A road trip through the Scottish highlands and camping in the middle of the beautiful nature of Scotland: something that has been on my bucket list for a long time. And in April it became reality: with a rental campervan we travel for eight days through the beautiful Scottish landscape. We cover more than 1000 miles and in addition to a varied environment, we also have to deal with very diverse weather conditions: from snow and rain to 19 degrees and sunny! In this blog, I will tell you why camping and a road trip through Scotland should be on your bucket list!
Camping in Scotland: all the freedom!
Travelling by campervan allows you to determine your own trails, without being constrained by bus schedules, train routes or flight times. You can leave whenever you’re ready and go wherever you want. We love the ultimate freedom and unlimited flexibility travelling by campervan provides! Of course, we mapped out our route in advance, but on the road, we were able to make changes on the fly. If we see that the weather in an unscheduled stop is much better than our anticipated destination, we just go there. When we wake up early and get an earlier than expected start, we just add a new location to our itinerary. There is no substitute for this level of flexibility!
Camping in Scotland: how do you find nice campsites and how about wild camping in Scotland?
We did not book our campsites in advance, as it’s not necessary since Scotland is still quiet in April. I used the (paid) app WikiCamps to find the best campsites and to compare prices. We mixed in days that we decided not to sleep on a campsite but rather to free camp (wild camping). The latter is very comfortable with a campervan since you always have your kitchen and bed and, so to speak, can sleep anywhere your adventure leads.
Tip: are you planning on free camping (also called freedom camping or wild camping) in Scotland? Then read up on the rules and regulations for free camping with a motorized vehicle in advance. We came across this article that clearly explains what is and is not allowed.
Camping in the Scottish Highlands!
I wake to the first rays of sunshine warming my face and I immediately smell fresh coffee and hear birds chirping while a gentle breeze runs tussles my hair. Still sleepy, I open my eyes and glimpse the sun rising over the mountains surrounding the loch (lake). Ries is already baking pancakes and brings me a cup of coffee. I relax in bed for just a little longer, savouring the feeling.
Our morning ritual, I loved it! When you are camping, you are able to spend your entire day experiencing nature, from the first morning light until late at night. At night, we stayed cosy under a thick duvet in the campervan, while the rain pitter-pattered on the roof. Because we made this trip in April, it is quite chilly in the morning and in the evening. But after our typical breakfast of pancakes and hot coffee, we are rested, fed, warmed, and ready to start the day. Camping with a tent would have been too cold, but with our trusty campervan, we stayed warm and sheltered even during the worst storms and coldest nights.
Road trip through Scotland: Off the beaten track!
When you think of Scotland, you naturally envision the Isle of Skye, a beautiful island on the west coast. While the Isle is worth a visit, Scotland has much more to offer than this famous highlight. With our campervan, we were able to get off the beaten path and visit the Wester Ross; what I found to be the most beautiful part of Scotland! Wester Ross had so few tourists, we were able to drive for hours without running into anyone else.
Even in the well-known and more heavily travelled places, we were able to find solitude by going just a little further with our campervan than those who were travelling by public transport. Since we were not limited by public transit, we were able to visit the small village of Elgol on Skye and go to the Black Isle peninsula where you have a great opportunity to see dolphins!
When we come back to Scotland, we would like to see more of the north of Scotland to explore the deserted golden beaches and catch some good surfing.
All about money, expenses and prices on travelling can be found in our Scotland budget blog!
No better way to get to know the highlands then by a road trip in Scotland!
Driving through the rolling countryside surrounding Edinburgh, through the forests of Cairngorms National Park and along vast clear blue lakes. A road trip is the best way to get to know Scotland! One moment we park our camper at the foot of a mountain to go hiking, the next we drive to a whiskey distillery for a tour and tasting. In between, we stop by little streams to have a picnic or enjoy the sun.
During this road trip, we had a small competition to identify and camp at the most beautiful sites. Definitely the most beautiful campsite we found was on Little Loch Broom, in Wester Ross. This long expansive bay is surrounded by green mountains. In the distance, you can just see the Summer Isles. It is very quiet here with only sheep and goats keeping you company. This all makes for a lovely place where you are connected to nature and forget about the busy city life!
Renting a campervan in Scotland: Spaceships
We hit the road with Agent Dunham, a silver campervan that served as our Scottish home. We not only covered 1000 comfortable and safe kilometres in Agent Dunham, but we also enjoyed a refreshing bed to sleep in and a cozy living room for relaxing when it rained. While Spaceships* offers several models of campervans and motorhomes, we chose the largest model campervan, the Voyager. It fits five passengers and sleeps up to four people. In retrospect, the Voyager was quite large and the two of us could easily have taken the Delta Premium model.
We experienced many weather extremes throughout our road trip. On the warm days, we cooked and ate outside before relaxing with a bottle of wine overlooking beautiful lochs. When it was cold or raining, we sat comfortably on passenger seats which converted into our comfy living room. In the evening we folded the passenger seats and, in no time, set up the spacious double bed. The Voyager connects to external electricity which powered the small fridge and allowed us to charge our laptops.
Are you planning on making a road trip through Scotland? Then check out this Scotland itinerary for 1-2 weeks!
Where to rent a car, camper or campervan in Scotland?
We were familiar with Spaceships from our trip through New Zealand when we first rented a campervan from them. The company also rents out cars in Australia, Ireland and in the United Kingdom. There are branches in London, Edinburgh and Dublin. Via the Eurotunnel, you can easily reach the rest of Europe to extend your road trip to France, Spain, Germany and beyond!
Do you want to rent a campervan or motorhome in Scotland?
Click here to visit the Spaceships website and get an immediate hassle-free quote for your upcoming road trip. They are also happy to help you plan your perfect itinerary. Looking for inspiration? Then take a look at their blog. Click here to see recent deals and discounts on campervans and motorhomes.
The campervan that we rented can be booked for as little as £37 per day.
Mega budget tip: currently the campervan rental company Spaceships had an Early Bird discount deal which gives you 10% discount on renting a campervan when you travel before the 20th of June 2023. Click here for more information and to book directly!
* This blog is part of a collaboration with Spaceships UK, however, everything above is truthful to me, as I always express my own opinion and experience.
Click here for more blogs on Scotland!
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