Campervan Overnight Parking in Scotland (and the NC500)

The Outdoor Access Code and vehicles

Scotland's famous access rights (Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Scottish Outdoor Access Code) let people wild camp on foot, by bike, on horseback or by canoe. They do not extend to motorised vehicles. Sleeping in a van by the roadside is widely tolerated where it isn't prohibited, but it is not a right. Local byelaws, Traffic Regulation Orders and landowners decide.

NC500 etiquette

• Never park or sleep in passing places: they are for passing, not parking.
• Use campsites and community stopovers. Many small communities rely on that income.
• Empty toilets and grey water only at proper points, and take your rubbish with you.
• Midges peak roughly June–August; May and September are popular.

The rules in United Kingdom

• England & Wales: camping on land without the landowner's permission is trespass (usually a civil matter); councils restrict overnight parking with Traffic Regulation Orders and Public Spaces Protection Orders.
• Dartmoor: in May 2025 the Supreme Court confirmed backpack wild camping on Dartmoor Commons is legal. That does not cover vehicles.
• Scotland: roadside overnight stays in vehicles are widely tolerated but not a right. Never use passing places, and never drive off-road.
• Loch Lomond & The Trossachs: from March to September, motorhomes in the Camping Management Zones need a campsite or a permit (£4.30 per vehicle per night).

Where to stay legally in United Kingdom

Campsites, small members-only five-van sites (CL/CS, roughly £10–25 a night), pub and farm stopovers, and council motorhome bays.

Local names: campsite, CL/CS (small certificated sites), motorhome stopover, pub & farm stops.

Practical tips for United Kingdom

• London's ULEZ and Clean Air Zones in cities such as Birmingham, Bristol and Bath charge non-compliant vehicles. Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee have Low Emission Zones.
• Edinburgh's 5% visitor levy applies to paid stays, including campsite pitches, from 24 July 2026.

Find spots in United Kingdom

Browse spots in United Kingdom or the United Kingdom vanlife page, filter the map by aires, water and dump points, and read recent reviews before you go. Add any good spot you find: it helps the next van.