Camping in Loch Leven National Nature Reserve

Loch Leven National Nature Reserve is a top draw for its scenery and abundant birdlife.

93% (100 reviews)

United Kingdom
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Scotland
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Loch Leven National Nature Reserve

93% (100 reviews)

Popular camping styles for Loch Leven National Nature Reserve

Community favorites in and near Loch Leven National Nature Reserve

Stories from the community

1 week ago

Tent

With kids

1 night at Beirhope Alpacas

Amazing wild camping experience (with luxuries), not far from Kelso. Peaceful spot with a handful of pitches ideal for families and couples, Lynne and staff are warm and welcoming, super friendly. Firewood and groceries can be accessed anytime you need, just pay in the morning. Eco toilets are cleaned regularly. Great stargazing area and a picnic area too, plenty of space and idyllic scenery...and there are the alpacas. Beautiful spot... Just don't tell everyone!

Weekend Trip to Beirhope Alpacas

Absolutely loved it definitely be going back with the kids lynne was a great host the views are amazing

Weekend Trip to Beirhope Alpacas

Beirhope was a beautiful, peaceful place to stay and Lynne was super welcoming. The kids loved it and have demanded that we return as soon as possible!

Weekend Trip to Beirhope Alpacas

A very well organised campsite. Lynne was friendly and very accommodating. She gave a brief tour and explanation of the facilties, which was plentiful, then allowed us to set up our pitch. There are a number of pitches available, each one catering for a range of campers. I would wholeheartedly recommend this campsite to others.

Andrew

1 week ago

Weekend Trip to Aberdeenshire Airstream

Stuart really put thought and effort into making the Airstream and area into an amazing place to stay. With a deck, gas BBQ, firepit and lots of spots to sit outside it makes for a very relaxed time away. The area is very quiet but there is lots to see and do that's not very far. Truly a great host, it was a pleasure to stay there.

1 night at West Highland Way Hotel & Campsite

It was amazing! The view of the surrounding fells and farms was so tranquil and peaceful. Andrew was a friendly and helpful host. The property was beautiful and there was a good community of campers there that socialized over breakfast. There were also trails on the property that we didn't get to. I would definitely recommend this campsite to anyone that is going to Scotland

Mandi

3 weeks ago

1 night at West Highland Way Hotel & Campsite

Very friendly staff. Easy to find. Great facilities. Lovely walks right at back of premises. Only downside for me was the noise off other campers. People turning up and setting stuff up after 10 pm. Also loud group of lads. But I’m use to wild camping so maybe noise would be acceptable for most.

1 night at Walkmill Campsite

Nothing but good things to say about Walkmill! Clean, well looked after, incredibly peaceful, and Claire was very helpful before and during our stay. Perfect for the first night of our trip in our van. Will definitely be back & would recommend to anyone. Thanks again!

Weekend Trip to Walkmill Campsite

Lovely campsite with excellent facilities. All very clean and in good condition. The hosts were very helpful and the little shop is stocked with some great stuff. Considering how remote the site is, it was very easy to find. The area it's in is great for peaceful walks.

Weekend Trip to Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping

Ruberslaw was the most delightful camping experience. The hosts were welcoming and superb. The amenities were top notch, and the surroundings utterly delightful. Highly recommend.

1 night at Loch Katrine Eco Camping

Quite basic - you're sleeping in a car park - but it's beautiful setting and the toilets were clean.

3 nights at Troquhain Woods

The pitch is pretty much perfect if you want a basic camp. 4 of us with a camper had a great time from start to finish. Malcolm is very attentive as a host and kept us stocked with firewood and came to make sure we didn’t want for anything. Loch Ken is not too far away and has a good water sports centre with decent boat hire for fishing.

12 top campsites in Loch Leven National Nature Reserve

98%

(113)

Beirhope Alpacas

11 units · Tents1 acre · Kelso, Scotland

A small, off-grid campsite with alpacas in the historically rich southern Scottish borders

97%

(39)

Cairngorms Glamping and Campsite

10 units · Motorhomes, Tents10 acres · Strathdon, Scotland

Pitches and pods in the Cairngorms National Park

95%

(104)

Loch Katrine Eco Camping

22 units · Glamping, Motorhomes1 acre · Stirling and Falkirk, Central Scotland

Loch-side sleeping and exploring in one of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park's most historic locations

98%

(106)

Walkmill Campsite

10 units · Motorhomes, Tents10 acres · Northumberland, North East England

Refreshingly understated private camping in the unspoiled Northumberland countryside

80%

(32)

West Highland Way Hotel & Campsite

46 units · Glamping, Motorhomes, Tents10 acres · Glasgow, Lanarkshire, South Scotland

A welcoming campsite on the West Highland Way

88%

(25)

Culdees Castle Estate Glamping

5 units · Glamping, Motorhomes17 acres · Perthshire , Scotland

Luxury woodland cabins, each with a private hot tub, in the grounds of a Scottish castle

78%

(18)

Collierhall Farm

5 units · Tents10 acres · Lanark, Lanarkshire, South Scotland

Very quiet and easily accessible from the motorway (1 mile) The farm is set in 100 acres and has a mixture of caravans, motorhomes and tents. There is a golf course across the road and the world heritage site of New Lanark only 7 miles away. Edinburgh and Glasgow are also easily reached by car or train.

