Informal camping

With its lochs and mountains, Perth and Kinross is a popular destination for those who want to experience some of Scotland's most beautiful scenery. The Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 gives people a statutory right of responsible access to land for recreational purposes, including informal and wild camping. This is when tents are pitched outside an organised campsite.

For more information on accessing land for recreational purposes, visit our outdoor access rights and responsibilities page. 

Informal and wild camping: Do's and Don'ts

The COVID-19 outbreak has meant more people have visited Perth and Kinross than ever before. If you are new to informal and wild camping, here are some simple rules to follow:

• Take away all your litter, including your tent.
• Wherever possible, use a stove rather than an open fire. If you light a fire, keep it small, under control and supervised. Never light a fire during prolonged dry periods or in areas such as forests, woods, farmland, or on peaty ground, near to buildings or in cultural heritage sites. Make sure the fire has been properly extinguished and remove all trace of an open fire before you leave the area.
• Take a trowel to bury human waste or bag it and take it home with you to dispose of responsibly. If burying it, please do it at least 30m away from any watercourse. Check our Dig It campaign page for more guidance on responsible outdoor toileting.
• Pitch your tent away from farms, houses or other buildings. If you must camp near someone's home, ask permission first. Don't pitch a tent in an enclosed field (fence or dykes) especially if there is livestock in it.
• Don't park your vehicle where it will cause an obstruction.

We want visitors to enjoy the landscapes Perth and Kinross has to offer, however failing to follow these simple rules can spoil an otherwise beautiful place for everyone, it can harm local wildlife, create safety risks and can causes problems for landowners and local communities. 

Make sure you read up on the Scottish Outdoor Access Code before you go.

Parking and road restrictions

If you are travelling by car to your destination, please consider where you plan to park or be dropped off. During 2020 our rural roads saw a huge influx of vehicles, with poor and inconsiderate parking causing serious issues for local residents, farmers and the emergency services. To ensure public safety, clearways have been introduced at several hotspot locations prohibiting parking, even to set down or pick up passengers. The image shows the clearway sign to look out for.

More information, including a list of restricted roads can be found on our parking restrictions on country roads page. 

Who do I contact if I see evidence of dirty camping?

Dirty camping is the term used to describe the behaviour of a small number of campers who fail to adhere to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and act in an irresponsible or anti-social manner while camping. This can include inappropriate parking on roads, failing to dispose of human waste properly, causing damage, lighting fires or littering and fly-tipping.

If you think a crime has been, or is in the process of being, committed please contact the Police on 101 or 999 as necessary. If there is a situation which may cause immediate and concerning damage to the environment or lives (such as a fire which is out of control), please contact the relevant emergency service by dialling 999.

The Council's Safer Communities Team work on behalf of communities, carrying out patrols and liaising with other partners such as loch wardens, Police and Fire services, to report any issues and concerns which may have a detrimental effect on community wellbeing. Concerns around dirty camping should be reported to them at VisitorManagementGroup@pkc.gov.uk. Reports will be logged and passed to the officer leading on this piece of work. The team may not be able to respond immediately but will use information provided to build an intelligence picture, which will help inform future measures, including increased patrols to areas.

Further information

Looking for more detailed support and information? 

• The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides guidance on enjoying the outdoors responsibly
• The Young Scot #KnowTheCode Campaign provides a series of 12 helpful videos setting out rights and responsibilities
• The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service provides fire and water safety advice
• What 3 Words an easy way to find and share accurate locations