Wild Camping for Beginners

As a few people have joined the Facebook group who haven't used motorhomes before, I thought I would write a little about the essentials for beginners when renting a motorhome and taking it wild camping. We did our first trip back in 2007 and there are a few things I wish I had thought of before we left, and a few things I wish I had known about "wild camping" or "free camping" as some people refer to it. Others call it "Parking" but we won't ignore them, let's talk about the negative press that "wild camping" gets and then we can get on with the good stuff...


The Negatives

First, lets get the negatives out of the way. While most of us respect the countryside and leave only our footprints, there are without a doubt, a few very selfish people who are ruining some locations.  They can be seen in the same spot for a days at a time, in large groups and with rubbish bags, loud generators, awnings, washing lines and chairs set up around a camp fire. This makes local people angry and ruins wild camping for the rest of us. They are in a minority, but as visitor numbers increase, so the number of ignorant campers increases.

Over the past few years I have noticed more and more “No Overnight Camping”  signs appearing, and this will get worse if people don't treat places with respect.  You may also hear comments in Facebook Groups telling you to use camp sites, or calling you a cheapskate for not wanting to use sites. People do not wild camp to save money. They do it because they are seeking a place of solitude and don't want to park in a neat row on hard standing with Joe Bloggs a few feet away. Enough of the negatives because "Wild" camping can be a fantastic experience. 

The Positives

Think about how it would feel to be the  only person seeing the sun rise over a beach, or the early morning light dancing on a lake?  Wild camping is exactly what motorhomes were designed for, so ignore the sometimes rude comments you might hear and give it a go. When you find a perfect spot, there is just nothing like it!  There really is nothing to worry about. Even if you discover that you have stopped somewhere that is not really suitable, it really isn't the end of the world, just apologise and move to another spot? Easy!  As more people travel the NC500 finding good places will become more difficult.  

If you are doing the NC500 in summer then the view can become important when the midges are rampant! I remember finding a lovely spot on Loch Maree, we parked up and got out to check the level of the motorhome, only to be surrounded by thousands of midges!  There was no going outside that night! We moved on to Gairloch where the wind was effective at keeping the wee midges away. We always choose a MH with a rear lounge as those three back windows give you a great panoramic view wherever you stop, and I do love a brew with a view!

Am I Ready to Wild Camp?

So what do you need to know before you stop? Before you "wild" Camp anywhere you need to ask yourself if you are ready to go "wild"? 

Is your grey waste empty enough?
Is your chemical toilet empty enough for the amount of time you want to stop?
Do you have at least 1 full gas bottle?
Is your leisure battery fully charged?

The more days you plan on wild camping, the more water, gas etc you will need. Also, a working toilet and ample fresh water will play a big part in enjoying your adventure so always try and arrive with empty toilets and grey waste, but with a full water tank of fresh water. In the past we have always managed to get water from Petrol Stations but I have heard that the introduction of water meters has made this difficult. Most ferry ports have water available, some cemeteries also have a tap for flowers. 

You will need to empty your waste too so you will probably mean that you will need to spend every third or fourth night on a site with facilities. This will be dependent on how many of you there are staying in your vehicle, how many times you shower, use the toilet, and what toilet system you have on board etc. A full tank of water is usually around 70 litres so will weigh 70kg. That is roughly the same weight as one person. In a large vehicle that percentage is small so the extra fuel consumption you use to carry it is not that much. 

Having a full tank means you can afford to enjoy your stop and have a hot shower. If you don't have enough water when you stop, you could run out. If your toilet won't flush, you can't shower or wash up, then your holiday will not be much fun. On a trip to Cornwall in 2008 we ran out of water as Sean didn't want the extra weight. We ended up walking to a shop to buy bottled water but we never made that mistake again!

Where Should I Camp?

If you are definitely ready then you need to think about where you are going to stop. Location is key, and I do not like the idea of sleeping next to a road or a car park, so ideally you want to find somewhere that meets your requirements. Most people are looking for somewhere quiet and beautiful but please use common sense. 

This picture is from May 2018 and as the car park was full Bob decided that to park across the gate?! The workers can't get home, emergency services have no access? Don't be like Bob, if the place is full, go somewhere else.

It is not a good idea to park on grass, especially if it has been raining. This unlucky camper has found out the hard way that heavy vehicles sink on wet ground. A lot of the ground in the Northern Highlands can be boggy so try and stick to safer territory especially if heavy rain is forecast!  

