Camping in Edinburgh

Camping around Edinburgh is a slightly unusual proposition, because you are pitching in the countryside but visiting a capital city. The sites that work best sit on the fringes — Midlothian to the south, East Lothian to the east, West Lothian towards the airport — with regular buses or a short drive into town. That layout suits the terrain well: the ground on the city's outskirts is mostly gentle farmland and parkland rather than the rough, boggy pitches you meet further into the Highlands, so grass pitches drain reasonably and hardstandings are widely available for tourers.

Weather is the main thing to plan around. Edinburgh sits on the drier east coast and gets noticeably less rain than Glasgow, but it is exposed to easterly winds off the North Sea, and the haar — a cold sea fog — can roll in and sit for a day even in June. Nights are chilly well into summer, so bring a warmer sleeping bag than the calendar suggests and pegs that will hold in wind. A groundsheet and dry bags are sensible year-round.

Scotland's access legislation permits responsible wild camping on most unenclosed land, which is a genuine freedom, but it is not intended for city edges. Within Edinburgh itself there is nowhere appropriate — Holyrood Park and the Pentlands Regional Park both prohibit it — so treat wild camping as something for a wider Scottish trip rather than a city break.

The practical season runs from April to early October, with May, June and September the pick for daylight and settled conditions. August is a different matter: Fringe demand pushes campsite bookings to capacity and prices up, and you should reserve months ahead. Glamping has expanded considerably around the city, and heated pods or wigwams make a sensible compromise if you want the countryside without gambling on a wet week. Bring midge repellent if you are heading anywhere wooded, though the coastal sites are usually breezy enough to keep them down.