Scotland’s Opening Up – £10 Park-Ups Are a Game-Changer for Vanlifers
Forestry and Land Scotland's Stay the Night Scheme lets self-contained vans park overnight in 50 forest car parks for £10 a night. Here's how it works.
Finding campervan overnight parking in Scotland just got a lot simpler — and far more affordable. Thanks to Forestry and Land Scotland’s Stay the Night scheme, there are now just under 50 forest car parks where self-contained vans can legally stop overnight for £10 a night. That’s a big deal if you’ve ever been caught between “no overnight parking” signs and overpriced sites.
It’s a real step forward for affordable, responsible van life. These sites are dotted across the country, so whether you’re hugging the North Coast 500 or just meandering through the Highlands, it adds a bit of freedom to your trip. It also puts your money into Scotland’s public forests rather than some of the big faceless campsite chains, which is a nice bonus.
My tip? Mix it up—use these spots to cover your essentials and save a bit of cash, then treat yourself to a wild spot with a view when the weather’s right. Scotland’s always had the scenery—now it’s starting to have the infrastructure to match. Cheers to that.
Scotland’s Stay the Night Scheme & How to Use It
Forestry and Land Scotland’s Stay the Night scheme is a proper win for vanlifers who want to explore without rinsing their budget. It’s £10 a night at most sites, and you can park up in some of Scotland’s most scenic forest car parks — legally and safely. Four sites in Argyll (Achnabreac, Strone Hill, Bridge of Orchy and Glen Lochy) have chemical waste disposal and cost £13 a night instead, or £5 if you just want to empty the cassette. Blue Badge holders stay free.
Now, let’s be honest — the booking setup isn’t super obvious. You don’t pre-book online like a campsite. Instead, once you’re parked (between 6pm and 10am), you pay using the RingGo app or by calling their payment line. Each site has a unique location code on the signage — that’s what you’ll need to pay. If you’re in a signal black hole (likely in some remote spots), don’t stress — you’ve got up to 72 hours after leaving to pay.
Shop via A Van Life Thing
If you buy anything on Amazon after clicking our link, we earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It's a dead easy way to support the site while you're shopping for kit anyway.
Shop on AmazonA few rules to keep it all sustainable: you’ll need a self-contained van (onboard toilet is a must, and no pop-up tents or loo tents beside it), no generators, no fires, no barbecues. Keep the noise down, especially between 10pm and 7am, and park at least 4 metres from the next van. The big one: it’s one night per car park, and you can’t come back to the same one within 48 hours. There’s no weekly pass. If you want a week in Scotland’s forests, you hop between sites — seven nights will cost you £70, and you’ll need at least three car parks on rotation. Only nine sites take vans over 7 metres or caravans, and fewer car parks take part over winter, so check the destinations list before you set off.
And if it's worse saying once, it's worth saying twice. Please keep this and indeed any other park up's clean and tidy. I feel a little ashamed I have to even write this but with the war on parking spots being very much against van life, we have to do what we can.
If you have any suggestions or ideas to share for positive van life park ups, please let me know via twitter/x, instagram or drop a comment down below or if you want to go retro, email is an option.
