# Scotland North West Coast Sites. Help



## spindrifter (Nov 14, 2006)

Hi All

Having a break from the poor World Cup Final - hope it livens up!

We are going to spend a couple of weeks knocking around the North West of Scotland late September. It will be our first time in this area.

Checking the available sites on various web sites am finding difficult to find more than three or four sites.

Also, will my seven metre long Compass Castaway be ok on what look like narrow roads with passing places.

Any help or feed back would be great.

Thanks as always

David.....(Spindrifter)


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## UncleNorm (May 1, 2005)

Hi Dave!

NW Scotland is one of the most dramatic areas in the UK, especially in September. AuntieSandra and I were up there last year in Sept/Oct. It was brilliant to see the colours changing from summer to autumn... The midges (which CAN be a nuisance!) have just about gone for their winter rest.

We wild-camped on the Isle of Skye for a week. No problems but we did need both 11kg cylinders which we filled at the Co-op, Broadford.

If we were going further north, we'd certainly look to wild-camp again. There are so many places which can be used discretely.

The roads ARE narrow. Even the main A roads can be single track with passing places. Our Coral is 6.92 metres and I don't have any reservations about driving up there. One piece of advice though... some road surfaces 'drop off the edge'. *Stay on the tarmac at all costs!!* If it has been raining heavily, avoid potholes or reduce speed rapidly... some potholes can be very deep!!

Returning to campsites... we found that many were actually closed when we toured. But we were intent on wild-camping anyway, so not worried. Perhaps another member can advise on campsites.

Whatever you do, wherever you go, have fun, enjoy the scenery and stay safe!


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## Jagman (Feb 16, 2008)

We go up there every year and did so before motorhoming, its our favourite region of the UK. Wonderful! 

Vehicle length is unlikely to be a major problem even on passing-place roads, small buses and long white vans seem to manage OK  . Just take it easy and look well ahead. Traffic is light and locals usually calm and patient.

I would divide the region into notional sections with a site serving as a base for each. You could use the sites for servicing the van and wildcamp in between if you wish.

Suggested sections with suitable sites would be:

1. Torridon: CC Kinlochewe and/or CCC Poolewe

2. Assynt: Ullapool (Broomfields) 01854 612020 - Ullapool is an excellent main centre

3. Scourie section: Scourie C&C Park 01971 502060

4. Top left hand corner  : Durness Sango Sands 01971 511726

5. Top middle: CC Dunnet Bay

6. Top right: John O'Groats 01955 611329


Unlikely you will need to book anywhere but worth checking opening times at the end of the season - they should all be OK until at least end of Oct. but worth checking.

Once you are up there distances aren't as great as they seem - eg. Ullapool to Durness return quite easy in a day. Fuel is still an issue though - its a lot dearer (record in Durness was 145 per litre last year 8O )

Please feel free to PM if you want a chat about any of this and consider other sites.

Have a wonderful time

Jagman


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## sallytrafic (Jan 17, 2006)

Good advice all and if you want to whet your appetite see my Blog here for that bit: >Coast part 5b<

Of all the sections of the Coast trip this is the one we would repeat no question.

Not sure about doing it in high summer though. (dare I mention midges?)


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## thames24 (May 25, 2009)

Hi David

A few highland sites here: http://www.cabbagemedia.com/campsites/category/scotland/highlands/

Traigh is our favourite because we like golf and it's a CL.

Nice advice from UncleNorm


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## dovtrams (Aug 18, 2009)

Don't be put off by the single track roads, just use common sense, be considerate and keep to the left, even if the passing place is on the right. Sango Sands at Durness is fantastic, a great campsite with wonderful walks and views. We stayed a night at Dunnet CC site, I have never seen so many posters, the wardens seem to think that a wall will fall down if they do not put a poster on it. Moreover, their instructions for pitching your unit would make an EU directive seem simple. There is also a very noisy road adjacent to the site, boy racers love it. So I would not recommend it.

Enjoy your holiday.

Dave


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## scouter (Dec 14, 2007)

*Coastal Trip around Scotland*

Hi,

I would commend the blog coast part 5b above, we toured the Scottish coast in May and June and visited many of the places mentioned but stayed mainly on campsites. But there were plenty of places to stop and wild camp if you wished.

Our van is 7.2m long and we had no trouble at all on the roads, apart from the road around the Assynt coast where there is a length restriction of 8m. We got through, but my better half was very worried as we motored along between the stone wall and the rock face, there wasn't alot of space on one or two tight bends.

You also need to feel resonably capable about reversing to a passing place, cos its usually the car driver who can't reverse his car who causes the problems. On one occasion the elderly car passenger got out to supervise the car reversing 10m to a passing place, admittedley around a slight corner, It would have been quicker in hindsight for me to reverse the 40m around two bends!

I would also reiterate to make sure that you stay on the tarmac or good stone bits when using passing places, let the cars squeeze past on the grass, they're alot lighter usually

Hoope you have a good trip we did even tho it was unseasonably cold, but the sun and the views were great!

alan


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