Camping and wild camping

The Forth & Clyde, Union, Monkland, Caledonian and Crinan canals are recognised as scheduled monuments and wild camping is not permitted on the canal banks to avoid damage to these valuable heritage structures. Anyone wishing to camp should do so at designated campsites.

On the Caledonian Canal, we have identified some simple grassed areas away from the canal banks where Scottish Canals can accommodate small numbers of tents without risk of damage to the Scheduled Ancient Monument. As only small numbers of tents can be accommodated all users should have a ‘Plan B’ option for each overnight stay in case their preferred spot is full when they arrive.  Larger groups or those wishing to camp for more than one night should book into one of the Great Glen’s commercial campsites instead.  Scottish Canals reserves the right to deny access to sites for operational reasons.

The Great Glen Trail along the Caledonian Canal is experiencing an increase in usage both on and off the water post-lockdown, particularly from paddle users, so the route is likely to be much busier than usual. To reduce the pressure on the sensitive environment of the Great Glen, we’re encouraging paddlers, walkers & cyclists to book accommodation in commercial campsites, B&Bs, hostels, guest houses or hotels rather than wild camping on their journey.

For more information about wild camping on scheduled monuments, please visit Historic Environment Scotland’s website Wild Camping at Scheduled Monuments (historicenvironment.scot)