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PEPPERCOMBE BEACH, NORTH DEVON
Dramatic coastline more your thing? Follow
the South West Coast Path towards Peppercombe
and you’ll find a wonderfully secluded shingle beach
where experienced wild campers have been known
to set up shelters. Alternatively, head off the beach
for the night and go to sleep to the sound of the
waves in the National Trust’s Peppercombe Bothy
(nationaltrust.org.uk), then wake to a spectacular
dawn chorus and beautiful views across the bay.3
BRECON BEACONS, SOUTH WALES
The most magical thing about spending a
night outdoors has to be an uninterrupted view of
an inky sky speckled with bright stars. On a clear
night in the Brecon Beacons, you can see the
Milky Way, major constellations, bright nebulas and
even meteor showers – ideal for budding stargazers.
Set up in the Camp Cynrig glamping village at the
centre of the park or look up their list of landowners
(breconbeacons.org) who are happy to welcome
wild campers before you go.2
CAIRNGORMS, SCOTLAND
A mix of magnificent forests, wetlands, farms
and crofts with rivers winding through the spectacular
landscape, Scotland’s Cairngorms National Park
makes reconnecting with nature simple. If you’re not
sure about setting up your sleeping bag in the wild,
there are plenty of choices when it comes to bedding
down here. Go for a camping pod, set up your tent in
a sheltered forest site with all the amenities you could
ask for or go a little wilder and seek out one of the
many bothies in the park.
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LOCH ENOCH, GALLOWAY FOREST PA RK
Just over the border in Scotland, Galloway
Forest Park is filled with rolling hills and dotted
with lochs lined with stretches of white sand – it’s
practically impossible to feel stressed before this
sight. Plus, as Scotland allows visitors to wild camp
as long as they follow the code of arriving late,
packing up early and leaving no trace, you can enjoy
a night surrounded by abundant nature. Loch Enoch
is a particular favourite among regular campers.