Reference · Jurisdiction
Where is backpack camping permitted in Scotland and on Dartmoor?
Scotland’s responsible access rules cover lightweight camping on suitable land. Dartmoor has a separate right on its Commons under a local Act. Both areas have site-specific restrictions that matter when planning where to pitch.
Sources checked
- 01Identify which access rules apply
Dartmoor Commons and Scotland use different access laws. Source 2
- 02Check the local camping area
Dartmoor publishes a backpack camping map. Loch Lomond and the Trossachs has seasonal management zones. Source 1
- 03Check the date in a management zone
Camping in a Loch Lomond management zone during the season requires a permit or campsite. Source 4
Use the park’s current camping guidance to check the exact area.
Scotland’s access right is for responsible camping
The Scottish Outdoor Access Code describes lightweight camping in small numbers for two or three nights in one place. The park guidance advises staying away from buildings and roads, avoiding enclosed fields with crops or animals and leaving the site as you found it. Source 3 Source 4
A Loch Lomond management zone adds a seasonal rule
The park says its camping byelaws apply in mapped zones from 1 March through 30 September. During those months you need a permit or a campsite to camp in a zone. The seasonal byelaws are inactive from October through February. Source 4
The Dartmoor judgment concerns access to the Commons
In May 2025 the UK Supreme Court ruled that the right of access under section 10 of the Dartmoor Commons Act includes camping for those who enter on foot or horseback. The judgment concerns Dartmoor Commons and explains that the right remains subject to regulation. Source 2
Check the mapped areas before choosing a pitch
Dartmoor National Park Authority publishes the areas where it welcomes backpack camping and describes one or two nights as part of a longer walk. Its guidance asks campers to stay out of sight of roads and settlements and to camp with minimal impact. Source 1