The Guardian has put together a special Travel issue dedicated to camping: find out about Britain’s best tiny campsites which are never crowded, island camping and some remotely located campsites. Read and be inspired to start planning your next camping trip in wild Britain.
Three Cliffs Bay campsite in the Gower Peninsula was awarded site of the year by the Independent in 2006. It is ridiculously pretty and enjoys a spectacular position with the panoramic views of Three Cliffs Bay and has its own public footpath leading down to the beach. Families and couples and dogs welcomed. Attractions: Water skiing, sailing and sind Surfing and for the nature enthusiast, a 540 acre National Nature reserve. Visit
The location is hard to beat – a few minutes walk from Wastwater, England’s deepest lake, and at the foot of Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain. Wasdale campsite is in a perfect location for walkers or those simply looking to escape crowds and trappings of civilisation (no mobile signal). Good facilities and friendly staff. More information at the National Trust.
Campsite in Snowdonia National Park with fabulous views of the Mawddach estuary and Snowdonia mountains. Graig Wen, near Dolgellaux. Graig Wen promises “an inspirational, back to nature experience”. Perfect for walking, bird-watching, mountain-biking or visiting the area.
4 star Bed and Breakfast accommodation, three holiday cottages and yurts are also available
Traditional small farm in the hills of Mid-Wales. The site offers veggie Bed and Breakfast, Camping and a Self-Contained Caravan. Goats, chickens and sheep wander about and there is a large vegetable garden grown to organic principles. Beautiful views of the mountains of the Snowdonia National Park, and on the Cambrian Way, Dyfi Valley Way and the Glyndwr’s Way National Trail. The camping site is in a wild area near the lake.
“The area has amazing wildlife including orchids, dragon and damsel flies, buzzards, kites, frogs, newts and toads and sometime nightjars and glow worms. Even an otter has been seen! The site has its own spring water supply and campfires are permitted.”
The Guardian has put together this exciting list of the best the campsites by the sea in the UK. Some of these are remote sites visted by dolphins and other wildlife. Lots of breathtaking views.
Read
The Isle of Mull is one of my favourite places in the British Isles. This place offers camping and bungalows next to the sea with views of Ben Nevis and the Caingorns. This is great base for exploring the island. There are otters on site on the loch and a seal colony nearby. Dolphins can occasionally be seen in the Sound of Mull from here. The owners note:
“Sea otters and red deer are regulars, and dolphins and porpoises are occasional visitors. Birds include terns, cormorants, eiders, curlews, herons, and buzzards, and you can watch gannets diving for fish out at sea. Golden and sea eagles occasionally fly past, and we can tell you how to find them off site.”
If you really want to feel you’re in the great outdoors, you should try wild camping. It’s more exciting, it’s free and you really feel part of the countryside. It is generally only legal in England and Wales with the prior permission of the landowner, though in most cases, if you ask nicely you probably won’t be refuesed.
Follow these rules: keep out of sight and away from livestock, do not build open fires, do not camp in large groups, respect the environment, stay for one night only, and follow the wild camper’s mantra: “pitch late, leave early.”
While you should also follow the above rules, things are easier in Scotland. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 makes wild camping legal in most cases as long as practised away from homes and roads.
The Guardian has this excellent article on wild camping. It gives recommendations, in addition to much of Scotland, for Dartmoor, The Berwyn mountains, North Wales, South Downs and The North Pennines.
The Guardian
For Scotland see: the Scottish Outdoor Access Code