Wildlife-watching campsites near Elgin

Lying on the River Lossie, in the heart of Moray Speyside, Elgin’s main attraction is the ruins of Elgin Cathedral. The cathedral retains its beautiful facade and contains a Pictish cross slab. The town offers plenty of other attractions, including the local distilleries Glen Moray, Gordon and MacPhail, and Glen Elgin, and the Elgin Museum, one of the UK’s oldest museums. Elgin also puts you within easy reach of Moray’s rugged coastline, hills and mountains, which provide the perfect setting for climbing, mountain biking, rafting, sailing, hiking and wildlife watching.

99% (48)

Top-rated campgrounds

Lying on the River Lossie, in the heart of Moray Speyside, Elgin’s main attraction is the ruins of Elgin Cathedral. The cathedral retains its beautiful facade and contains a Pictish cross slab. The town offers plenty of other attractions, including the local distilleries Glen Moray, Gordon and MacPhail, and Glen Elgin, and the Elgin Museum, one of the UK’s oldest museums. Elgin also puts you within easy reach of Moray’s rugged coastline, hills and mountains, which provide the perfect setting for climbing, mountain biking, rafting, sailing, hiking and wildlife watching.

99% (48)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

97%

(57)

54km from Elgin · 10 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Strathdon, Scotland

Pitches and pods in the Cairngorms National Park

2. Badrallach Campsite

91%

(39)

118km from Elgin · 12 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Ross and Cromarty, Highlands

Where the end of the road is the start of your adventure

3. The Snug at Logie Farm

100%

(7)

142km from Elgin · 1 unit · Glamping · Falkland, Fife, Central Scotland

Luxury glamping pods with all mod cons, with an elevated position overlooking the River Tay.

4. Mondhuie Chalets

48km from Elgin · 1 unit · Glamping · Nethy Bridge, Scotland

Just under an acre, close to Ancient Caledonia Forest , on the Speyside Way (which runs from Elgin to the South) Garden space for pets, kids and a run around! Our house and 2 Chalets (1 sleeps 5, 1 ideal for 2 or small family) are on the property. Not fully fenced from road. On the outskirts of NethyBridge. Private driveway, and car park

5. The Loft Glamping & Camping

100%

(9)

12km from Elgin · 12 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Kinloss, Scotland

The Loft Glamping and Camping is situated at East Grange Farm, Kinloss, Moray. It 's a working farm that has evolved over the years to include Wigwam Glamping and Camping for campervans, motorhomes and tents. A number of the old farm buildings have been reppurposed as venue spaces for Weddings, Events and Workshops. The "wilderness" campsite offers pitches suitable for tents and small campervans whilst the Stackyard area is suitable for motorhomes and mega tents. All motorhome pitches have electrical hook-up and we have a good number of electric tent pitches. We also now take bookings for caravans. We do not have fully service pitches Onsite, we also have Original Wigwam cabins which are wooden camping cabins (Pods) that offer all year round protection against the elements. With heating, electricity, fridge, kettle and toasters. For those wanting a bit more luxury there are also ensuite Wigwam Cabins onsite with wood fired hot tubs. We welcome families, groups, well behaved dogs and do allow campfires outside the wigwams and at pitches and can provide fire hubs on the campsite (this must be pre-arranged). The Loft Glamping and Camping looks forward to welcoming you throughout the year!

6. Bankhead Croft

57km from Elgin · 14 units · Tents, Glamping · Gamrie, Scotland

I am a ten acre Croft. I have an on-site cafe. I rescue animals which surround the property. We are two miles from Gardenstown seaside. I offer camping, glamping B&B, and tiny home, cabins. Many properties have hot tubs and are set alone. It’s a quiet area and for those who want to chill on the countryside.

7. Glamping Bothy

100%

(2)

59km from Elgin · 1 unit · Glamping · Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Central Scotland

An upmarket bothy in the grounds of a 12th-century Aberdeenshire castle

Camper favorites near Elgin

Top-rated campgrounds reviewed by the Hipcamp community.

Mondhuie Chalets

48km from Elgin · 1 unit · Glamping · Nethy Bridge, Scotland

Just under an acre, close to Ancient Caledonia Forest , on the Speyside Way (which runs from Elgin to the South) Garden space for pets, kids and a run around! Our house and 2 Chalets (1 sleeps 5, 1 ideal for 2 or small family) are on the property. Not fully fenced from road. On the outskirts of NethyBridge. Private driveway, and car park

The Loft Glamping & Camping

100%

(9)

