About Photo-Wild

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The best photos of the Wildlife and Wild Places of Scotland Wales and England are from Wild Camping in a Motorhome, Campervan, or Narrowboat.... Simple.

Introduction to Nick & Irene Scott:

Nick and Irene are retired Hotel Boat owner/operators from the Scottish and English/Welsh canal networks.

Now retired, we kept our much loved narrowboat Willow, but just as a private boat on the English/Welsh canal network...But now 6 years on we have sold Willow on (now once again a hotelboat under new ownership). So we now spend much of the year either touring in our elderly motorhome or tending to our garden aviary.

Most often the best wild scenery and wildlife photo opportunities are to be found away from such sites and marinas - and 'far from the madding crowd'. Very often we need to wait at a particular location for the right light (or even weather) to get the best shots - confining ourselves to being on official sites or marinas just doesn't work for us - we need to be 'on location'.

We love our own grandchildren dearly, but not other peoples' using our motorhome as a frisbee target. Of course there are many motorhomers and boaters out there that quickly recognise these concepts.

Wild Motorhoming:

We also just prefer the wild motorhome option - 'Camping Wild': What could be nicer than pulling off a single track road beside a burn, or overlooking a lochan - during the Rut in the Highlands. With not a house in sight and waking up to the calls of the stags, challenging each other across the hills and forests - Just Magical. 

Or perhaps amid the Welsh Cambrian Mountains during July and August - with fewer midges than the North West of Scotland.

Then let's make a 'photo record' of these magical stops. 

We are scrupulous in the ethics of our wild motorhome camping (and mooring). In particular our motorhome is properly equipped with on-board toilet facilities. We dispose of all waste (human and dog) in a proper fashion and leave no litter - indeed we pride ourselves on the principle of leaving no 'footprint' of our very temporary stay at any particular location.

Our motorhome is elderly, but adapted to suit 'wild camping' with additional fresh water storage tanks, diesel heating, solar charging and enhanced battery capacity.We don't use or need an electric hook up, so why should we pay for it, by being on a formal site.

Similarly, with additional effluent storage, we need to empty sewage only once a week - so why should we require to be on a formal caravan site for the other days.

So here's a bit of a rant...

Local communities in Scotland could take a lesson from the French 'aires' - typically areas at villages where motorhomes can stop overnight free of charge or at minimal cost. Village shops/pubs/restaurants get trade and the motorhomers get toilet emptying / water facilities etc if required.

As an exercise we priced staying on a Camping and Caravan Club site at Glencoe for a week in June 2021. The club has a good reputation for value, but the cost came in at about £250/week - non club sites are likely to be much more (often charging for extras such as a wife and a dog). As pensioners, a typical tour in our motorhome might be for 6 weeks - using this example it would cost us £1500 in sight fees for the period....Oh, and I've got a wife and two dogs - remember for most of the time we don't need their charging/water/toilet facilities - which are needed typically only one day in seven...Rant over.

Of course there is also a converse rant...Those people who visit our stunning countryside and shores who leave all manner of litter, abandoned tents etc, scar the ground with barbecues and fires, and even human excrement. That applies to some such folks visiting by car/bus; some tent campers; some fishermen; and (yes) some motorhomers. Such folk don't deserve our beautiful contryside, and should stay away...

We fully comply with the 'responsible behaviour' principles outlined within the Scottish Outdoor Access Code 2005 made under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 - for more on this select 'Land Access Code'.

Of course this brings us back to our raison-d'etre - we want to experience and record the wild beauty of the more remote parts of the UK and it's wildlife - why would we spoil that with a litter footprint - and how could we do that effectively from a formal caravan site, or marina berth.

Our photography work:

Neither of us are professional photographers, although we like to think we're 'getting better all the time'. Technically, the photography displayed on the this website will be relatively low resolution, designed merely for economic use of data display....deliberate for the following reasons:

• Data file uploads will generally be by mobile internet connection (3G or 4G), direct from the photographed locations - we don't have unlimited fibre broadband either in the motorhome or on the boat.
• Big data uploads would therefore be problematic particularly in some rural areas with limited internet coverage.
• Pages and blog entries may be displaying a number of photos. If the files are large, mobile web users (perhaps also on mobile data plans) will have page loading problems.
• Our general intention is to display the locations and wildlife, rather than win photo competitions.

If you would like to use a displayed photo, please ask first. We are generally non-commercial.

If you have appropriate photos of your own that you would like us to display, we will certainly welcome that as a consideration. We would, of course, display a photo credit (and web link if you wish that to be arranged).

Wild Camping.... The Land Assess Code

The land Reform (Scotland) Act, 2003, was brought in by the Scottish Government to establish a statutory framework of public Access rights to most of Scotland's land and inland water. These legal rights are based on the principle of reasonable access with obligations both on the access users and on the managers of the land/water. Guidance on these responsibilities is set out in the Scottish Outdoor Access Code 2005.

In England & Wales: Having researched the subject, this page on photo-wild aims to give guidance to other motorhome users as to what is (and what isn't) acceptable in terms of our use of a motorhome in Scotland and even, in some repects, within England and Wales. Certainly Road Traffic law in England & Wales is broadly the same as in Scotland - so in the absence of a Traffic Regulation Order you can stop and sleep in any road layby - complying with drivers hours legislation, HGV drivers do so regularly. Before leaving the subject of England and Wales, I understand that 'law of trespass' south of the border is generally a civil matter - and not a 'trespassers will be prosecuted' criminal issue. So treat the adage that 'wild motorhoming' in England and Wales is illegal, with some suspicion. There is certainly no UK statute that creates a blanket offence of staying in a motorhome elsewhere than on a caravan site.

Although the main content of this page deals with the law in Scotland, we use the same Scottish code and principles of responsibility when motorhoming in England and Wales. Like most Scottish legal principles they are, after all, based on common sense.

In Scotland:
So most of this page deals with the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, under the Land Reform (S) Act. It may also be of interest to local land owners and land managers who have not, perhaps, researched the subject.

The full Scottish Outdoor Access Code 2005 can be downloaded in various formats, from their official site - click here.

In summary, however, the following points seem to be of particular note:

• Everyone has access rights under the code to most of Scotland's land and inland waterways, but only if that access is exercised responsibly. Importantly access rights can be exercised at any time of Day or Night.

• Such rights can be for recreational pursuits such as cycling, wild camping, walking, and photography (there's a long list).

• There are places where access rights are specifically excluded, such as:- land adjacent to houses and gardens, land with growing crops, schools, playing fields/golf courses etc, military bases etc, quarries and construction sites, and places which charge for entry (a full list in the code).

• Local Authorities can make by-laws limiting access if there is a local need, but only with due regard to the general principles of the 2003 Act.

The next points are of particular importance to motorhome use....

• Motorised activities such as motor bike scrambling and off-road driving are (rightly) excluded as an activity (presumably due to the damage and disruption this might cause). However, the mere parking of a stationary vehicle, responsibly in a suitable place, is not a 'motorised' activity. Neither is merely sleeping in a stationary vehicle. Indeed para 3.19/20 of the code specifically deals with the need for access rights to be exercised at night when visiting remote places (provided it is done in a way not to cause alarm to local residents). For example parking to wander off with your camera to photograph a group of red deer on the hillside is not a 'motorised' activity. 

• Section 34 of The Road Traffic Act 1988 creates a criminal offence of driving a motor vehicle elsewhere than on a road, without authority. HOWEVER the Act specifically states that it is NOT an offence if such off road driving is for the purposes of parking the vehicle within 15 yards of a road. So, for example, pulling off a few yards from a single track public road (perhaps onto an informal unfenced layby) to park your motorhome is not an offence.

• Traffic Regulation Orders can be enacted by local authorities to limit or charge for parking (perhaps prohibiting overnight parking), but they can only be made in certain circumstances (where there is a particular local problem). Similarly by-laws can be made to restrict access to land where there is a genuine local need, but in making the by-law they must take into account the provisions of the Land Reform (S) Act. In particular local authorities must display authorising signs (usually white with blue bands) - advising the public of the existence and provisions of a Traffic Regulation Order - otherwise it has no legal effect. Moreover the ordinary yellow 'No overnight parking' signs are not legally enforceable and in some cases are now prohibited under the Land Reform (S) Act. If there is a sign it should be a legal one.

• In general terms the code requires the public to exercise their access rights responsibly - BUT equally it also requires land owner/managers to act responsibly in any limiting of access. Specifically para 4.8 of the code comments that land owner/managers must not obstruct or hinder people from exercising their right of access either by physically obstructing access or by discouraging or intimidating them.

To sum up we fully endorse the code. We even avoid stopping overnight in places where there are unauthorised no overnight parking signs - we prefer to avoid unpleasantness. However it is very clear that the Scottish Government has, rightly, had a desire to open the Scottish countryside to responsible public access, and to prevent unfair prohibition of that access by landowners. Thus the need to legislate to bring about that principle. It also serves the need to explode certain myths.

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Maps and Apps

Many wild motorhomers will already be aware of the 'park4night' App available on Android (not sure about IPhone). We've used it a number of times if we've been struggling to find a suitable locàtion during the days 'cruise'.

However our main source is from our own experience. To keep track, we have our tablet (most have GPS) mounted on a dashboard bracket and plugged in to a 12v supply. 

On the tablet we have the free Memory-Map App. It has the OS UK road atlas map included (most of time that's all you need, but we also bought the OS Landranger). Once logged on to the GPS signal, a red marker centred on the map indicates your position on the map. Nice feature as you drive, because the red ring position mark stays centred, with the map moving to keep indicating your location. But now, for us, the main point of Memory-Map for motorhomers. When you discover a useful overnight stop, or water point etc, you simply tap on an icon to produce a 'mark' on your map at the GPS point. See the graphic...the mark is indicated by a small blue flag (but you can change the symbol/colour etc to suit). That mark indicates your find on the map for future reference. You can apply text to the mark EG "Nice stop with forest walks, but no phone coverage". You can vary the symbol of each mark to indicate different features...a different symbol for water point from an overnight stop etc.

You might think that all this can be achieved with Google maps, but can you rely on an internet connection?

Hope this helps.

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Temporary Suspension of our Motorhome Trips in Scotland

Due to current irresponsible and diabolical behaviour of many 'wild campers' using Scotlands rural parts, we have paused our normal use of our Motorhome in Scotland. 

Seems the miscreants are 'staycationing' due to covid-19 travel/quarantine restrictions to Europe. We will wait until the guilty go back to holidaying in Minorca or wherever. They seem set to ruin responsible motorhoming in Scotland.  We would hate for folk to associate us and our responsible use of our Motorhome, with those that leave human excrement and other rubbish strewn around our Scots beauty spots. 

Photos of the rubbish and excrement do suggest that it's mainly folk other than in motorhomes - the photos on social media of faeces with loo paper suggest folk pooing in the open, rather than the slurry-like effect of emptying an elsan toilet. Motorhomers don't have or use tents etc to discard.

There may, nevertheless, be some irresponsible motorhoming. As far as the influx of motorhomes on the NC500 is concerned, the creation of 'aires' would undoubtedly help both motorhomers and local communities. Seems that much of the increase of motorhomes has come from expansion of the motorhome hire fleet market - filling up existing caravan sites. Many such inexperienced users, perhaps as an overflow from full caravan sites, may be inexperienced in the ethical ways of wild motorhoming (some perhaps uncaring). 

More caravan sites charging £30 per night is not the answer.  Such sites might suit those on a week's holiday - but for the many retired folk wanting to spend a couple of months in their self sufficient motorhomes (not needing electric hook-ups or shower blocks) upwards of £2000 is too rich for many -  us included.

So in the meantime you may see us moving en-route between Cairnryan and Willow's home mooring in Shropshire, but that will be it. Our 'motorhoming' will just be on Willow for the time being. Maybe come the red deer rut in October, we might see things a bit different.

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