Scotland - the west coast

[Otter Spotter]

There is free parking on an old quay at Glencaple South of Dumfries and across the road is the Nith hotel who do a stunning Highland chicken dish. There is an honesty box next to the parking area. PS don't tell everybody

The cafe does really nice seafood platters during the day and the little shop inside has some nice little treats in bottles

 

[1090alex]

There is a good CACC site in the grounds of Culzean Castle which offers excellent walking along the shoreline. There is also a wild camping spot in a car park at the beach a couple of miles South of Culzean - it’s possibly the road marked for Croy, but I am not 100% sure.

There are four or five official motorhome spaces in a beach front car park in Prestwick at the end of Links Road. There is a railway bridge on Links Road - I don’t think it is low, although you should check. Grangemuir Road which leads to the beach at the other end of Prestwick (closer to Ayr) has a low bridge and is not suitable for vans.

As previously mentioned, Portpatrick is a pretty fishing village. There is a campsite and some parking in its vicinity. I have also seen vans parked up around the harbour.

The bridge in Links Road Prestwick is very low,I've seen motorhomes decapitated siting in the car park. There is a route without height restrictions ,check the map or sat nav.

 

[Whippet93]

I can recommend the Metal Bridge Inn, just south of Gretna, for a stop over. You need to book on for a meal in advance and they stop serving at 7pm, but very friendly and have toilets CDP and waste water disposal.
Also recommend the South west coastal 300 route.

 

[LillyWales]

I have to collect a motorbike from Ayr, so we have decided to make a trip out of it.
We will cross country from Whitby to Gretna and stop overnight somewhere around there.
Are there any places along the coast, heading from Gretna towards Stranraer, and Stranraer to Ayr that are must-sees?
Any recommended sites for stop-overs?
Never travelled this part of Scotland before.

Not quite the NC500, and just up the coast from Whitby, we stayed at Bambrough castle links car park no 1 via Northumberland council for £12. Absolutely stunning. Especially if you are a fan of Last Kingdom.

 

[jess12]

I have to collect a motorbike from Ayr, so we have decided to make a trip out of it.
We will cross country from Whitby to Gretna and stop overnight somewhere around there.
Are there any places along the coast, heading from Gretna towards Stranraer, and Stranraer to Ayr that are must-sees?
Any recommended sites for stop-overs?
Never travelled this part of Scotland before.

Here are a few sites that are really nice on your route sandyhills bay ,mossy yard gatehouse of fleet,new england bay if you are not to tight for time thomaston farm cl right opposite culzean castle basic but about half the price of the culzean site

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[garry55]

Not quite the NC500, and just up the coast from Whitby, we stayed at Bambrough castle links car park no 1 via Northumberland council for £12. Absolutely stunning. Especially if you are a fan of Last Kingdom.

We have stayed at their Amble site - only allowed to stay for 1 night and have to pre-book but it's a great place to stay overnight

 

[garry55]

Here are a few sites that are really nice on your route sandyhills bay ,mossy yard gatehouse of fleet,new england bay if you are not to tight for time thomaston farm cl right opposite culzean castle basic but about half the price of the culzean site

Thanks! we stayed at Ardwell Bay, then the only campsite we stayed on at Leswalt, top left of Stranraer.

 

[garry55]

I can recommend the Metal Bridge Inn, just south of Gretna, for a stop over. You need to book on for a meal in advance and they stop serving at 7pm, but very friendly and have toilets CDP and waste water disposal.
Also recommend the South west coastal 300 route.

That's the route we have just completed. We didn't fancy staying next to the busy west coast train line at Metal Bridge, so we stayed for free on the municipal car park in Carlisle, at the foot of the castle walls. And next to - the busy west coast train line!

 

[garry55]

Sunset from the parking at David’s.

A brilliant place to park and great takeaway food. Sunset at Davids with Ailsa Craig in the background.



View attachment 1060983

Lovely place - we stayed the night there. David's black pudding-topped burger is to die for!

 

[garry55]

Watch out for the boy racers tho - we stayed on Ayr beach prom on the designated motorhome site (£10 on line ) and it was a magnet for the lads with their “look at me “ exhausts roaring back and forward…

We only stopped briefly in Ayr then made our way to Wanlockhead and Leadmills for the night.

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[AGT]

The bridge in Links Road Prestwick is very low,I've seen motorhomes decapitated siting in the car park. There is a route without height restrictions ,check the map or sat nav.

The safe route in is by using Maryborough Road at the South end of Prestwick. Maryborough Road goes over the railway rather than under it. The bridge in Links Road is 2.9m.

 

[3cabbages]

That's the route we have just completed. We didn't fancy staying next to the busy west coast train line at Metal Bridge, so we stayed for free on the municipal car park in Carlisle, at the foot of the castle walls. And next to - the busy west coast train line!

This is our go to stop en route to England and near the Carlisle town centre shops

 

[Whippet93]

That's the route we have just completed. We didn't fancy staying next to the busy west coast train line at Metal Bridge, so we stayed for free on the municipal car park in Carlisle, at the foot of the castle walls. And next to - the busy west coast train line!

The advantage of Metal Bridge is you have the traffic on the M74, the other side.
I must admit, although we heard the trains and traffic it didn't stop us sleeping.