12km from Elgin · 12 units · Tents, Motorhomes · Kinloss, Scotland

The Loft Glamping and Camping is situated at East Grange Farm, Kinloss, Moray. It 's a working farm that has evolved over the years to include Wigwam Glamping and Camping for campervans, motorhomes and tents. A number of the old farm buildings have been reppurposed as venue spaces for Weddings, Events and Workshops. The "wilderness" campsite offers pitches suitable for tents and small campervans whilst the Stackyard area is suitable for motorhomes and mega tents. All motorhome pitches have electrical hook-up and we have a good number of electric tent pitches. We also now take bookings for caravans. We do not have fully service pitches Onsite, we also have Original Wigwam cabins which are wooden camping cabins (Pods) that offer all year round protection against the elements. With heating, electricity, fridge, kettle and toasters. For those wanting a bit more luxury there are also ensuite Wigwam Cabins onsite with wood fired hot tubs. We welcome families, groups, well behaved dogs and do allow campfires outside the wigwams and at pitches and can provide fire hubs on the campsite (this must be pre-arranged). The Loft Glamping and Camping looks forward to welcoming you throughout the year!

Bankhead Croft

57km from Elgin · 14 units · Tents, Glamping · Gamrie, Scotland

I am a ten acre Croft. I have an on-site cafe. I rescue animals which surround the property. We are two miles from Gardenstown seaside. I offer camping, glamping B&B, and tiny home, cabins. Many properties have hot tubs and are set alone. It’s a quiet area and for those who want to chill on the countryside.

Glamping Bothy

100%

(2)

59km from Elgin · 1 unit · Glamping · Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Central Scotland

An upmarket bothy in the grounds of a 12th-century Aberdeenshire castle

Stories from the community

Lochside camping in Scotland - a big grass camping pitch with big views!

D

Duco

September 2025

Tent

2 nights at Badrallach Campsite

One of the nicest campsites I've ever been to. Extremely remote, but the road leading up is easy to do even with a city car. The hike to Scoraig lighthouse from the campsite is one I'll never forget. The bothy serving as common room is great, nice to get some shelter to prep a meal and relax.

C

Cathy

August 2025

7 m Class A

Weekend Trip to Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Cairngorm Glamping 🩷. This is a beautiful place to stay, with friendly, chilled hosts. Tucked in among the hills of Upper Donside, the view towards the Lecht is lovely … morning or evening. The surrounding countryside is magical. The site has several fields set up for tents / vans / Motorhomes, with or without services. The animal park is very sweet, with goats who seem to spend all day teasing each other and an adorable donkey who wants to talk to everyone 🥰 … the zip-line park was popular with kids of all ages and there’s a food bothy if you don’t feel like cooking. Shower and toilet facilities are clean and well located. They never seemed to be “busy” even though we were there before and during Lonach Gathering weekend. Grey and waste water services are well placed for Motorhome access. As a Scot who lives overseas, I love that places like Cairngorm Glamping exist. They showcase the scenery and provide camping access to areas of countryside that might otherwise be missed by visitors. Just wish we’d had time to stay longer … but will return! 🥰🩷🙏

J

Jordan

August 2025

Tent

2 nights at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Very pleasant, peaceful area with a good view & amenities

F

Freya

August 2025

5 m Class B

With pets

1 night at Badrallach Campsite

Absolutely stunning campsite - beautiful walk down to the loch which was just so clear and peaceful. Lovely little plots - just right for our campervan. Toilets and showers were clean and functional. Only downside was the midges - I would have loved to stay outside for longer but we had to retreat to the van. Highly recommended though.

S

Stephen

August 2025

Tent

With kids

1 night at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Fantastic, friendly hosts, spectacular views and breakfast was delicious! Kids loved the animals and we would have happily stolen Bru!

e

evelyn

August 2025

Tent

With kids

2 nights at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

It would take less time to write what didnt stand out. This is the best, most well kept Campsite we have been to. The fields are really well kept with the most beautiful surroundings. Good Big pitching spaces. Facilities kept clean and always stocked. The Little Critter is a bloody brilliant idea, you can buy feed and go into the first pen and feed the goats, llama and alpaca. There is also a donkey, ponies and a horse, and some chickens. The owners have 4 amazingly friendly dogs. So beautiful and love attntion. 2 of them stay in their garden an want you to throw the ball. Theres a wee shop if you need summit last minute. The washing stations for dishes and the showers etc all have hot - YES - HOT water. There is a massice connect 4 game, swing sets, quiditch poles, a flying fox, an inground trampoline, a sandpit with toys, bikes and go karts all available for the kids and older kids etc. picnic tables. They also provide off the ground fire pits, (there is no time that you have to put it out or get to bed, just be respectful) If you need wood you can take it and pay the next day. Hot rolls and coffee are available in the morning to buy. Robert and his wife and team are all absolutely lovely and nothing is too much. Robert even helped to move my sisters car off a ledge when she missed some signs saying to not turn 🫣😁. The best part as if all of the above was not enough.... NAE MIDGES ❤️ Thank you so so much for an amazing wee break away.

c

claire

August 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Beautiful place, kids loved the animals and the play park

N

Nicole

July 2025

Tent

With kids

2 nights at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Lovely campsite, great for the kids, my own kids made friends playing on the zipline, loved saying hello to the animals and the bikes they could play on was a nice touch, facilities where nice and we overall had a great time.

