Aires in Scotland

#camping #campervans #ebikes
A visit to the Loch Ness Caravan Park, a newish aire on the outskirts of Fort Augustas on the Caledonian Canal. I also drop in on the Forty Augustas Canal car park where Scottish Canals have several bays for campervans for a one night stay. (No facilities)
This is the latest in a series of visits to Scottish aires so if you have a favourite please let me know and I'll visit and make a video. Likewise if yoiu own or manage an aire in Scotland and would like a bit of publicity let me know in the comments.
I'm based in the Scottish Highlands and I use a VW campervan to access the great outdoors, where I climb hills, ride my e-bike or gravel bike and just visit some of those places I've never been to. I've been climbing hills and mountains all over the world for 50 years and I'm a former editor of Climber Magazine and The Great Outdoors Magazine.

[@susangreenwell1431]

Thank you for this we are hoping to do a Scottish road trip starting 14th July, had intended coming earlier but had problems with our motor home. We are starting at Moffat then to the Kelpies, Crieff, Pitlochry, Aviemore, Nain, Elgin, Lossiemouth, bypass Inverness, Fort Augustus, Fort William, Crianlarich, Killin, Callander Peebles, Hawick then back to County Durham. You have probably gathered we are retired so plenty of time to explore. The caravan park at Fort Augustus is just the type of park/ aires we are looking for so hopefully will find more on our journey around Scotland. We have been to all of these places before over the years when our children were young but would like to see them again at a more leisurely pace. Once again thank you for posting your travels and the campsites, we also enjoyed the Dumfries blog 👋👋👋

[@MikeandTriciaOotnAboot]

Thanks, didn't know about the Fort Augustus one. Just watched this sitting at the sea front Aire at Cullen, £10 a night, going up to £15 in high season. Absolutely fantastic.

[@junehall2177]

Good to see you out & about again Cameron. What a lovely place to stay !

[@evemakarski9635]

Great video Cameron. The information you provide is very welcome, keep it up. Thank you.

[@colinswindell]

Hi Cameron. Excellent video as usual. Yes, please keep providing us with this useful information about aires. We spent a month in Scotland in spring last year in our 7m motorhome and know that there is so much more to see. We happenned to go through Fort Augustus on our travels but only stopped there for a few hours. We prefer to stay away from the big caravan sites so having information about aires is very useful. I appreciate how much effort goes into recording and then editing the videos that you make. Thank you. Keep up the good work all the while that you enjoy doing it and as long as your health is in good shape.👍🙂

[@edwardmacrury5376]

Thank you Cameron, keep up the good work. It’s very useful information and your not being negative, simply realistic regarding NC500, infrastructure & size of vehicle.

[@gk310]

Stayed at that one last year, very nice and well worth the money

[@winfredcaldenhove7346]

You’r doing a great job. I like what you are doing and the way you do it. But I would love to see more impressions of the nearby surroundings to get a better insight in what the region looks like. The sights of Scotland, wherever one is, are amazing.

[@jamesmullen4378]

Good video Cameron keep them coming hopefully they will set up a national regerster complete with map as they do on the continent.

[@seanconway8058]

Thanks, Cameron. Hope your rehab is going well. Maybe see you on a hill one day. Sláinte

[@stuartallison3729]

Please continue reviewing Scottish Aires Cameron. I stayed 2 nights at Stronachlacher Pier on the back of seeing your video. I had a great weekend. I walked to Inversnaid and back on the Great Trossachs Path, had lunch at the pier cafe and hopefully next time get the Sir Walter Scott boat down Loch Katrine and then walk the 13 miles back to Stronachlacher. Keep up the good work, it's appreciated.

[@seanconway8058]

Great to know this, Cameron. How do I find out where the other Aires are?

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

I'd recommend the Search for Sites ap

[@kwakaboy59]

Thanks Cameron good video and yes , please keep reviewing the aires for the channel. Stopped at the Green Frog in Moffat after you recommended it and it is probably one of the best overnight stops we have ever stayed at! Glad the weather has warmed up for you 👍 Had to stop the video twice to work out what the noise was coming from neighbours house until I realised it was that cock crowing in the background 😂Keep up the good work 👍

[@DavidMartin-gx8yl]

Hi Cameron, firstly and most importantly it’s good to see you getting back to normal as I know you’ve had a rough 18 months or so. 2nd very minor point is the synchronisation between the sound and vision is slightly off at the beginning of your video but it’s nothing to worry about. And thirdly on the topic of motor homes/ camper van aires, yes definitely continue to review them. It would also be great if there was a map of where these are and also some kind of rating system. Something similar to how hotels are rated 1-5 stars. With these aires a 1 could just be very simple,like a plot of ground to park your vehicle on with nothing else to a 5 🌟 having toilets, showers, disposable waste facilities etc. Maybe you could make up a guide book as you’re an established writer who I’m sure would get backing from one of the larger publishers. What’s your thoughts?

