At the end of December 2006, requests were sent to public bodies and charities with a tourism aspect asking if it would be possible to obtain details of their recreational/tourist sites which it is possible (or not possible) for motorhomes to access, either by including a link to the organisation's own web site or incorporating a list of the locations on this web site.
At the time of writing results have been variable as detailed below.
English Heritage
On 7th February 2007, English Heritage replied as follows:
"I can confirm that the relevent information you require is available on our web site (see link below). Please visit the properties section where you will be able to see all the facilities that are available at each of our individual properties. If any of the restrictions apply, such as Height Restrictions etc., these would also be highlighted within this information."
Details of facilities at English Heritage properties are on the web site. Use the "Search for a Property" facility Here. Where parking is available it is indicated. Pages for each site include public transport access. Telephone numbers given for some sites.
English Nature
On 6th March 2007, English Nature replied as follows:
Your request seeks information on parking provision for Motorhomes, and associated matters. For Natural England this would relate to our holding of National Nature Reserves (NNRs). We have direct management responsibility for around two thirds of England’s National Nature Reserves. The other third are managed by bodies that we approve for the purpose under legislation.
As I am sure you will appreciate the priority on NNR is nature conservation. The designation ‘National Nature Reserve’ originates in the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act of 1949. This Act allowed for sites to be declared as a mark of their national importance for nature conservation, and defined the purpose of NNRs as ‘preservation, study and research’. Recent legislation, under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act of 2006 widens that definition to include a recreational purpose, but this must not compromise the conservation purpose. By their very nature many NNR are relatively remote with narrower roads and limited facilities.
Details of National Nature Reserves are given on our web-site which may be accessed through the Natural England web site Here or by going direct to the web-site of one of our founding bodies using the links Here.
For most Natural England NNRs, these descriptions provide details of the special interest of the site, along with information on location, access and facilities (including public transport connections where relevant). Many sites also have a downloadable leaflet. Some sites are however closed to the public for various reasons, and for these a description is not provided. On NNRs managed by an approved body, the web-site can make a link direct to the managing bodies’ web-site, enabling that bodies’ information to be viewed.
I regret we do not hold a national data-base of the items of information you sought, and indeed many NNRs do not have car-parks at all. Where there is a car-park, or there is one close-by, this should be indicated on the web-site or in the downloadable leaflet. Specific details about any car-park, for instance whether there are height barriers, will be available from the relevant site manager. Their details are given in the leaflets and are also available from the local offices - details available through the regional contact given Here.
National Nature Reserves are places of great value for wildlife and are not appropriate for wild camping. Car-parks on NNRs are not available for overnight parking.
Details of facilities at National Nature Reserves are on the English Nature web site. Use the search facilities Here. Where parking is available it is indicated but there is no detail as to accessibility for motorhomes. Pages for individual reserves include details of access by public transport.
Forestry Commission
A response giving details specific to the New Forest was received on 21st February 2007 - see Here.
Details of facilities at Forestry Commission sites are on the web site. Use the search facilities Here. Where parking is available it is indicated but there is no detail as to accessibility for motorhomes. There are contact phone numbers on individual site pages to enable specific checks.
National Trust
Response to the request still awaited.
Details of facilities at National Trust properties are on the web site. Use the search facilities Here. Click on the "Facilities" tab for each property to see parking details (where available). The information includes details of height restrictions and narrow roads. There are also contact phone numbers recorded for each property to enable specific checks. Public transport details accessed via the "Getting There" tab.
National Trust for Scotland
Response to the request still awaited.
Details of facilities at National Trust for Scotland properties are on the web site. Use the various links from the Visit page Here to identify properties of interest. Where parking is available it is indicated but there is no detail as to accessibility for motorhomes. Access to properties by public transport are on the "Location" tab.
Scottish Natural Heritage
On 29th January 2007, Scottish Natural Heritage provided the following information:
One of our major responsibilities is to ensure the conservation and enhancement of habitats, species and landscapes. One mechanism to enable this is the system of 'protected' areas which operates on a UK and an international basis. There are several different types of these protected
areas such as Local and National Nature Reserves, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and Special Areas of Conservation.
Our website Here contains more detailed information about the types of protected areas and also about specific sites, including contact details. National Nature Reserves (NNRs) often have facilities for visitors and may be or particular interest to you. They have been created to help people discover and learn more about the diverse range of animals, plants and landscapes
within Scotland. The NNR website Here contains more information on each of these sites.
SNH doesn’t own or manage all protected areas, many are privately owned and managed. Our role is to help private owners to manage their land in line with its particular protected status. Not all of these sites will have provision for visitors and any facilities that are provided will be controlled by the owner.
We recommend that anyone who would wants to visit protected sites with their motor home contact the managers of the individual sites. The site manager can provide details of any height restrictions, parking bay sizes and toilet facilities, and advise on the extent to which the site is suitable for motor home parking. They can also advise visitors about the particular provision of parking and camping facilities or any events that may be taking place at the site.
It may be helpful to provide some background on the legal status of access to land in Scotland, with and without a motor vehicle. In Scotland, everyone has rights of responsible access to land and inland water for outdoor recreation since the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 was passed. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code provides guidance on exercising rights of access, and the SNH website (see link above) and the Outdoor Access Scotland website Here contain more information. These rights extend to camping with tents, but it should be noted that they do not extend to access using motor vehicles. It is an offence under the Road Traffic Act 1988 to drive a motor vehicle without lawful authority on any land that is not part of a road, or any footpath or bridleway (excluding emergencies). It is not an offence to drive a motor vehicle on land within 15 yards of a road for the purpose of parking the vehicle, although this does not confer any legal right to park it. While there are only very limited rights to take a motor vehicle off the roads, those visiting Scotland are therefore able to enjoy enhanced rights and opportunities for walking, cycling, horse-riding, canoeing etc, which should help make their visit additionally enjoyable. On some sites, visitors may sometimes be asked to follow particular routes in order to avoid sensitive areas, but any such guidance, which will often be seasonal in nature, will be readily available and best obtained on the site itself.
On 30th January 2007, Scottish Natural Heritage provided the following extra information:
Further to our previous email, I have received some additional information which may be of use to you. Attached is a list of National Nature Reserves (NNRs) with summary details of provision for parking . There are other types of protected area in Scotland but NNRs cater more for visitors than the other types and are probably of more interest to you. The list can be download in Adobe Acrobat (pdf) format from here.
I've been asked to let you know that overnight parking is not allowed at Forvie NNR, St Cyrus NNR and Glen Tanar NNR as they are particularly sensitive. Also, none of the NNR carparks have facilities for getting water, emptying waste etc.
I should also let you know that there are plans to update the NNR website (see link above) in the coming financial year.
Details of facilities at Scottish Natural Heritage properties are on the web site. Use the various links from the home page Here to identify properties of interest. Where parking is available it is indicated but there is no detail as to accessibility for motorhomes.
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Last updated: 17 October 2007