So far….
During our recent trip to Scotland we stayed in a mixture of paid campsites, donation sites and free spots. We tried to stay free as much as possible but with two kids we found ourselves having to stop every 4/5 nights in a campsite with facilities in order to reset, charge everything up, shower and empty our grey/black water. The best thing about Scotland is the freedom you have to travel and explore and we enjoyed everywhere we stayed during our visit. These are our favourite free/donation stopovers from our most recent trip in April 2024 and were found using Park4night/Searchforsites or simply by chance:
1 – Ceannabeinne beach, Lairg
I mean, just look at that view. Located on the NC500 in Scotland and a very short drive to Smoo cave, this location was perfect for us. Around Smoo cave there are a few £10 park ups however we found this free spot blew them away. If you are lucky enough to park at the front you have views of the beach as well as views of people zip lining during the day. It is a short walk down to the beach which is popular with surfers and great for a dip. It was also a great place to let our kids burn some energy in a safe environment. There are only bins so self contained motorhomes/campervans only. Although the car park was quite full throughout the day we did not struggle to get a space however I can imagine that this would be very popular with motorhomes in the summer. We sopped in April and drove to Smoo cave early in the morning to have the whole place to ourselves.
2 – An Torr Car park, Glencoe
The Glencoe region in Scotland is truly breathtaking. I am in awe each and every time we drive through. We stumbled upon this park up last minute but we were extremely glad we found this spot. It is currently free to park but with a suggested donation to support the area. In April, it was very busy with other campers so I would suggest getting there early, especially in the busier months. With jaw dropping scenery, short/long walks, a pub 10 minutes walk away with a play area and a stream with swimming holes it is somewhere we will be back as it ticks all our boxes. There are no facilities so please leave no trace and support the area so they continue to allow campers.
3 – Dunbeath Harbour
This is a donation stopover to help support the local community and we really did not mind supporting them for allowing us to stay in such a nice location. This spot has lots of space and a few different areas to park along the harbour but we stayed right at the end tucked behind a white fishing building with one other camper. It also has toilets. It is right next to the sea and there is access to a little beach for paddling, swimming, rock pooling and the community have a free to use kids toy box you can play with as well which our kids loved. We managed a (cold) dip and the water was crystal clear, I believe you can also see seals in certain months. I wish we stayed longer. Thank you so much to the community which offers this spot.
4 – Beinn Eighll National nature reserve car park
Located on the NC500 this spot has recently been refurbed and has multiple flat pitches in a large gravel car park. The information centre is well designed with lots of information about the area and they have a bird watching station where kids can draw what they see. The toilets are open when the information centre is open and there are lots of little/long walks around the area. Our kids loved the woodland trail. It is also close to Victoria falls as well as many other things to do. We stayed with two other campers and were not disturbed by any road noise despite its proximity to the road. There Is another car park further down the road from this one which is directly on the lake however we felt the spaces where a little uneven and it was very busy when we came to have a look before deciding where we were going to stay.
5 – Glen Orchy car park
To get to this car park in Scotland you need to drive down a single lane road which is very narrow in some areas. We were comfortable driving in our Sprinter van and believe you would be fine in a smaller motorhome as well. There are many spots along the way with lay-bys you can pull into to take in the scenery right on the river however if you continue down the road you come to a car park with picnic benches and flat spaces. The only sounds are the sounds of birds and the gushing waterfalls and rapids opposite you. There are also many walks in the area and It is a popular spot for dog walkers which came and went throughout the time we were there. We stayed here on route to Oban to catch the ferry to Isle of Mull and it was an extremely peaceful night.
