Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is trialling an extension of its popular ‘Stay the Night’ scheme to run over winter at some locations.
Around 24 car parks across Moray, Perthshire, Argyll, Stirlingshire the Borders, and Dumfries and Galloway have remained open for visitors in self-contained campervans and motorhomes looking for an overnight stopping place.
Stays are for one night only between the hours of 6 pm and 10 am, with no return visit for 48 hours.
The winter stop are available on a first-come-first-served basis and the usual modest charge of £7 per stay, payable via RingGo by app or phone, will be in effect at the participating locations.
Stuart Chalmers, FLS’s national visitor services manager, said: “The feedback we have received from motorhome and campervan users for Stay the Night has been overwhelmingly positive.
“Being able to overnight in some of our car parks lets people enjoy a more leisurely pace on their travels.
“Many people love the experience of touring Scotland but don’t like having to rush between formal campsites. There are also those who prefer to tour in the winter months when the main holiday season is over and the landscape and scenery offer a very different experience.
“Some of our visitors have asked us to keep running Stay the Night car parks through winter, so this year we’re going to trial this at some of them and see how much demand there is for it.”
Stay the Night is only open to visitors in self-contained motorhomes and campervans.
FLS has said it will check participating car parks to ensure that the rules are observed and, if necessary, remind people that tents beside cars, pop-up, pup or toilet tents – or any motorhome or campervan without its own toilet facility – are not permitted. Neither are generators permitted.
Forestry and Land Scotland Stay the Night car parks
- Moray – Winding Walks, Quarry Wood, Torrieston
- Perthshire – Douglas Fir Wood, Drummond Hill
- Argyll – Ardentinny Beach, Ardgartan, Honeymoon Bridge, Fearnoch, Achnabreac, Ariundle, Jubilee Point (Loch Eck)
- Stirlingshire – Leannach (Duke’s Pass), Garadhban, Braeval, Pendreich
- Borders – Innerleithen, Upper Cheviot, Lower Cheviot, Wauchope
- Dumfries & Galloway – Naze car park (Ae), 7stanes car park (Dalbeattie), Kirroughtree, Black Loch (Galloway)
Don’t forget to subscribe to the Van Life Matters newsletter or download the Van Life Matters App to stay up-to-date with the latest UK Van Life news, tips and advice.
2 comments
What a joke and a right old laugh this is, I park for weeks 1 mile from one of those places (loch Stroan) and why on earth would you spend £7 to park from 6-10 am, why???????? are van owner slazy sods??? I don’t see the point in parking for a night and not doing anything but its what is ee from van owners, park, get out and sit on their asses all day. why the hell bother buying a van in the first place. I’m crippled and do more than most will ever do.
They even charge you to drive down raiders road lol, a fecking dirt track like any other forestry track so i do it for free, its called running it lol and overtake cars while doing it which is damn funny.
Best part about it, forestry knows me so well they say don’t park there anyway haha as they know i’m not on a silly holiday
I have to to add more to the last bit.
Loch stroan runs this daft idea in the car park. as stated i spent weeks parked in the forest and run past the car park, those rules are NOT being followed, a MH parked there from friday till monday, crossways, with the owning up, generator running, dogs on the run and Scottish people too. There where pop up tents in the car park. cars parked overnight. along the loch car and van owners cutting tres days. The rules are not followed and the forestry are there each day chatting to people.
Part of my vid at loch stroan with generator running from motorhome https://youtu.be/Sfu4E3nLzS8?si=ZVhyzdvWoPUURUrO&t=991 they stayed 4 days. mind you i stay near there for weeks lol but i live in the van they don’t.