Smerral

No availability at present on Pitchup.com 1 review
Open grass pitches (added by manager 31 Jul 2023)
Open grass pitches
View across the pitches
Grass pitches
Lovely scenery
Rural views
Campsite pitches
Campsite view
Nearby beach
1/11
Favourite
View across the pitches
Grass pitches
Lovely scenery

  • Peaceful pop-up wild camping site just off the NC500 at Latheron
  • Five minutes' drive to Latheronwheel Harbour; 25 minutes to Wick
  • Scenic back to basics pitches on a traditional working croft
Somewhere simple to lay your head while taking on the NC500 route? You’ll only need to take a very minor detour off the A9 at Latheron to get to Smerral, a pop-up wild camping site that’s part of a traditional working croft. This is a back to basics place, so while you will have access to a water supply it’s worth noting there are no toilet or shower facilities on site. Campfires are permitted to keep you warm and give you somewhere to cook an alfresco meal, so come along prepared with the bits you’ll need for that (or pick things up at the shops in Wick, 25 minutes’ drive away). As well as being a handy place for an overnight stopoff, Smerral makes a great base for exploring this stretch of coastline, whether you’re heading for popular sights like Whaligoe Steps and John o’ Groats or seeking out less-visited coastal corners like Lybster and Latheronwheel Harbour (also home to a fairy trail for the kids). Because this site is part of a working croft, please note that it is not able to accept dogs.

Campground type

Tent sites 10
Opens
Please note
  • This park has no on-site toilet and shower facilities.
  • Guests are advised to bring a good quality flashlight with them as parts of the park are unlit.
  • There are no garbage cans onsite: all garbage will need to be taken home with you.

Languages spoken

English

Reviews

6

Overall rating based on one review View breakdown

0%

would recommend this campground to a friend

0%

would stay here again

Only showing reviews for the last 30 months.

Privacy…

Overall 6/10
Location 6
Value for money 4
Accommodation 6
Facilities / Activities 2
Customer service 10
Child friendliness No rating
Cleanliness 8
Wifi No rating
Anonymous The reviewer booked through Pitchup.com

Primitive grass tent campsite

Liked: Privacy

Recommend to friends Visit again

Features

No dogs allowed

Pop-up campground

Campfires allowed

Leisure on park

Bar or club house Cycle hire Evening entertainment Fishing Fitness centre Indoor swimming pool Kids' club On-site restaurant/cafe Outdoor swimming pool Playground Recreation room/arcade TV room Takeout Tennis Watersports

Amenities on park

Bath available Car parking by site/unit Composting toilet Dog park Drying room Free wifi Grocery store Ice pack freezing Internet access Laundromat Parent & baby washroom Payphone Pick-up from public transport Portable toilet Pub toilets Restrooms Shower available Washing-up area Wifi

Groups welcome

Family friendly Motorcycle friendly Single-sex groups welcome Student groups welcome

Rules

Barbecue grills allowed Barbecue provided Campfires allowed Commercial vehicles allowed Dogs allowed No dogs allowed No pets allowed

Themes

Budget/backpacker Peaceful Wild camping Wildlife haven

Utilities

Charging facilities Dump station Electric car charging point(s) Propane/gas cylinders available Recycling available Renewable energy

Nearby amenities

Bar nearby Dog walk nearby Public transportation nearby

Type

Farm Pop-up campground Tiny (1-10 sites)

Accessibility

Disabled facilities

Nearby leisure

Fishing nearby Golf nearby Restaurant nearby

Location

Smerral

Smerral Croft

Latheron

Caithness

Scotland

KW5 6DU

Directions

Timezone

Europe/London +0100 (GMT+01:00)

GPS

58.28556°N
-3.40436°W

Nearest transport

Rail
13.1 mi Altnabreac Rail Station
14.7 mi Scotscalder Rail Station
14.9 mi Helmsdale Rail Station
Ferry
23.1 mi Scrabster Ferry Terminal
26 mi Gills Bay Ferry Terminal
27.6 mi John O' Groats Ferry Terminal
Airport
16.2 mi Wick Airport

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Local attractions

Attractions and activities nearby include: - Latheronwheel Harbour and fairy walk: five minutes’ drive - Laidhay Croft Museum: five minutes - Dunbeath Heritage Museum: 10 minutes - Lybster Harbour: 15 minutes - Rumster Forest: 15 minutes - Whaligoe Steps: 20 minutes - Wick (for boat trips and heritage museum): 25 minutes - North Coast 500 Alpacas: 25 minutes - Old Pulteney Distillery: half an hour - John o’Groats: 50 minutes.

Water quality at nearby bathing waters

Name Distance Type 2020 2019 2018 2017
Thurso 22 mi Sea N/A Good Good N/A
Dunnet 22.2 mi Sea N/A Excellent Excellent Excellent

Data source: European Environment Agency

Must see

The Castle & Gardens of Mey 25.1 mi

Cycle routes

Find local routes on the National Cycle Network - over 12,000 miles of cycling routes.

Other

Dunbeath Strath 2.6 mi

BLAR NAM FAOILEAG (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 19/02/1999) 8.4 mi

Staxigoe to Noss Head 17.3 mi

FORSINARD (CURRENT BOUNDARY FROM 20/11/2006) 17.6 mi

Noss Head and Sinclair and Girnigoe Castles 18.2 mi

Please note: All distances on this page are calculated "as the crow flies" - please check actual distance depending on your mode of travel using the Get directions button above.

Nearest campgrounds

Unfortunately, we have no nearby bookable campgrounds.

Want to know more about camping in Caithness?

Frequently asked questions

  • Does Smerral have a swimming pool? No View all features
  • Is Smerral dog friendly? No View all features
  • What attractions are near Smerral? Attractions and activities nearby include: - Latheronwheel Harbour and fairy walk: five minutes’ drive - Laidhay Croft Museum: five minutes - Dunbeath Heritage Museum: 10 minutes - Lybster Harbour: 15 minutes - … Read more
  • When can I check in and check out of Smerral?
    RV, travel trailer and tent sites
    Arrive:  2 p.m. –  10 p.m.
    Depart by:  11 a.m.
    Read more