Treat wet grass and mud as you would snow. Select a higher gear and pull away gently, use momentum to keep going and NEVER accelerate on the mucky stuff - try to use momentum to coast over.

Just to complete this trio of disasters and for amusement I will add this last picture with the advice not to park on beaches. Two vehicles became stranded on Brean beach in Burnham on Sea in January 2018.  They both had to be rescued by the local Coast Guard after their wheels sank into the sand that had been softened by the tide and heavy rain. 

The BARB search and rescue team used ropes and vehicles to rescue the driver - how embarrassing would that be?!

Follow the Motorhome Code

Don't camp where you are visible to houses 

Never camp in passing places or in turning places

Never park on Machair 
Don't block gates or slipways

Keep a low profile by arriving late and leaving early
Keep the noise to a minimum

Always take your rubbish with you and store it inside your motorhome to keep it away from animals

Do not light fires - save them for the beach and keep them below the tide line
Do not chop down trees or damage the area

Be discreet - don't hang out your washing or put up your awning

If other people are in a spot, try and find somewhere else instead

If there are no other spots leave a reasonable distance between vehicles (two car widths apart)
Don't be Greedy - If at a viewing point leave room for other vehicles and limit your stay

Don't empty grey waste (washing up water/shower water)

Don't empty Chemical Toilets in public toilets (SOG are not chemical)  Cassette or Chemical Toilets

I Found a Spot, What Next?

The first thing to do if you have a three way fridge after stopping is to switch your fridge over to gas so that your food stays cool. When the engine is running and you are driving, the fridge is powered by the battery. When you stop you will need to switch this so it runs from your gas bottle instead.  You should have two of these in a standard Motorhome so always keep the spare one full if you can.  These fridges can be tricky and won't run on gas unless you have parked somewhere level.  If you don't have levelling ramps you will need to move. If you need to use your leveling ramps but don't know how Here is a great video showing you how to use them.  If you are on a camp site you can use hook up to power your fridge.

Now all you have to do is to sit back, relax and enjoy yourself! On the NC500 there is a lot to see and do. I have based my itinerary around beaches, well it is the North Coastal Route. 

Every beach on the route is listed in anticlockwise order. Click on the ones I have completed for information on where to park, where to fuel up, where to shop, where to camp etc.  I have also included links to activities in each area like the Highland Games so you can see what is on when you are visiting. Links to local activities are also included. CLICK HERE to view the beaches itinerary

Is there anything else I need to know?

If it is your very first trip I would advise that you spend your first night on an official camp site to ensure you are fully familiar with your vehicle. On a site you will have a lot of people at hand to help you with getting set up.  If you are without electrical "hookup" then you are essentially "wild camping".

Your leisure battery does power the lights, toilet pump etc but the three pin plugs in the motorhome will not function without "hook up" so items like a microwave will not work. To make the most of your leisure battery power you want to ensure that any electrical gadgets like phones and cameras are charged when you are driving and not when you have stopped.

You can purchase electrical inverters that plug into the 12v cigarette lighter points in the cab and in the rear of your motorhome. These have a three point plug and a couple of USB ports. If you use this when you are driving you can charge your laptop, camera, mobile etc without draining your leisure battery. When you stop, this will run from your leisure battery but that 3 pin socket will be handy!


Here is a list of handy items to pack for the NC500 that you wouldn't necessarily think of!

Gaffer Tape -  I have seen no end of motorhomes lose a wing mirror, this stuff fixes anything temporarily! Better than superglue!

Small Spirit level to assist when leveling your fridge

Water Hose Mains Adapter - for taking on water from different sized taps. This is so handy, bought one on our first trip and have used it regularly in petrol stations and public toilets etc

Head Torch in case you need to change a gas bottle at night.

Rope - always handy, numerous uses.

Tick Twister - Wish I'd had one of these back in 2007!  It is the green thing on the left and I recommend you have one in your first aid kit. Not just for the dogs, used it on my kids!

Thermos Flask - When you boil the kettle, fill a flask with boiling water. There are so many places you will want to stop and this saves you boiling the kettle every half an hour.

Collapsible Water Carrier/watering can - sometimes you can’t connect to or get near enough to the tap to use your hose.