any other place ….in the world apparently!
The site is owned and run by an elderly Gent and his daughters all the facilities you’d need or not as is the case, and great views….
The site is called…..Radnors End Campsite
The site is owned and run by an elderly Gent and his daughters all the facilities you’d need or not as is the case, and great views….
The site is called…..Radnors End Campsite
This is a spectacular site in Snowdonia. https://www.tryfanwales.co.uk/
We've got 3 nights booked here in September in a hired VW van.
http://www.bolmynydd.co.uk/
Also got a night here
https://www.campinginnorthwales.co.uk/
Not stayed at either before but they pass the wife's toilet/shower visual test so hopefully they are both ok.
Both have pubs within walking distance.
First one is only 5 mins from the beach.
http://www.bolmynydd.co.uk/
Also got a night here
https://www.campinginnorthwales.co.uk/
Not stayed at either before but they pass the wife's toilet/shower visual test so hopefully they are both ok.
Both have pubs within walking distance.
First one is only 5 mins from the beach.
Faichemard Farm just outside Invergarry is a glorious adult only site with remote pitches. Stayed here a few times. Watch out for midges though. https://campsite.faichemard.scot/
Thanks for all your input!
We travelled from Plymouth to Dorchester, onwards to Cardiff for a wedding. Stayed a night in mid Wales. We also stayed a night near lake Windermere (it was hellish busy, like St Ives in peak season so we swiftly moved on, our intention to make the most of Scotland with our time). Skye is amazing, although pretty busy so it's nice to get off the beaten track a bit.
So far we have only stayed one night in a campsite (one night with friends and one night in an Airbnb before the wedding). However are now going to stay two nights in the big sands site recommended. Likely to have driven around to 1200miles so far, averaging 38mpg which isn't too bad seeing as we are pushing 3 ton. One thing I've also noticed is that the rural roads are so much easier to drive than those in Devon and Cornwall! So much wider and more frequent passing places make life a lot easier, even those marked as 'single track' are nothing like the Devon lanes.
It's unlikely we will travel much further north than Poolewe (we have a Sea tour booked for tomorrow), but maybe venture across into the Cairngorms, with a week to go before we have to think about returning to Devon for a wedding reception.
We travelled from Plymouth to Dorchester, onwards to Cardiff for a wedding. Stayed a night in mid Wales. We also stayed a night near lake Windermere (it was hellish busy, like St Ives in peak season so we swiftly moved on, our intention to make the most of Scotland with our time). Skye is amazing, although pretty busy so it's nice to get off the beaten track a bit.
So far we have only stayed one night in a campsite (one night with friends and one night in an Airbnb before the wedding). However are now going to stay two nights in the big sands site recommended. Likely to have driven around to 1200miles so far, averaging 38mpg which isn't too bad seeing as we are pushing 3 ton. One thing I've also noticed is that the rural roads are so much easier to drive than those in Devon and Cornwall! So much wider and more frequent passing places make life a lot easier, even those marked as 'single track' are nothing like the Devon lanes.
It's unlikely we will travel much further north than Poolewe (we have a Sea tour booked for tomorrow), but maybe venture across into the Cairngorms, with a week to go before we have to think about returning to Devon for a wedding reception.
Edited by Rob_125 on Thursday 24th August 12:22
Edited by Rob_125 on Thursday 24th August 12:25
Gassing Station | Tents, Caravans & Motorhomes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff