Outer Hebrides camping

[robing]

I'm doing a trip to the outer Hebrides next month and was wondering about cheap or even free accommodation. I know you can wild camp, was thinking of the Gastskill hostels as they allow camping. Is there anywhere else with a shower nearby? I'm also coming back to Oban via Skye, Ardnamurchan and Mull so any tips there would be helpful too.

 

[Ticktockmy]

I cycled north from Barra a few years ago, I wild camped most evenings, but did spend one evening at the Bernery Hostel because the weather had turned really bad. I camped at the campsite in Stornoway which had showers and one night at the campsite Ceann-na-Cleithe a few miles south of Tarbert which also had showers, hopefully there will be a slight wind to keep the midges at bay for you.

 

[Bodhbh]

There's no shortage of totally stunning wild camping spots. Tarbert swimming pool let us use the showers for a quid iirc. It might be an option in the other towns with pools (not that there's many...).

 

[L Q]

I'm doing a trip to the outer Hebrides next month and was wondering about cheap or even free accommodation. I know you can wild camp, was thinking of the Gastskill hostels as they allow camping. Is there anywhere else with a shower nearby? I'm also coming back to Oban via Skye, Ardnamurchan and Mull so any tips there would be helpful too.

I am also doing this in September, let me know how you get on as I am looking at using the hostels with the tent as well as at least you get a shower and some electricity to recharge the camera and phone etc.

Really looking forward to it, plan is to get to Kyle of Lochash via Inverness then get the train back from Oban via Glasgow and Edinburgh.

 

[andrew_s]

Gatliff hostels are £14, or £9 to camp outside but use the hostel facilities (shower, toilet, cooking, sitting around in the lounge hiding from the midge).
There are a number of official campsites with showers etc, some of which have a communal building as lounge/kitchen. The ones I used in June were at Borve (Barra), south end of North Uist (shortly after getting off the causeway) and Lickisto Blackhouse (East Harris).
There are some semi-official camping areas ( http://www.westharristrust.org/camping/ ) and a few traditional wild camping spots that have nearby toilets, such as Huisinis or the beach just south of Timsgarry (£2 if you can find someone to pay).

On the return, I've found that the Tarbert - Uig ferry doesn't leave me with time/enthusiasm for getting further than Sligachan. There's the hostel and campsites at Broadford, but after that there's only official camping at Arisaig, Resipole (2.5 miles east of Salen), or Kilchoan (a mile and a bit past the Mull ferry turning), and there's a bunkhouse at the Glenuig Inn.
On Mull, there's a campsite a mile out of Tobermory toward Dervaig, unofficial camping at Calgary by the beach, a (very) basic campsite by the beach at Killiechronan, bigger campsites near the Lochaline and Craignure ferries, and a site at Fidden near Iona. I'm informed that the community centre by the Tobermory ferryport has public showers, but I've not looked.

Mostly, though, wild camping means no available facilities at all. Take a trowel for digging a toilet (deep enough, and clear of watercourses), and a water filter for filtering the local stream or loch.

 

[robing]

Thanks Andrew S for your detailed reply. I'm quite happy to do some wild camping and forsake showers some of the time. I have got some Muc Off dry shower so will see if that's any good. I've heard there's also an unofficial camping near the community centre on Vatersay where I'll probably stay the first night. I'll make use of the Gatskill hostels, but I'd rather camp than share a dorm unless the weather's really bad.