Joys of wild campervanning - Telegraph

mikebeaches

mikebeaches

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A piece in the Travel section of the Daily Telegraph today, with the journalist waxing lyrical about the joys of campervanning in Scotland.

It is ridiculously illustrated with a picture of a tent, about which there is no mention in the article - Doh! I'd have thought the Telegraph could have done better. :rolleyes:

And the journo claims wild camping in a van in Scotland is legal, but not in England and Wales. Is that really the case: surely that is how the law differs for TENTS not motor vehicles?? I don't know.

Anyway, an interesting read, but probably not popular with a lot of Scots... :cool:

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Every source I've ever found so far states that wild camping is prohibited / banned in Wales, unless the landowners permission is sought to do so, I understand it relates to trespassing ( a tort ), which is still actionable in court, but accusations and possible charges of criminal damage & the more serious criminal offence of aggravated trespass could result from the initial trespass.

Something to do with the fact that all land is owned by someone or an entity or a company, unless it's '' common land '' & then different rules / laws apply ( Dartmoor is a good example ).

I understand laws on wild camping differ in Scotland to those that apply in England & Wales
 
MH 55 FUN said:
I understand laws on wild camping differ in Scotland to those that apply in England & Wales
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Indeed, but surely that is in respect of tents, rather than motor vehicles ie campervans and motorhomes?
 
mikebeaches said:
Indeed, but surely that is in respect of tents, rather than motor vehicles ie campervans and motorhomes?
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It seems not, any kind of '' wild camping '' seems to be the case, feel free to use your favourite search engine to find something that contradicts what I've found (y)

I've googled '' is wild camping allowed in Wales ? ,'' is wild camping legal in Wales ? '' etc etc

I'm not suggesting it's right or fair or not etc, I'm just stating what I've found in regard to Wales, ( & the laws of tort or otherwise that could be applied by the aggrieved landowner are of course beyond dispute ).
 
Potty said:
Under the Scottish Access Code, wild camping is with a tent and only if you are travelling in foot, bicycle or horseback. Parking a car and pitching a tent is not wild camping. Parking And sleeping in a MH for the night in a lay-by is not illegal.
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That's why I said that I understand the rules / laws etc are different in Scotland than they are in Wales or England for that matter (y)
 
Potty said:
Under the Scottish Access Code, wild camping is with a tent and only if you are travelling in foot, bicycle or horseback. Parking a car and pitching a tent is not wild camping. Parking And sleeping in a MH for the night in a lay-by is not illegal.
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That's my understanding too but "Wild camping" with a MH seems to be generally tolerated even if technically illegal.
 
Potty said:
Under the Scottish Access Code, wild camping is with a tent and only if you are travelling in foot, bicycle or horseback. Parking a car and pitching a tent is not wild camping. Parking And sleeping in a MH for the night in a lay-by is not illegal.
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Thanks for the clarification.

I would just add that, the legal status of sleeping in a van in a layby in Scotland is exactly the same as in England and Wales - presumably?

And provided the is the case, the only thing that is different in Scotland is the law relating to camping in a tent without a motor vehicle.

Which was the point I was endeavouring to make in the original post. ie when it comes to campervans & MHs, there is no legal difference between Scotland, England and Wales.

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"Tonight we are parked ..... Galloway Forest Park"

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So possibly legal and even encouraged by Forestry and Land Scotland

www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Forest Sites Scotland

Just received this reply from the Forestry Commission for Scotland re ending the scheme for overnight parking at various locations at the end of August, looks like Cameron McNeish’s appeal to send e mails complaining about its withdrawal has had an impact. Received this reply today, good news...
www.motorhomefun.co.uk www.motorhomefun.co.uk

Gordon
 
mikebeaches said:
Thanks for the clarification.

I would just add that, the legal status of sleeping in a van in a layby in Scotland is exactly the same as in England and Wales - presumably?

And provided the is the case, the only thing that is different in Scotland is the law relating to camping in a tent without a motor vehicle.

Which was the point I was endeavouring to make in the original post. ie when it comes to campervans & MHs, there is no legal difference between Scotland, England and Wales.
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I suspect differing bye laws / laws / rules apply to parking in laybys using a Camper / Moho & on private land in Wales, & maybe too in England.

Scotland is evidently different.
 
MH 55 FUN said:
I suspect differing bye laws / laws / rules apply to parking in laybys using a Camper / Moho & on private land in Wales, & maybe too in England.

Scotland is evidently different.
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Why make bylaws if it’s already illegal. It isn’t illegal to sleep in your van.

GJH is an expert in such matters, he wrote the book! Spent 13 years here and only came up with an opinion/interpretation as to why he THOUGHT it might be illegal.
 
MH 55 FUN said:
I suspect differing bye laws / laws / rules apply to parking in laybys using a Camper / Moho & on private land in Wales, & maybe too in England.

Scotland is evidently different.
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I'm struggling to understand the legal difference reference sleeping in a van in a layby in Scotland, England and Wales?

And for that matter, off the road too.

Yes, it might be easier to find somewhere to sleep in a van in Scotland perhaps, but that doesn't change the legal position surely.
 
Jim said:
Why make bylaws if it’s already illegal. It isn’t illegal to sleep in your van.
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I have no idea about layby dwellers, i didn't mention sleeping.

Aggrieved private landowners in Wales & possibly England would tend to disagree when they discover someone sleeping in their van on private property & no doubt initially invoke the actionable tort of trespass, which does have legal liability ramifications swiftly followed by possible allegations of criminal damage & aggravated trespass, both of which are criminal offences.

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Jim said:
GJH is an expert in such matters, he wrote the book! Spent 13 years here and only came up with an opinion/interpretation as to why he THOUGHT it might be iillegal.
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Look what happened to GJH, vilified by too many !
 
Jim said:
But he was never vilified. Far too nice and far too intelligent for that to happen
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I beg to differ on his vilification by others. i was shocked at the way he was replied to by some, that of course is a matter of opinion.

He was & I'm sure still is an extremely nice person with high intelligence.

The laws on trepass whether informal ( a tort ) or criminal ( aggravated trespass ) are clear with regard to privately owned land in Wales.

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MH 55 FUN said:
I beg to differ on his vilification by others. i was shocked at the way he was replied to by some, that of course is a matter of opinion.
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Please point to this shocking stuff. By "Too Many"
 
Jim said:
Please point to this shocking stuff. By "Too Many"
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I define ''too many'' as more than 1, I know what I read in the past & I was shocked by many of the replies to his posts re: the legalities of the definition of '' camping '' & '' parking '' etc etc, of course what shocks me may not shock others, although I doubt that I am alone in making that observation

No doubt he made thousands of posts that i cannot possibly reference & often wonder why he rarely, if ever posts anymore.
 
Can anyone tell me what the premise of this thread actually is please?
 
This guy is very informative (if you can bare the hand held camera). It seems we all have a lot to thank Yorkshireman Andy Strangeways for.

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