 

[Tezza50]

Metal Bridge aire have posted on Facebook , saying due to a few incidents of staff abuse in the pub where some aire guest are using facilities but not buying anything or expecting a table without booking and they will not welcome such behaviour in the pub .

 

[Deejayw]

We recently stayed in the Vennel Car Park in Ballantrae which has 4 dedicated MH spaces for £10 per night via the paybyphone app. Great location, views and friendly locals. If you stay on a Friday night the community pub should be open.

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[truffs]

Stayed overnight in Crawick Multiverse carpark £10 and use of their toilets

 

[lorger]

There is free parking on an old quay at Glencaple South of Dumfries and across the road is the Nith hotel who do a stunning Highland chicken dish. There is an honesty box next to the parking area. PS don't tell everybody

We don’t live to far from this location and our daughter lived in village for a while, the Aire has been great for the area but unfortunately the locals are starting to get fed up with the usual suspects, there are 4 or 5 spaces along the front and they ask if these are full not to use the car park while cafe is open. The other week it was reported that 19 vans had parked up, great if they all leave a donation and use the cafe or pub, unfortunately they aren’t.
When our daughter lived in Glencaple the money raised from the donations was used to build a kids playground, I think the average donation per vehicle worked out around £5 and as far as I’m aware that has significantly dropped. It is a donation so it’s up to folk what they think is value for money, the other free location at Castle corner a few miles away is also being abused. I cycled past in March and it had about 3 caravans and a couple of tentbox staying so no idea where they used for the loo unless they had a portaloo in the car.

 

[LaurenceM]

We only stopped briefly in Ayr then made our way to Wanlockhead and Leadmills for the night.

Fantastic road for the bike ! No hgvs as well !

 

[garry55]

This is our go to stop en route to England and near the Carlisle town centre shops

It is a very good stop over. The trains stopped around 22:30ish and we got a good nights sleep until the workmen started digging in the car park at 08:00! The large park is a bonus for dog walking too

 

[garry55]

Fantastic road for the bike ! No hgvs as well !

Yes -it's on my "to ride" list. The Wenlockhead Inn is a very biker-friendly pub!

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[garry55]

We recently stayed in the Vennel Car Park in Ballantrae which has 4 dedicated MH spaces for £10 per night via the paybyphone app. Great location, views and friendly locals. If you stay on a Friday night the community pub should be open.

We visited this car park - it has a black waste disposal facility that we needed - and I actually took a picture of the motorhome parking bays as they were the sea-facing bays and had "Motorhome Parking Only" painted on the tarmac in front of them!

 

[LaurenceM]

Yes -it's on my "to ride" list. The Wenlockhead Inn is a very biker-friendly pub!

Sad to note , I saw a lone biker lost his life over at the Wenlock side , just a few months ago .. you can never relax really

 

[lorger]

Fantastic road for the bike ! No hgvs as well !

Yes -it's on my "to ride" list. The Wenlockhead Inn is a very biker-friendly pub!

Different type of bike but I regularly go up that way from Dumfries on my road bike, it’s a great loop and see very little traffic.

 

[garry55]

Different type of bike but I regularly go up that way from Dumfries on my road bike, it’s a great loop and see very little traffic.

Which "loop" do you do?
We came into Leadmills from the A76. I was lead to believe that the road out the other side only took you to the A74M.
Have I missed something?

 

[lorger]

Which "loop" do you do?
We came into Leadmills from the A76. I was lead to believe that the road out the other side only took you to the A74M.
Have I missed something?

I come up from Dumfries on the back roads past Thornhill and come out at Menock then turn right just as you leave Leadhills and head over towards the M74, you then have the service road B7076 (old A74 road) that runs beside the M74 to Gretna. It’s a great road for cyclists and bikers as decent surface and very little traffic uses it due to motorway beside it.

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[Jo-jo]

We don’t live to far from this location and our daughter lived in village for a while, the Aire has been great for the area but unfortunately the locals are starting to get fed up with the usual suspects, there are 4 or 5 spaces along the front and they ask if these are full not to use the car park while cafe is open. The other week it was reported that 19 vans had parked up, great if they all leave a donation and use the cafe or pub, unfortunately they aren’t.
When our daughter lived in Glencaple the money raised from the donations was used to build a kids playground, I think the average donation per vehicle worked out around £5 and as far as I’m aware that has significantly dropped. It is a donation so it’s up to folk what they think is value for money, the other free location at Castle corner a few miles away is also being abused. I cycled past in March and it had about 3 caravans and a couple of tentbox staying so no idea where they used for the loo unless they had a portaloo in the car.

We were at the castle corner aire 2 weeks ago. We were the first van there, then another 8 arrived plus a bloke who slept in his car. It's a lovely facility, but it will be lost if it's abused.

 

[garry55]

We were at the castle corner aire 2 weeks ago. We were the first van there, then another 8 arrived plus a bloke who slept in his car. It's a lovely facility, but it will be lost if it's abused.

Is that the one with the height restriction?

 

[Jo-jo]

Is that the one with the height restriction?

No, it's an easily accessible aire with full services. I think it's supposed to have space for 7 vehicles overnight.