I love wild camping - the scenery, the freedom, the adventure.. And it's free, so you can do a lot of travelling on a tight budget. But after 8 days sleeping in a field, sometimes you really need a break (or a shower).
Previously, we've checked into a hotel for a night when it all got a bit much - the weather takes a turn for the worse, or it's just been too long eating nothing but supernoodles and oatcakes. When we were in the Shetland Isles recently, we thought we'd try AirBnB for a change, and it worked a treat!
Much better than a hotel, we had the whole run of the place to ourselves - your very own sofa is so exciting when you've been sitting on a polystyrene mat on the ground for a week.
We were feeling pretty vegetable deprived, so it was great to be able to cook for ourselves, and prepare some nice healthy meals, rather than eating out which can be a bit rich when you've got used to camping food.
It's much cheaper than staying in a hotel, especially since you are cooking for yourself, we were paying £70 per night, rather than £130 plus dinner out that we paid later on in the Shetland Islands.
And best of all, we were able to do some much-needed laundry, and get our tents dried out.
Between all that, a comfy bed, and being out of the elements for a few days, we were able to go back out into the wild feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, and ready for another week of wild camping.
We stayed at Margaret and Jeff's beautifully renovated cottage Pirrie Snaebuil in Hillswick, Eshaness. Jeff is a really talented wood-worker and designed a lot of the features in the house, like the beautiful kitchen worktops, and the driftwood coffee table. It's a lovely little oasis in the heart of Eshaness, which I think has probably the best coastline in Britain (read my post on it here)
Tips for AirBnB on a wild camping trip
Download the AirBnB app before you go - it will save you data usage if you don't have to do it from a field
Click on "Entire Home" for room type - so you get to really stretch out and relax in your own living room, and cook for yourself
Get to know your host - locals will have the best info for your next camp spot, or a great walk in the area
If you plan to take a break, check the weather forecast (Dark Sky is a brilliant app for this - Download it too before you go). That way, your break coincides with the worst weather.
Book a few days in advance to give you the best options, while trying to coincide with the worst weather
Keep an eye out for good supermarkets in the area you plan to stay, or ask your host so that you can make the most of the kitchen, and get some veggies in
