Waterside camping in The Great Trossachs Forest National Nature Reserve

• Booking is recommended for all campgrounds in the Trossachs, particularly on weekends when out-of-towners swarm in. Most sites only operate from March to September.
• In some areas of the Trossachs, wild camping is allowed, if restricted to permit-only pitches. Some bylaws prohibiting camping and campfires may be in effect in certain Camping Management Zones.

Scotland’s long summer nights are sunlit until 10pm, meaning the Trossachs swell with visitors from June to September, and advanced booking is essential. For your best chance of a prime camping spot, aim for May, June, or later in the season from September to October when the nights are cooler. Autumn brings with it fully colored-in forests and the atmospheric calls of the stag rut—when the Trossachs’ native deer compete on the hills for hinds.

• Camping permits at the Trossachs’ most beautiful spots aren’t needed between October and February, so consider travelling outside the summer high season.
• Bins are often not provided, so campers must take pack out any waste. Travel light, especially if coming by bike or boot.
• Ticks, which can carry lyme disease, are present in the Trossachs, particularly during spring and summer. Keep your arms and legs covered.