Initiative to provide overnight parking for campervans and motorhomes to be repeated
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A popular initiative encouraging campervans and motorhomes to use forestry car parks for overnight stays is being reinstated.
Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) is repeating its ‘Stay the Night’ initiative and permitting travelling vehicles to use 41 of its car parks across Scotland for overnight stays.
Originally trialled in 2020, Stay the Night helps to alleviate pressure on honey-pot tourism sites and on local communities and businesses.
The programme will run from Friday April 1 to October 31. Full details, including a list and location map of all the sites, will be available online in the next few weeks. The participating sites will be spread across Scotland.
Self-contained motorhomes and campervans (with all facilities including toilet inside the vehicle) only are allowed. Tents and car camping are not permitted. Stays are for one night only between the hours of 6pm and 10am, with no return visit for 48hrs.
Stuart Chalmers, FLS national visitor services manager, said: “Stay the Night has proved to be hugely popular with campervan and motorhome users and we have had support from communities and partners across the country.
“Motorhomes and campervans are a major part of Scotland’s tourism traffic and allowing people to stay at our carparks overnight, will help to meet the growing demand for stopping places.
“It also encourages people to stay a little longer at locations they would otherwise have passed through, which should provide a boost to many small rural businesses.”
No booking system is in place and the participating carparks will operate on a first come first served basis. On certain sites a small charge will be payable on site via ticketing machines.
A pay by phone system may be introduced at all or most sites later in the season.