A

Abby

July 2025

Tent

2 nights at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Everyone here was super kind and funny. The campsite was in a beautiful area with a gorgeous view and beautiful farm animals surrounding the pitches. Would really recommend and definitely going back.

P

Peter

July 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Great campsite with lots of amenities. Plenty of space for the kids to run around.

l

lez

July 2025

Tent

With kids

Weekend Trip to The Loft Glamping & Camping

Everything went well from start to finish great welcome to the site , lovely little hide away if staying for 1 or 2 nights even a week plenty to do and see around the area and excellent facilities to boot , and great scenery around the site defo be back

f

fey

July 2025

5 m Class B

With kids

1 night at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Alles war wunderbar! Wir waren total überrascht, wie schön es dort war. Besonders wie kinderfreundlich es dort ist. Ein riesiger, wunderschöner Ort in den Highlands mit lovely handsome critters :), unendlich wunderbaren Spielmöglichkeiten, netten Nachbarn und sauberen Sanitäranlagen. Genau das richtige nach einer langen Fahrt mit Kindern. Wir würden gerne zurück kommen!

H

Helen

July 2025

6 m Class B

With pets

1 night at Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Great campsite - definitely dog and family friendly! Lots of amenities.

Electric hook up pitches on the Wilderness campsite.

I

Ian

July 2025

Tent

Weekend Trip to The Loft Glamping & Camping

Beautiful location, with nice sheltered, shaded pitches and good facilities including decent showers. Grigor was very helpful and gave me plenty of tips for local places to visit. Thanks

A grass pitch with Electric Hookup at Badrallach. Bring a campervan to this lochside loaction in Scotland, plug in and switch off!

G

Gavin

July 2025

Tent

2 nights at Badrallach Campsite

Great location and a great place for camping. We will be back again and for longer. Thank you for having us and sorry we had to cut the holiday short.

M

Michael

July 2025

7 m Class B

Weekend Trip to Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Lovely to be in a secluded area surrounded by mountains, animals and lots of space. Simple well kept facilities.

E

Erin

June 2025

5 m car

Weekend Trip to Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

Lovely family campsite, gorgeous views and plenty of amenities and essentials on site

R

Ronan

June 2025

Tent

With pets

Weekend Trip to Badrallach Campsite

A lovely quiet laid back site with stunning views of the mountains with a short walk down to the loch which gives you fantastic views back across the loch in both directions. Facilities met all my demands, the showers were very good, a Bothy to hand as well if the weather or the midges get to bad. 🤪 Fire pits provided but bring your own wood. I fully recommend a stop here if you are in the area.

A

Allison

June 2025

7 m Class A

With pets

Weekend Trip to Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

A great campsite. We did not need to use the bathroom facilities as we were in a motorhome. Lovely and quiet which is exactly what we were looking for.

s

spetnaz187

May 2025

5 m Class B

Weekend Trip to The Loft Glamping & Camping

Very good site very welcoming and helpful after a breakdown nearly made us have a very late arrival would highly recommend good facilities and clean enjoyed our stay

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Wildlife-watching campsites near Elgin guide

Where to go

Around Elgin

As it is a stop on the highly popular North Coast 500 driving route, Elgin has a variety of accommodation options. One of the best for campers is Glampods, a 10-minute drive from Elgin. The glamping pod is located in a rural area surrounded by Highland cows and Valias Blacknose sheep.

Findhorn

A 20-minute drive west of Elgin, Findhorn is the starting point for the Moray Coast Trail, a 50-mile (80-kilometre) route that follows the Moray coastline all the way to Cullen. Findhorn Bay Holiday Park overlooks the bay and is close to a golden beach. As well as pitches for tents and tourers, the site has glamping pods, cabins and static caravans.

Nairn

The town’s three sandy beaches make Nairn a favourite of travellers, and there are also opportunities for walking, biking and golfing. A 30-minute drive east of Elgin, family-friendly Nairn Lochloy Holiday Park has pitches for caravans, motorhomes and tents. On a working farm on the banks of the River Nairn, Barns Highland offers spacious hardstanding and grass pitches, as well as a couple of glamping pods.

When to go

Elgin and the surrounding area is one of the sunniest places in Scotland. For soaking up good weather and enjoying the opportunities afforded by extended daylight hours, the best time to visit the area is from May through August. This is the busiest season, however, so it’s a good idea to avoid the school summer holidays in July and August if possible. Although the weather will be cooler, you can avoid crowds by visiting in April or September.

Know before you go

Wild camping is permitted throughout Scotland, as long as you adhere to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code.
Elgin railway station has direct connections to Inverness, Aberdeen and Nairn. Local buses can connect you with other places of interest.
There are several small supermarkets in Elgin. For major purchases, head for Inverness, a 40-minute train journey away.