Wild camping allowed on Dartmoor again after court appeal succeeds

Pitching a tent far from civilisation, where the only sounds come from the birds and the whistling of the wind through the trees, makes for a restorative break for anyone who enjoys spending time in nature. But wild camping is for the most part illegal in England and Wales without the landowner’s permission — save for in Dartmoor National Park, where access rights were recently restored. 

In the throes of responding to the Maui wildfires that razed the celebrated town of Lahaina and claimed over 110 lives, Hawaii remains mostly open for tourism, despite the misgivings of both residents and tourists.

While locals in Maui, Hawaii, struggle to reckon with record-setting wildfires that burned homes, livelihoods, and entire neighborhoods to the ground, some say recovery is being made more painful by tourists visiting the island on vacation.

There’s something truly liberating about wild camping — deciding on a whim to forgo the journey you had planned and stay one more night in a place you never knew existed. There needn’t be a strict plan or itinerary, just a map, a tent and that exhilarating sense of solitude. It’s something Europe does particularly well, be it sheltering on the shores of a Hebridean island, gazing out towards a lighthouse from an Estonian archipelago or dozing under the glow of the midnight sun in Norway. Here we reveal five of the best wild camping destinations to discover Europe’s bountiful countryside. 

I don’t know when I started using the word exotic to describe the Welsh uplands. The more commonly used adjectives are lonely, barren, windswept. But today, so close to the summer solstice, after weeks of constant sunshine, this Cambrian Mountain scene is almost African, reminding me of the uplands of Kenya. The little River Elan, far below, is fringed with blazing trails where algae has dried hard on the rocks turning salt white. The slopes are tan and umber. The line of the horizon shifts and undulates in a heat haze. Replace the ubiquitous sheep with antelopes and you’d believe you were far away from here.  

The popularity of wild swimming in UK rivers has boomed in recent years — especially since the pandemic, when people sought a closer connection with nature. But as our interest has taken off, so too have headlines about poor water quality from sewage and chemical pollution. So what exactly is happening, and how safe is it to take a cooling dip this summer?

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Early morning on Dartmoor, and as I lie in bed all I can hear is the trill of birdsong, punctuated by a distant cuckoo’s call. I open the campervan door to take in the scene. There’s no one around, no buildings in sight, just fields glittering with dew in the sunlight and sheep grazing nonchalantly on the hillside.

Given its plethora of landscapes, it’s easy to see why Arran, the largest island in the Firth of Clyde, is regarded as a sort of Scotland in miniature. From fog-wreathed peaks to scenic coastal paths, it has something for everyone. And with Scotland’s ‘Big Five’ (seals, otters, red deer, golden eagles and red squirrels) all in residence, its wildlife is no less diverse. But there’s more to this jagged isle than crumbling cliffs and rare birds of prey — the Isle of Arran is also something of a gastronomical hub, boasting a proud community of artisans, restaurateurs and brewers. With a single A-road forming a loop around the island, a weekend getaway gives you the chance to experience everything Arran has to offer.

Two women have been fined thousands of dollars after taking selfies and videos with wild dingoes in Queensland, Australia, according to the city's Department of Environment and Science.