Can we wild camp on Ben Nevis?
Q. Hi. We are planning to climb Ben Nevis but were wondering if we are aloud [allowed] to climb and camp as we were thinking of doing a few nights up and around Ben Nevis plus surrounding Glens, Hills and Peaks walking and taking photos basically escaping in to the hills.
Please advise as we don't want to cause any trouble while up there.
Many thanks
Mark Boorman, Kent
A. Mark, As long as you don't try to find a pitch anywhere near the road up past the youth hostel because that area is festooned with 'no camping' signs. To be honest, if it wasn't the area would end up looking like a refugee camp for 7 months of the year but I also suspect it is partly to drive people into the nearby campsite.
Once actually away from the road and into the hills and glens you'll find lots of spots to camp. I have a couple of favourites but you'll forgive me if I keep them to myself - just in case I want to be there at the same time! Up by the Steall used to be popular but there are more wee quiet spots than you can shake a tent pole at.
Just remember that, like it or not, you're camping someone's, or some organisation's, property. Leave it like you found it and you'll be fine.
Bob Banks, Huntly
A. Wild Camping and The Law in England, Scotland and Wales.
Tents cannot be pitched just anywhere because every piece of Britain is owned by some individual or some organisation and according to the strict letter of the law permission must be obtained prior to pitching tent and camping.
In practice however, this is often impractical and wild camping is usually tolerated in the more remote areas - typically, more than half a day's walk from an official campsite or other accommodation providing you:
- Keep groups small
- Camp as unobtrusively as possible
- Leave camp as you found it
- Remove all litter (even other people's)
- Carry out everything you carried in
- Carry out tampons and sanitary towels (burying them doesn't work as animals dig them up again)
- Choose a dry pitch rather than digging drainage ditches around a tent or moving boulders
- Toilet duties should be performed 30m (100ft) from water and the results buried using a trowel
- At all time, help preserve the environment
- And if you are in any doubt about what you're doing, find out more
In Scotland, the current access legislation (which came into effect in early 2005) is explicit about your right to wild camp on hill land. However, there are exceptions. Since March 2011 you are not permitted to wild camp between Dryman and Rowardennan on the shore of Loch Lomond. See Loch Lomond Wild Camping Ban for more information.
There appears to be an exception to this with respect to camping in Dartmoor National Park where the right to wild camping is actually enshrined in the National Parks & Access to the Countryside Act, 1949 amendment Dartmoor Commons Act, 1985 - see Wild Camping in the UK for more details.
For the definitive answer with respect to wild camping in Scotland see the answer supplied by the Scottish Natural Heritage
For a few (tongue in cheek) tips on wild camping see Some Wild Camping Tips.
NB. go4awalk.com cannot offer any advice on suitable locations for wild camping - but click here for walks from exisiting campsites.
Hope this helps
Mike (Editor)
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