Wild Camping

[kp64zl]

The whole idea of a Cali is spur of the moment camping. If the weather is fine we normally hitch a 20 foot boat behind our Cali and head out for some coastal fishing in beautiful Donegal. On that subject why don’t you all think outside the normal Cornwall or Lake District and take a short ferry ride to N Ireland. Our north and west coasts rival anything in Scotland or Cumbria and more importantly it’s empty. The pubs will be reopening shortly and many will allow you to overnight if you’re having a pint or meal.
Tom

I'd love to go to NI
Will overnight stays be allowed any time soon in NI? Campsites opening?
How to get to N.Ireland without passing through Republic / Scotland / Wales??

 

[Velma's Dad]

I'd love to go to NI
Will overnight stays be allowed any time soon in NI? Campsites opening?
How to get to N.Ireland without passing through Republic / Scotland / Wales??

Liverpool to Belfast, Stena, two ferries a day. Takes 8 hours.

 

[Karlos]

Talking of ‘stealth’ camping, whilst walking my dog at Beachy Head this am, a couple in a ‘big white’ removing their obviously full cassette and emptying it into a car park drain. Lovely!

Presumably a surface water drain which will have gone straight into the sea. If that was caused by a foul sewer fault the local water company would have to advise
the environment agency of a pollution incident no matter how small.

 

[Karlos]

The whole idea of a Cali is spur of the moment camping. If the weather is fine we normally hitch a 20 foot boat behind our Cali and head out for some coastal fishing in beautiful Donegal. On that subject why don’t you all think outside the normal Cornwall or Lake District and take a short ferry ride to N Ireland. Our north and west coasts rival anything in Scotland or Cumbria and more importantly it’s empty. The pubs will be reopening shortly and many will allow you to overnight if you’re having a pint or meal.
Tom

Hi Tom thats exactly what I've been thinking.

 

[Karlos]

Liverpool to Belfast, Stena, two ferries a day. Takes 8 hours.

Goes from Birkenhead side of the Mersey, I was out cycling near the Liver buildings last year and a couple pulled up asking for the Irish Ferry, I pointed across the river to the ferry on the otherside of the river.

 

[Karlos]

Ok I should have said Stealth Camping, sorry everyone, no excuse really as I designed our first camper with stealth camping in mind. As you can see you can't tell it has a pop top.

 

[Dave Wickham]

I don't know if this is the right forum to post this 'rant'? When will we realise that a significant percent of the British people (including some who have recently acquired camper vans, often conversions) have zero idea of normal human behaviour when out of their home. They go into the countryside or onto the beaches and leave beer cans, soiled nappies, and other detritus where they left them, because they are too selfish and stupid (I want to use stronger words) to know differently. Its like we are regressing to Neanderthal man - is it a trait more common to the Uk than other more 'civilised' societies? I have seen some people where I live who have camper van conversions (and NO I am not saying that members who have camper van conversions are in this category) behave like monkeys when they arrive in the countryside or at the coast. I have even seen people drunk defecating in sand dunes! I belong to a society that was brought up with values and respect for humankind and the world we live in. These (expletive deleted) deserve to expunger from our society before we (again) wake up in a cave!!! I am angry with these people - 500,000 idiots on a beach in Bournemouth is testimony for this 'rant'!!!

 

[Dave Wickham]

sorry, I meant 'expunged'

 

[Elly Swanson]

Liverpool to Belfast, Stena, two ferries a day. Takes 8 hours.

The first night of my “honeymoon” was on the Belfast to Liverpool overnight ferry many years ago, before we were van owners. We travelled back and forth many times, happy memories.

We love NI, but not been over in the van as our dog’s very nervous and couldn’t stay in the hold, even staying in the van. But someone suggested to me that my hubby goes on a car ferry in the van and the dog and I go on as foot passengers. So I think we’ll investigate that. May be expensive but you don’t need a pet passport and all that entails.

 

[Lightning]

Wild camping has never been the term to use in a campervan. Real wild camping involves a small tent, bivvy, hammock, etc that is discreet in the landscape. It should also be remote from roads, so reached by backpacking, kayaking, etc. Being in a campervan is hardly discreet, even if you throw a camo net over it.
It always makes me chuckle when campervanners use the term wild camping.

Wild Camping for Motorhomes

Wild Camping for Motorhomes

wildcamping.co.uk

 

[Karlos]

The first night of my “honeymoon” was on the Belfast to Liverpool overnight ferry many years ago, before we were van owners. We travelled back and forth many times, happy memories.

We love NI, but not been over in the van as our dog’s very nervous and couldn’t stay in the hold, even staying in the van. But someone suggested to me that my hubby goes on a car ferry in the van and the dog and I go on as foot passengers. So I think we’ll investigate that. May be expensive but you don’t need a pet passport and all that entails.

I'm not going down the obvious route of honeymoon and a ferry, I am thinking we may do Ireland as Mrs K quiet likes the idea. Am I right in thinking the Wild Atlantic Way is a great drive? and not far for the ferry.

 

[Lightning]

The definition of wild camping?

The definition of ‘wild camping’ to me only means one thing, but this term now seems to be widely used and has a few interpretations. So what does it really mean? In this short article,…

walkwithwallace.com

 

[BeagleMum]

The first night of my “honeymoon” was on the Belfast to Liverpool overnight ferry many years ago, before we were van owners. We travelled back and forth many times, happy memories.

We love NI, but not been over in the van as our dog’s very nervous and couldn’t stay in the hold, even staying in the van. But someone suggested to me that my hubby goes on a car ferry in the van and the dog and I go on as foot passengers. So I think we’ll investigate that. May be expensive but you don’t need a pet passport and all that entails.

That’s probably not going to work for you Elly. We looked into this the other year,
Stena are really antiquated when it comes to travelling with pets, Calmac can teach them so much.

