SCOTLAND
Small numbers, short stays
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code allows lightweight camping in small numbers and for no more than two or three nights in one place, well away from buildings and roads.
Check a placeWhere you can wild camp depends on which side of the border you are.
Scotland's access code welcomes lightweight camping in small numbers. In England the starting point is the landowner's permission, with Dartmoor's moorland one of the places that sets out its own rules.
Updated
Check a placeTHE SHORT ANSWER
Scotland says yes,
England says ask.
Scotland's access rights include lightweight camping.
In England, permission is the starting point.
ENGLAND
Ask first, except on parts of Dartmoor
Defra has said wild camping in England can take place with the permission of the landowner. Dartmoor lets people backpack camp in some moorland areas without prior approval.
See the numbers
ON SITE
Stove, trowel, bin bag
Both codes ask the same: no open fires at risky times or places, bury or carry out toilet waste, and take all litter home.
Leave no traceA QUICK PLACE CHECK
Can you pitch
a tent here?
Pick a place to see what the rules say about wild camping there. The bar shows how freely you can camp without asking anyone first.
General information from official access guidance, not legal advice. Local byelaws and signs always apply.
TWO NUMBERS WORTH KNOWING
Rules for
the busy spots.
How much of Loch Lomond's park has permit zones,
and Dartmoor's limit on group size.
< 4%
Share of the National Park
The park's byelaws create Camping Management Zones covering less than 4% of it, protecting some of its most valued loch shores. Outside them, camping is welcome.
PERMIT ZONES · LOCH LOMOND
6 people
Most people in one camping group
Dartmoor National Park says backpack camping groups must have no more than six people, with small, lightweight tents and no large groups.
GROUP SIZE · DARTMOOR
A 2021 petition to allow wild camping in England gathered 16,411 signatures, short of the 100,000 needed for a debate. The government replied that it had no current plans to change the law.
LEAVE NO TRACE
Leave the site
as you found it.
Scotland's access code and Dartmoor's camping rules ask much the same of anyone sleeping out.
Cook on a stove
Scotland's code says not to light open fires at times of high fire risk; Dartmoor allows no open fires or BBQs at all.
Pack a trowel
Dartmoor asks campers to bury poo and used toilet paper under at least 15cm of turf. Scotland's code says urinate at least 30 metres from lochs, rivers and burns.
Take all litter home
Take away all belongings and litter, and leave no trace of your stay.
Mind nesting season
Dartmoor asks campers to avoid disturbing wildlife, especially during lambing and bird breeding season, 1 March to 31 July.
VEHICLES
A tent,
not a campervan.
Scotland's access rights do not include motor vehicles, and where landowners restrict parking, campers must respect that.
Dartmoor's rules are clear too: no overnight stays in vehicles, campervans or motorhomes. National Park byelaws do not allow sleeping in vehicles at the roadside or in car parks.
Questions
Questions people ask
Is wild camping legal in Scotland?
Access rights under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code include lightweight camping in small numbers, for no more than two or three nights in one place, away from buildings and roads.
Is wild camping legal in England?
Defra has said wild camping can take place with the landowner's permission, and that on open access land it is generally prohibited under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000.
Can I wild camp on Dartmoor?
In some areas of open moorland, yes. Dartmoor National Park allows backpack camping for one or two nights, out of sight of roads and buildings, in groups of up to six, with no fires.
Do I need a permit at Loch Lomond?
Only in the Camping Management Zones between 1 March and 30 September, when you need a permit or a campsite. The zones cover less than 4% of the National Park.
Can I light a campfire when wild camping?
Scotland's code says not to light open fires, fire bowls or BBQs at times of high fire risk or near forests, farmland, peat or buildings, and suggests a stove. Dartmoor allows no open fires or BBQs.
Sources
Where the facts come from
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