[@jimmyjohnstone5878]

Yes, keep looking around at Aire places and film them. The ones I like are those with a bit of grass space, vans not too close together. There doesn't have to be toilets but a water tap would be useful.

[@aileenl7227]

Thankyou. We're setting off in a few weeks time when schools are back. We only have a wee vwt5. Bought it as I can't fly now due to bad health. Cannot wait. Is there anywhere in this area with showers? We can go off grid easy but as we're going to be travelling for a month or so we probably need the shower facilities.

[@fatladattheback8642]

£10 for EHU is daylight robbery. My domestic monthly electricity bill is less than £50; we have an electric cooker and a fairly ordinary collection of appliances. So, £50 divided by 30 days is £1.66 for a three bedroom house, summer and winter. Our van has good batteries and a solar panel. The fridge runs well on the Safefill gas cylinder (around £1 a litre). So, while it is good to find a new place to park, we won't be hooking up, unless the price is at least halved.

Yes please, we found this information very useful. The more simple aires the better. Many, many years ago, (before the birth of the NC500) we used to travel the road in the NW of Scotland. Stunning area, and scenery, now sadly spoilt by overuse of the whole route. ( visit Scotland have a lot to answer for). Please keep finding the aires and forest park ups. Like others we are compiling a list of suitable and safe places to park up, but happy to pay for this privilege and contribute to the local economy, but not be ripped off by many of the campsites. We also try to shop for groceries etc at small village stores. Keep up the good work, Cameron.

[@rickholden4824]

Its a nice tidy site but a few trees would improve it. Thanks for the shots of the canal locks. A most helpful video.

[@geoffcampbell7846]

Thanks for a great video, and yes, this is very useful. We had stayed at the campsite years ago in our T25, and your comment at the end of the video answered my question about its availability. I think you do us all a great service having a hunt for these new aires and pointing them out to us, and I for one appreciate it greatly. Hopefully, in time, these will grow and small towns will benifit from passing trade, as folk stop over and spend time exploring and spend some money in the local shops, bars and restaurants like motorhomers do in france. It should be a win-win and ought to be looked on positively. Cheers 👋

[@mtbguides_Rich]

Great info, I think I would want a loo for the money.

[@davidmathie9512]

I totally agree about the NC500 and Skye which are now swamped with camper vans who give little back to the local community as they fill up with fuel in Dingwall/Inverness and buy shopping in Tesco. These Aires are great and badly needed .Coming over from Torridon last week it was frustrating and annoying to see so many camper vans parked in passing places and in front of gates to fields .

[@stevebrown6665]

Very interesting video thanks for posting I don’t fancy the NC500 either

[@robtaylor9782]

Agree with the NC 500 and Skye stay clear, many other great routes like round me the SW coastal 300 or just over the border Northumberland 250 lakes 100 North Yorkshire moors 200

[@Jennifer.4]

My husband and I stayed on this Aire last year in April. Like you we do not need electricity. We were both wanted to go to the summit of the corrieyairack pass, me on foot my husband on his bike. It was the perfect place to stay for this. The young man who owns the site is very friendly, an excellent place to stay.

[@richardstainthorpe1342]

Couldn’t agree more regarding avoiding the NC500 over the busy periods so much more to see in Scotland away from the NC500. Please keep doing the Aire reviews Cameron they are really useful.

[@glenblaven]

Very helpful video. Thank you.

[@Ballynoes]

Excellent and informative as always. Thank you....and I'm with you on the NC500...no thanks.

[@colinabrehart5592]

Hi Cameron. Yes, please continue to visit and check out Aires. We find it very interesting and informative. We are listing them for future visits to Scotland. Thank you. 🙂👍

[@glenmurray8447]

Yip keep the aire reviews coming please. Always good to see other options. Love Fort Augustus - even like watching the boats go through the locks😬even did it a few years ago on a hired boat - was interesting 🥴😃

[@jimmyjohnstone5878]

This is useful information. I am retired and managing cancer treatment involving regular blood work and scans, so have planned home area holidays this year. From home in Aberdeenshire, I plan to hire a campervan to tour Northern Scotland (avoiding Skye and the NC 500 !) and take my ebike for day trips. Using campervan Aires would be ideal. I don't need full facities, I am happy to just have a simple Aire type place. I am happy to pay around 10 to 15 £ per night to do this.