TRAVELLING BY CAR
Pets may travel free of charge either in your vehicle or you may use one of the limited number of kennels located on the car deck which must be pre-booked.

By foot
Pets are not permitted in cabins or any other passenger areas onboard. You must pre-book a dog lodge which are available on the Promenade Deck and allow access to your pet throughout the crossing. Not only can you visit your dog but you can also exercise them under controlled conditions and free dog food is available. This costs an additional £15 single per dog lodge.

 

[BeagleMum]

I'm not going down the obvious route of honeymoon and a ferry, I am thinking we may do Ireland as Mrs K quiet likes the idea. Am I right in thinking the Wild Atlantic Way is a great drive? and not far for the ferry.

Holyhead to Dublin 2 hours then an easy drive south or west depending on where you want to head to.

 

[Elly Swanson]

Holyhead to Dublin 2 hours then an easy drive south or west depending on where you want to head to.

Do you need a pet passport for Eire?

 

[Elly Swanson]

That’s probably not going to work for you Elly. We looked into this the other year,
Stena are really antiquated when it comes to travelling with pets, Calmac can teach them so much.

TRAVELLING BY CAR
Pets may travel free of charge either in your vehicle or you may use one of the limited number of kennels located on the car deck which must be pre-booked.

By foot
Pets are not permitted in cabins or any other passenger areas onboard. You must pre-book a dog lodge which are available on the Promenade Deck and allow access to your pet throughout the crossing. Not only can you visit your dog but you can also exercise them under controlled conditions and free dog food is available. This costs an additional £15 single per dog lodge.

Thanks for that, Beaglesmum.
Don’t even think Barney could cope in a dog lodge on the prom deck.
I checked out the Cairnryan to Larne ferry (P&O) only 2 hours but dogs have to stay in vehicles on their own (no owners allowed).
That’s that idea scuppered!

 

[Elly Swanson]

Do you need a pet passport for Eire?

Answered my own question, yes!

 

[vananarama]

If you can drive there then it ain't Wild.

In fairness, if it’s in the UK then the chances are it ain’t wild.

 

[BeagleMum]

Thanks for that, Beaglesmum.
Don’t even think Barney could cope in a dog lodge on the prom deck.
I checked out the Cairnryan to Larne ferry (P&O) only 2 hours but dogs have to stay in vehicles on their own (no owners allowed).
That’s that idea scuppered!

It’s frustrating, the car decks are so noisy, 2 hours for a dog in that environment is stressful. Why they can’t be like Calmac goodness knows.

 

[The Merle]

I'm not going down the obvious route of honeymoon and a ferry, I am thinking we may do Ireland as Mrs K quiet likes the idea. Am I right in thinking the Wild Atlantic Way is a great drive? and not far for the ferry.

Yep
Wild Atlantic way is stunning! I done it April 19 you need atleast a month if you do the full length.
Amazing, like the nc500 just bigger and quieter.
Apart from ring of Kerry (That was very busy).

 

[Lightning]

The Loch Lomond permit scheme to manage wild camping is proving tricky and expensive to enforce. Somebody has performed a thorough analysis of the situation in the attached link, as there are proposals to introduce similar schemes in other areas in Scotland.

• And, for reasons explained above, the Park has effectively had to abandon all attempts to ban the parking of campervans and caravans because of its misunderstanding of the relationship between the camping byelaw provisions in the 2003 Act and Road Traffic legislation.

The reason referred to is that you are allowed to sleep in your car for safety reasons to prevent tired driving.

Response to Scottish Parliament Petition 1751 to “Create no wild camp zones in Scotland” - parkswatchscotland

In September, the local SNP Councillor for North, West and Central Sutherland, Kirsteen Currie (see here), lodged a petition with the Scottish Parliament petitions Committee to create no wild camp zones in Scotland (see here). The petition was prompted by perceived concerns with the impact of...

parkswatchscotland.co.uk

 

[ejmoore]

Here's a theoretical question. I've just bought myself a bivvy bag. Could I park my van overnight somewhere on Dartmoor (where wild camping is normally permitted) and then walk onto the moor and sleep in the bivvy bag? As long as I'm not sleeping overnight in the van, that should presumably be permitted (after 4 July, that is).

 

[Lightning]

Here's a theoretical question. I've just bought myself a bivvy bag. Could I park my van overnight somewhere on Dartmoor (where wild camping is normally permitted) and then walk onto the moor and sleep in the bivvy bag? As long as I'm not sleeping overnight in the van, that should presumably be permitted (after 4 July, that is).

I understand that Dartmoor has its own exceptional bylaws allowing wild camping, so the answer is likely to be yes.
In Scotland it sounds like formally you cannot pitch a tent next to your car. Their right to roam laws apply to arriving by non motorised vehicles or on foot.

 

[ejmoore]

I was thinking of walking well away from the van in any case, but I should check (were I actually thinking of doing this) what the necessary distance would be!

 

[Digger]

• And, for reasons explained above, the Park has effectively had to abandon all attempts to ban the parking of campervans and caravans because of its misunderstanding of the relationship between the camping byelaw provisions in the 2003 Act and Road Traffic legislation.

The reason referred to is that you are allowed to sleep in your car for safety reasons to prevent tired driving.

Not wishing to make political argument but ParksWatch were only one activist group responding. The local residents groups responded - and they have significant influence.
The argument regarding the RTA legislation actually is the same legislation as covers England and Wales where stealth camping is very much controlled and the Scottish Landowners (most of Scotland is privately owned regretfully) have significant rights too.
My response is to be discreet, respectful and tidy (and as invisible as possible) to prevent any such legislation being passed. If we stick to stealth and low profile I do not see the requirement for further controls but we all have a duty in this.