8 of Scotland's most unusual camping spots

Explore Scotland from one of these unique places to camp
Picture: Urban rooftop camping, Air BnBPicture: Urban rooftop camping, Air BnB
Picture: Urban rooftop camping, Air BnB

Urban rooftop camping, Glasgow

Experience Glasgow from a different point of view by renting out this roof terrace tent. Available on Air BnB for £40 per night, it is billed as: “Scotland’s first urban rooftop camping experience, located right in Glasgow’s city centre.”

Guests will be glad to know that the tent is waterproof and includes a double memory foam mattress, two pillows, a duvet and a torch.

Picture: Roulotte Retreat, Philip HeywoodPicture: Roulotte Retreat, Philip Heywood
Picture: Roulotte Retreat, Philip Heywood
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Campers will also have access to a fully equipped kitchen, lounge with TV and Netflix, a free vegan-friendly breakfast, a hot shower and shared WC.

On a working croft, Isle of Iona

Get away from it all with a stay at one of Scotland’s more remote campsites. The Isle of Iona Campsite is a small site, which is part of a working croft and only a five minute walk from the beach.

The owners can provide a tent (and pitch it for you), a blow up roll mat and sleeping bag, meaning that even the most inexperienced camper can enjoy a stay here. There are showers available, and an indoor kitchen area which is ideal for the temperamental Scottish weather.

Picture: A Hobbit House pod, TSPLPicture: A Hobbit House pod, TSPL
Picture: A Hobbit House pod, TSPL

Up a tree, Craighead Howfs, Perthshire

What could sound more Scottish then an auld wee howf perched above a burn on the bonny banks of a lochan? A Howf is a meeting place, or haunt, and in this cause refers to a wonderful treehouse with 360 views over the Ochil Hills. Amenities include internal cooking facilities, a shower, wood burning stove/ oven and compost toilet.

Stay warm by the wood burning stove while enjoying food prepared in the small kitchen before retiring to the kingsize bed to enjoy a view of the night time sky through the overhead stargazing window. Guests can also test their cooking skills on the unique wood burning stove, or on the outdoor barbecue and fire pit if the weather is on your side.

The treehouse’s central location means it is the perfect place to start out from to visit Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument, Edinburgh and Glasgow or head north to see the Highlands, Scotland’s National Parks or the mountains and lochs of the Trossachs.

Picture: Roulotte Retreat, Philip HeywoodPicture: Roulotte Retreat, Philip Heywood
Picture: Roulotte Retreat, Philip Heywood

In a Shepherd’s hut, Stranraer, Dumfries and Galloway

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Treat yourself and the other half to a stay in this quirky Shepard’s hut in Glenwhan Gardens in Stranraer. Ideal in the spring time, guests can take a stroll along the Moorland Walk where bluebells and bird-life are in abundance at this time of year.

Galloway Forest Park is just 20 miles away, where stargazing is a popular activity. Luce Bay is even closer, at only one mile from the site, and the nearby Dunskey Castle is also worth a visit.

In a Gypsy caravan, Bowden near Melrose, Borders

Picture: A Hobbit House pod, TSPLPicture: A Hobbit House pod, TSPL
Picture: A Hobbit House pod, TSPL
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Escape for a weekend in one of these charming Roulottes (gypsy-style French wooden caravans). Hidden away on the grounds of Bowden Mill in a wildflower meadow, there are eight individually styled roulottes to choose from.

Inside they are not so much rustic as resplendent - reminiscent of a luxury train suite with smooth hardwoods, delicate carvings and lush furnishings. Amenities include a wood burning stove with logs provided, shower and kitchen area.

Melrose, home of Rugby Sevens and the Borders Book Festival is nearby. As is St Cuthbert’s Way long-distance footpath, which is perfect for keen walkers.

In a Hobbit home, Fraserborough

There are few places that look as cosy as the Hobbit homes from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, and now you can experience your own little piece of Hobbiton with a stay in these wonderfully unique little glamping huts.

Based on a farm near Fraserburgh in north east of Scotland, the insulated huts offer the perfect way to stay warm at night as well as being a great base for exploring Scotland’s rugged coastline, with stunning views over the Moray Firth.

In a woodland Yurt, Moray

Enjoy living the romantic nomadic lifestyle of the past with this luxurious yurt, set within 25 acres of traditional woodland. The yurt, which is located at Woodlands Rest, in the heart of the Aldroughty Woods in Moray, is possibly the most palatial of all of the glamping pods; looking more like a five star hotel suite than a large tent, campers will appreciate how spacious and comfortable it is.

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A wood-burning stove, and candles and low-voltage lights, complete the cosy feeling making it perfect for escaping every kind of Scottish weather. The yurt, which is located close to the city of Elgin and the heart of whisky distilling country, comes with access to a shower and an eco-friendly compost/chemical toilet.

Coming soon, former prisoner of war camp, Comrie

This former Second World War high-security camp at Cultybraggan near Comrie in Perthshire is set to become arguably the country’s most unusual tourist accommodation. After a £60,000 renovation, which is to include an environmentally friendly district heating system, the site will start taking bookings for guests later this year with plans to open in early 2018.

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