Wild Camping in the UK: The Rules, From Scotland to Dartmoor

Can you wild camp in the UK? Few outdoor questions get as many contradictory answers, because there isn’t one rule but several: one in Scotland, another in England and Wales, and an exception on Dartmoor that went all the way to the Supreme Court. The most recent legal milestone is that ruling, handed down on May 21, 2025 [6]. Unlike US public lands, where dispersed camping rules come from the land manager, British rules come from access law and from the landowner. Here is what each rule says, where it applies, and what to check before you pitch.

Scotland: camping is part of your access rights

In Scotland, you can enjoy the outdoors on most land as long as you act responsibly, and that includes “lightweight camping in a tent, in small numbers and for no more than two or three nights in one place”, says the Scottish Outdoor Access Code [1]. The Code sets out how to use these rights: small tents, pitched well away from buildings and roads, a backup plan if a spot is busy, no camping in enclosed fields of crops or farm animals, and taking away all belongings and litter [1]. Sweden, Norway and Finland have a comparable right, framed by their own laws: the Nordic right of public access.

Fire is the point the Code stresses most. Don’t light an open fire, even in a fire bowl or barbecue, during prolonged dry spells, near forests, farmland, peaty ground, buildings or historic sites; cook on a stove set on a level, non-flammable surface; and leave dead wood where it lies, because it is a home for wildlife [1]. In practice, a stove and a head torch do the job of a campfire.

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England and Wales: the landowner’s permission comes first

South of the Scottish border, the starting point is the opposite. The “right to roam” lets you walk, run, watch wildlife and climb on open access land, but camping is among the activities you cannot usually do there [4]. In other words, pitching a tent in England needs the landowner’s permission, and the same goes for Wales: Dartmoor is the only place in England and Wales where wild camping is enshrined in law, as the British Mountaineering Council points out [5].

In practice, some areas tolerate discreet camping. The Lake District National Park Authority states that wild camping is technically not permitted without the landowner’s prior permission, and that it cannot authorise camping on private land [8]. It is normally tolerated, though, if you camp above the highest fell wall, the last dry-stone wall before the open hilltops, or fells, well away from towns, villages and lake shores, for one night only, in a very small group of one or two tents, with no fire and no litter [8]. Wherever you pitch, landowners or their representatives have the legal right to order you to break camp and move on [8]. Camping in parking lots or on roadsides is not allowed at any time [8].

Dartmoor: the exception confirmed by the Supreme Court

Dartmoor’s exception comes from section 10(1) of the Dartmoor Commons Act 1985, which gives the public a right of access to the commons on foot and on horseback for open-air recreation [6]. In 2023, a landowner asked the courts to rule that this right didn’t include camping. The High Court agreed, the Court of Appeal disagreed, and on May 21, 2025, the Supreme Court dismissed the landowner’s appeal, in a judgment by five justices [6]. Wild camping on the Dartmoor commons is therefore a right, not just a tolerance [5, 6].

A right with rules attached. The Dartmoor National Park Authority allows backpack camping on some commons only, shown on its camping map; “backpack camping” means carrying your own gear as part of your hike and staying one or two nights at most [7]. No overnight stays in vehicles, campervans or motorhomes, no large tents or large groups, no fires, and take all rubbish home [7]. During the ground-nesting bird season, from March 1 to July 31, the Authority asks for extra care around rare nesting sites [7].

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Before you pitch: the checks to make

1. Which country are you in? The border changes everything: access rights in Scotland, permission in England and Wales.
2. Is there a special zone? In summer, check the Loch Lomond and the Trossachs permit areas; on Dartmoor, the national park’s camping map.
3. Is it fire season? In a dry spell, no open fire, even in a fire bowl: cook on a stove [1].
4. On Dartmoor, are the ranges firing? Look up the firing times before setting off, and watch for red flags [9].
5. Will you leave no trace? Small tent, short stay, all litter carried out, and a backup plan if the spot is busy [1, 7, 8].

These rules move slowly, but they do move: Dartmoor’s went from the High Court to the Supreme Court in three years, and the Loch Lomond permit has had several prices. If you plan your first wild camp in Scotland, our guide to backcountry camping rules in France shows how differently the question is handled across the English Channel, and our pieces on sleeping bag temperature ratings and sleeping pad R-values cover the gear. Before you go, check the date on each page: the one that counts is the one in force on the night you pitch. The permit zone crosses a famous long-distance route, covered in our guide to the West Highland Way.

Arnaud Couderc

Fact-checking, regulations, and safety

Arnaud Couderc reviews our contributors’ articles and writes for Outfarer about regulations, safety, fishing, the ocean, and outdoor activities. He traces every rule back to its official text and every number to its source, so you head out with solid benchmarks.

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