I was in London during a 3-month trip to Europe and getting bored. So I did what I usually do in similar circumstances – hop on a flight to somewhere interesting.
So I found myself on a flight to Inverness (northern Scotland) the next morning with very little concept of a plan and nowhere to stay.
A quick Google search later and I’d decided to hike Ben Nevis, the tallest mountain in the UK.
What I didn’t realize at the time was that after the two-hour bus ride to Fort William and several hours of searching for a nonexistent available place to stay, I’d be purchasing a tent, hiking up Ben Nevis, and spending the night on the mountain in the middle of a storm.
And it happened to be one of the best decisions I made all trip.
I may have accidentally discovered wild camping in Scotland – but you should be doing it on purpose.
Wild Camping in Scotland: What You Need to Know
Scotland is a wild camper’s paradise.
Under the Land Reform Act of 2003, anyone can basically plop down a tent wherever they want, whenever they want.
Regardless of private ownership. Must have been nice for the poor people who purchased property in 2002, and the next year had me and you sleeping in their backyard.
There are a few restrictions to this, but they’re really quite minimal. As long as you follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, which basically says don’t light trees on fire and bury your shit (not that that will be 100% necessary).
The Route
I started up in Inverness – it’s most convenient, a two hour bus ride to Fort William as opposed to three hours from Glasgow – but you could start from either.
Fort William (marked ‘B’ on map) will become your base for a couple of days, as we’ll discuss in the next section. You’ll be camping in the area for two nights, one on Ben Nevis (‘C’) and one by the Glenfinnan Viaduct (‘D’ – Harry Potter fans rejoice).
After that, you’ll hop on another bus to Loch Lomond (‘F’), where you can stay for one or two nights, before heading down to Glasgow.
And don’t skip Edinburgh! By far my favorite city in Scotland.
Fort William: Your Base
I may not have found a place to sleep in Fort William, but the small town was still a lifesaver.
Before and in between my camping nights in the middle of nowhere, Fort William was crucial for being able to stock up on food, charge up my phone, use the bathroom, and store my bag (with the Bounce app).
It was really helpful to have that brief return to civilization. Insider tip – go to Morrisons (the big supermarket). To buy food and water and also to sit at the nice tables by the front.
To get to Fort William from Inverness (or Glasgow), take the bus. There are a bunch of bus options, I’d recommend using Scottish Citylink.
Wild Camping on Ben Nevis
Why not start off with the most hardcore night of camping?
Not many people can say that they’ve camped on Ben Nevis. I did it on a whim, and it was simultaneously a very stupid and very excellent decision.
I’ve written a post on my experience wild camping on Ben Nevis, which you can check out for more detail. For now, I’ll cover the main logistics.
How to Get There
Ben Nevis is accessible on foot from Fort William, about a 40 minute walk to the base. From there, you simply follow the signs going up.
I recommend you start around 4-5 hours before sundown. It will take about 2 hours to hike from the base to our camping spot, and you ideally want to arrive well before nightfall. Especially if you’re setting up your tent for the first time (not recommended).
Lochan Camp Spot
About two hours in, you’ll crest the top of a mountain and will reach a beautiful flat area with a lake on your left side.
This is where you’ll be spending the night.
You’ll have to walk off the trail to the left and find a nice, flat, dry spot in the grass. Ideally try and find a spot that’s protected from the wind, which can get very strong.
Note: The Lochan camp spot is pinned on Offpath, a map where I pin off-the-beaten-path spots all around the world. Use it for Scotland and future trips!
Wild Camping at Glenfinnan
Next up is Glenfinnan.
Harry Potter fans will recognize Glenfinnan’s train and viaduct from several of the movies. But it’s still awesome regardless of if you’re one of the fools that’s never bothered watching the movies (& reading the books).
But first things first – get back to Fort William and stock up on food, water, and charge your devices!
How to Get There
You have two options to get to Glenfinnan.
The first is by bus. You can find the timetables here. It costs around £2 and drops you off right at the base. If it’s confusing, just go to the central station in Fort William – they’ll help you out. Just don’t arrive too late, you might miss the last one!
The second option is the train. You can find tickets on Trainline. It’s more expensive (£10) and you need to walk 30 minutes from the station to reach the viaduct, but it’s a beautiful walk.
The Viaduct Camp Spot
You can be pretty creative with where you set up camp – as long as you’re prepared.
After the rain the night before, the ground was muddy pretty much everywhere for me, and I didn’t have the proper supplies to deal with that (ie groundsheet).
I was pretty much rescued by two Germans who were much more skilled at camping than I was and managed to pitch my tent on some rocks behind the viaduct.
If the ground is dry (or you’re properly equipped), there are plenty of spots to choose from. Walk around and find your favorite spot.
If you see the green tent in the picture below, there’s actually a square of turf where that tent is pitched. Try and find it, it’s a good spot! Just takes some skill to pitch a tent on it.
Wild Camping at Loch Lomond
Time to relocate.
It’s time to say goodbye to Fort William and hop on a bus to Luss, a small town on the bank of Loch Lomond.
How to Get There
Luss is about a two hour bus ride from Fort William. You can book your tickets on Citylink or Ember (Ember is sometimes cheaper for this route).
The bus will drop you off close to town. If you didn’t regroup in Fort William, go buy some more snacks and water. There’s no Bounce luggage storage here, but I went into the ‘Loch Lomond Arms’ hotel and restaurant and they were happy to keep my bag safe for me.
After that, it’s time to head to our camp spot.
This will be somewhat like Ben Nevis – you’re going to be completing a hike, and camping in the middle. This hike is the Beinn Dubh Loop. Here’s the hike on AllTrails.
The Camp Spot
I recommend hiking for about an hour or so from Luss. Eventually, you’ll get to a flat area with an incredible view of Loch Lomond.
Set up shop a little ways off the trail. Angle your tent for optimal wind protection (narrowest side against wind).
Option for Another Night
You have two options when you wake up in the morning.
The first option is to pack up, head back down to Luss, and take a bus on to Glasgow. That’s the boring option.
The second option is to complete the loop back to Luss, then head back up to the tent for one more night.
The hike is very scenic, and takes around 4-5 hours to complete, depending on pace. Once you arrive back in Luss, you can tour around, grab a drink, and check out the beach.
Then head back up for your last night in the tent!
Wild Camping Gear Tips
I’m going to assume that most of you are coming prepared. But who knows.
Non-negotiables are a tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and groundsheet (for wet grass). I managed without the groundsheet only because a couple of Germans saved my ass.
You don’t need the fanciest stuff. I guess the tent should be marginally waterproof, but my £50 tent wasn’t supposed to be and it held up just fine. This is assuming you’re around in summer.
If you’re wild camping anytime but summer, you’re going to want to take your gear more seriously. If it’s the winter, I can’t vouch for the conditions on places like Ben Nevis.
Bring insulating layers that are light and easy to carry (ie thermals). Boots are also a plus.
And midge repellent. After rain, they are insane. They killed me by the viaduct, I’ve never experienced anything like it. Make sure there isn’t the tiniest hole in your tent or they will find it.
Oh yeah – keep an eye on the forecast. Always smart.
Don’t Skip Edinburgh
I won’t go into detail on either Glasgow or Edinburgh – it’s not the point of this post. But suffice it to say that Edinburgh is a far more interesting and beautiful city to visit, if you have to pick one.
Happy camping! These are sure to be some all time travel memories, provided you make it off Ben Nevis alive.