100%

(8)

Cleghorn Farm

15 units · Glamping, Tents250 acres · Lanark, Scotland

*PLEASE NOTE THE CABIN IS AVAILABLE FOR MIDWEEK AND WEEKEND BOOKINGS. CAMPING IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT WEEKENDS. WE REQUIRE AT LEAST 48 HOURS NOTICE FOR CABIN BOOKINGS* Cleghorn Farm is a mixed farm just north east of the market town of Lanark. Comprised of 250 acres of fields and woodland and bounded to the south by Mouse Water, it is a beautiful spot to get away from it all without having to leave it all behind if you don't want to. The fields are grazed and cultivated but the woodlands are much as they were at the end of the last ice age with spectacular walks along Cleghorn Glen with the chance to see badgers, bats, deer and all manner of birds among the towering pine and beech trees. The Mouse Water (pronounced moose) tumbles down along the edge of the farm and has some glorious pools for swimming, shallows for paddling and some spectacular water falls before it joins the River Clyde.

97%

(18)

Ruberslaw Wild Woods Camping

53 units · Glamping, Tents500 acres · Hawick, Scottish Borders

Pick between the woods and the walled garden at this stunning Scottish Borders site

Booked 8 times

Woodland Camping

10 units · Tents10 acres · Glasgow, Stirling And Falkirk

Get away the a little part of Scottish Heaven. We cater for all campers, regardless of the size of your tent or group. Included in your stay is access to free, fast WIFI. Free breakfast with tea/coffee available 24 hours. We are a very dog friendly site, so all furry campers are more than welcome.

100%

(1)

The Charcoal Huts - Isle of Bute

2 units · Glamping8 acres · England

Our Huts are located within the Moss Wood area of Bute Forest - a mixed birch and alder wood that extends up the hillside to the west of the A886 that connects the Rhubodach Ferry to Port Bannatyne and Rothesay. Moss Wood has a range of facilities. Park on the shore-side where the coast can be enjoyed or at the main entrance, and take a walk up through Moss Wood along the Poetry Trail. A steep walk in places, the Poetry Trail is a loop punctuated with places to stop and read, to stop and think. Read nature poetry from throughout the ages, stop at the Blether Stane, or taking the spur to the Viewing Point back south across the Kyles. Moss Wood connects to the West Island Way – take the Poetry Trail and the spur to the Viewing Point – and then take the Stag’s Trod further up (steeply) till you reach the West Island Way. From there, head south towards Port Bannatyne or north along the boundary of the Community Forest. From the viewing point, you can also explore interesting heritage features such as the old WW2 bunker, kayak shelter, Balnakailly settlement, and the SSSI oak woodland.

92%

(32)

Troquhain Woods

6 units · Motorhomes, Tents14 acres · Castle Douglas, Dumfries, South Scotland

Nearly wild camping for tents and campervans in a Scottish woodland

Dog-friendly getaways

100%

(7)

The Snug at Logie Farm

1 unit · Glamping1 acre · Falkland, Fife, Central Scotland

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

100%

(2)

Craigmarloch Lodge

1 unit · Glamping1 acre · Glasgow, Scotland

A high-end glamping cabin with a hot tub on the edge of the Highlands

100%

(10)

St Conan's Escape

4 units · Glamping4 acres · Dalmally, Scotland

Dog-friendly lodges on a Scottish mountainside with incredible loch views

Broom Fisheries Campsite

4 units · Glamping200 acres · Dumfries, South Scotland

Luxury caravans ideally situated next to picturesque Scottish fishing lakes

100%

(4)

Doxford Farm Camping

7 units · Glamping1 acre · Northumberland, England

Rustic-chic glamping pods near the sandy beaches of the Northumberland Coast

Happy farmer sitting in a truck in a grassy field

Camping in Loch Leven National Nature Reserve guide

Overview

History buffs and nature lovers alike will love visiting Loch Leven National Nature Reserve. You can explore 13 miles (21 kilometers) of trails by foot or by bike around the pretty, wide loch; marvel at a huge array of birdlife, from freshwater breeding ducks to osprey, kingfishers and the occasional white-tailed sea eagle, and take a short boat trip to a tiny island that is home to the ruins of a castle from which Mary Queen of Scots made a daring escape. While there is no organized campsite in the reserve, Galloway Camping and Caravan Park is less than a 10-minute drive away.

When to go

The reserve’s birdlife varies throughout the year. Huge flocks of wildfowl, including tufted ducks, teal, greylag and 10 percent of the world’s population of pink-footed geese, make their winter home here. In the summer, you’ll see breeding ducks with their fluffy ducklings and ospreys fishing on the loch. Note that the boat service to Castle Island only runs during the summer months.

Know before you go

Visitors following the Scottish Outdoor Access Code may wild camp around Loch Leven.
There are wildlife hides dotted around the loch from which you can view the birdlife without disturbance. All are wheelchair accessible.
Any water sports done on the loch must avoid bird sensitive areas and seasons. Check NatureScot’s Water Access Guidance for more.
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) maintains a visitor center on the south side of the loch with good views, restrooms, a shop and a café.
The closest bus stop is in Kinross, a mile away.