How to plan a multi-stop Highland road trip combining beachfront touring parks, lochside campsites, chemical disposal points, and midge protection.
Combining Bookable Highland Campsites with Responsible Touring
Whether you are driving the North Coast 500 through Wester Ross and Sutherland, exploring the Cuillin ridges on the Isle of Skye, or pitching among ancient Caledonian pines in the Cairngorms, booking accredited Highland campsites every 1–2 nights keeps your trip comfortable and sustainable. Established sites provide hot showers, laundry rooms, electric hook-up for charging leisure batteries, and essential Elsan chemical toilet and grey-water disposal points.
Along the west coast around Ullapool, Gairloch, Applecross, Achmelvich, and Clachtoll, white-sand machair campsites sit directly above crystal-clear Hebridean waters.
- Peak Midge Season (Late May–Early September): Pitch on breezy coastal headlands (wind over 6mph grounds midges), carry Smidge repellent (picaridin), and keep inner tent mesh doors zipped at dusk.
- Single-Track Passing Places: Never park in passing places, and pull over promptly to let faster local traffic overtake as well as oncoming vehicles.
- Fuel & Provisioning: Top up diesel/petrol and groceries in Inverness, Fort William, Ullapool, or Portree before heading into remote peninsulas.