Touring Scotland, do we have to book?
We usually tour Europe end of Aug/Sept and never book sites ahead of time, just moving on when we want. Can we do the same touring Scotland? Want to visit Edinburgh and then move on. Not fans of wild camping so still want to be on sites. Advice appreciated.
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Yes, book.
Scotland is often busy and particularly so this year with many others doing the same as you.
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Even before the peak period of the school holidays ,this year many sites we have noticed are very busy .,we booked a tour to encompass Edinburgh, back in January,, we would not be able to get a tour together if trying to do the same now
As it happens we have had to completely change what we hoped to do, and it has been very difficult getting pitches on some club sites
In my opinion I would look at where you hope to go and see what the availability is, and if you still think you can "wing it" would ring sites first do not just arrive expecting to do the same as you may be able to in some areas over the channel
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I’m in the Moray area at the moment, courtesy of EasyJet rather than the MH but struck by the large number of MHs out & about. Noticeable how many are competing for space in supermarket car parks. I was here in the MH last September and it didn’t seem as busy. Even wild camping looks busy - sea front car park in Lossiemouth was very busy with overnighters.
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The late availability list on here shows that Edinburgh club site has vacancies on 16 of the next 20 days from now. How it will be by September is not yet shown, but if you don’t book certainly take a mobile and phone ahead as you go.
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JC, take a look at the CL network, and look at possibly using some of these for your tour.
Excellent stop for Edinburgh would be Yellowcraig Club Site. You are out on the coast in a lovely location, but can get to Edinburgh centre easily on the train from North Berwick. Schools should be back in Scotland in September, so Yellowcraig should be nice mid week.Lots of folks who usually go overseas seem to have decided to head to Scotland for some reason or another, so we have found it a lot busier than usual. You might be wise to book a few stops in popular areas ahead.
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I would book, in fact, we are away at that time too, and we booked a couple of months back.
September can be very busy, usually plenty of people about after the children have returned to school, and this year is likely to be busier than usual.
There is a shortage of CLs up here, so that makes it worse.
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There is not much availability at Yellowcraig in August and September. Even over a month ago when we decided not to go to France and were putting together a UK tour, we couldn’t get more than two nights. Now it’s just down to the odd single. We compromised and are visiting on our way south at the beginning of October when there is plenty. Although a bit late for the OP.
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There’s a nice CL called East Fortune Farm not far from North Berwick. It’s close to station to Edinburgh as well. No idea on how busy it is though.
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Don't forget even if you book Club sites and decide you want to stay longer or move on earlier, if there is space at the site you want to move to the wardens can rearrange your bookings for you.
David
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Thanks for all your tips, we have not entirely given up on Europe, waiting to see what the green list brings. We have a Eurotunnel booking for 25th Aug, a credit left over from last year which we are told we can rebook for next year if necessary.
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There is also a "taxi" service which will collect you from the site,drop you off in the city and collect you from the city and take you back to the site.The owner apparently does the service because it gets him out of the house!
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In some areas of Scotland club sites and CLs are few and far between. If you do not already have it download the search for sites app. It has the Campra aires mentioned by Brue above as well as other sites.
If you can't get on the Edinburgh site try Slatebarns caravan site. (Chapel Loan, Roslin, EH25 9PU. It used to be a club site. There is a good bus service into Edinburgh and also a good Pub/restaurant in easy walking distance.
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We recently stayed at a CL at the charmingly named "Boggs Holding". 12 miles to the centre of Edinburgh as the crow flies. Remote location though so you would have to drive in or find a convenient parking spot on the outskirts.
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The CL is still there at Sladeburn, which I presume is the one you were referring to BM, just by Roslin Chapel, as well as the small commercial site.
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I just wish people would stop talking about " wild camping " in relation to RVs and caravans ! Wild camping was only ever meant for walkers and climbers venturing in to the hills ON FOOT and pitching one man tents. Some local authorities seem to enable wild camping by providing some basic facilities, but only to try to prevent the disgusting accumulation of human waste which is appearing in rural areas since the advent of the so called NC 500. However all this is ruining the very thing that attracted visitors to Scotland, ie. wilderness, tranquillity etc. The law did not anticipate how tourism would suddenly evolve, but the reality is, that just as in England, there is no such thing as wild camping
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" Welcome to the world of modern regulations designed to keep people much safer.? and try to deter those who think any rules are not applicable to them"
not much of a deterent we have about 20 of them on our villiage green, arrived Friday and set up camp after forcing the locks on 2 gates, I am sure they are not on their way to Scotland.
must say they have some very expensive caravans and MH's 
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I suppose the term means different things to different people. For most it’s simply setting up camp outside a designated campsite. Scotland seems to have a more enlightened approach to that than England witness the growing number of places where that’s possible. However, all too often it becomes necessary to mitigate that by providing facilities for waste etc and then maybe you don’t have ‘wild camping’? I was in Findhorn on the Moray coast recently and noticed such a change. A very popular beach car park used legally by motorhomers has been converted into an aire offering chemical and water points complete with barrier access via advance booking. It’s not wild camping but it’s not ‘white peg’ either.
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Thanks for the heads up Grey👍🏻, I didn’t realise Wild Camping was so specific or that it’d been hijacked by the LV community-
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That is why the Govt is attempting to changing the law & to empower the Police & other authorities.
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