[@colinblack7049]

Hi Cameron, another great video, I don't have a campervan,yet, I'm waiting for the lottery to provide the funds. I sold my caravan a while ago, but I love your videos, even just looking at the scenery is great. It's good to see the Aires sprouting up, some of them in scenic spots for not a lot of money.

[@H4rleyBoy]

More please Cameron, especially ones which allow facilities only.

[@ALsoutNabout]

I am glad you have taken it upon yourself to review these aires, you are a great ambassador for your beautiful country so please keep them coming. Personally I have avoided Scotland for the past few years hoping that things will calm down and from what you say the corner is being turned. I look forward to visiting again in the future and using your reviews as a guidance. Thankyou Cameron. AL

[@stephenflynn302]

Very useful Cameron. Please keep them coming.

[@GrandadBaz]

Yes please Cameron for mor Aire reviews. We've stayed at the one you've just reviewed and will definitely go back there. The gent who owns the site told us about some decent walks from the site.

[@GemmaG-k6j]

If you have a spare two days you should visit Elie and Kingsbarn in Fife. They have overnight parking for campers . Very lovely.

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

Yes, I've stayed at Elie but weather was too wild to make a video. Will definitely go back and film there. Lovely spot and some great work from the Fife Coast Conservation Trust.

[@Sylvestra1745]

£15 for a pitch plus £10 for a hookup seems very high when you consider that some 'club' sites charge less than £20 for a site with showers etc. Interesting to know where the Aires are though.

[@michaelreed5596]

Thanks Cameron. Have to say having stayed on campsites with toilets and showers recently for £12 in Wales and £18 in North Yorks, £15 per night for nothing but a parking space and waste disposal is over priced.

[@gedreillyhomestead6926]

Aren't all the French Aires free for overnight parking? £10-15 to park overnight without any facilities seems like daylight robbery.

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

Ah, but this is rip-off Britain, not France. I've noticed on my travels more aires on the continent charging for overnights but of course there are still many in France where it is free and ideally that is how it should be. But no-one is being forced into aires. I like to have a safe and secure place to park overnight and preferably with somewhere I can dump waste and pick up fresh water. There is a growing resentment, even here in Scotland, towards those who park-up overnight in unsuitable places in a bid to save money and at the other end of the scale many camp-sites are really ripping folk off, charging upwards of £35-£45 a night for a van and two people. I personally don't mind a tenner, maybe £15 if there are facilities. Anything beyond that is too expensive for an aire.

[@gedreillyhomestead6926]

@@CameronMcNeishOutdoors Thanks Cameron, it was my impression that the idea of Aires was that the visitor would use the local shop, pub, restaurant etc and the aire would supply a waste water dump and a fresh water supply with the overnight stop and the (usually) small community gets an income for very little initial outlay.

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

@@gedreillyhomestead6926 yes indeed, I believe that was the original intention but as I said we live in Tory Britain, though perhaps not for much longer.

[@gedreillyhomestead6926]

@@CameronMcNeishOutdoors I'm with you on that.👍👍

[@johnscot1]

Did Beinn a' Chrulaiste last summer. Not the best mountain in the area for climbing, but probably one of, if not the, best viewpoints.

[@DougieAB]

New aire in Aberfeldy, £5 a night. Ten minutes walk into town. 👍

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

Brilliant news.

[@alexmacleod9727]

pity there isn't at least a toilet

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

Most Aires don’t have toilets. Generally for campervans that are self sufficient. Campsites have toilets.

[@alexmacleod9727]

@@CameronMcNeishOutdoors I was under the impression most were free...

[@CameronMcNeishOutdoors]

@@alexmacleod9727 I wish. I know of a few free ones in Scotland but even in France, Germany, Spain etc free aires are becoming much less common. The times we live in I guess.

[@sida7855]

Just been round France, Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg plenty of free ones but no services especially toilets. The whole idea is you are self contained.

[@alexmacleod9727]

@@sida7855 that was my point... I'm surprised planners allowed any business to operate in Scotland without toilets...