Aires Pilot in the National Park 

Aires are designated places to park and stay overnight in a campervan or motorhome and are widespread in France and other European countries. They are intended for self-contained vehicles where occupants cook, eat and sleep within the vehicle, so an onboard toilet is a necessity. 

Aires can be free or have a small cost, and facilities vary from site to site. They typically operate on a first come, first served basis, and stopovers are generally limited to single overnight stays because they are designed to be used whilst touring rather than extended holidays. Camping behaviours (such as putting out tables and chairs, awnings or lighting fires or barbecues) are typically not permitted on Aires sites. 

The Trial Sites 

The Aires Pilot scheme will focus on the Arrochar and Tarbet area and will include several sites in attractive locations linked to nearby facilities: for example, recycling and waste disposal, toilets, and fresh water supplies  

List of trial sites once confirmed. 

The trial will be in operation from Autumn 2022 until Spring 2023. 

These trials are the outcome of a report completed in August 2022 that researched and detailed the case for an Aires Pilot scheme in the Arrochar and Tarbet area and was developed in discussion and partnership with local communities, businesses, and landowners. Having reviewed the success of the Forestry and Land Scotland “Stay the Night” initiative, over the 2020/21 visitor seasons, the National Park pilot will follow similar principles. You can access the report here: link to completed report. 

Feedback 

If you have stayed at one of our Aires pilot sites we would be pleased to learn from your experience. Your feedback will help us to monitor the sites and you can do this by completing the online survey. The survey will take around 5 minutes to complete.