Our Camper Van Tour in Scotland

Sometime ago we decided to try a tour before we cut back on vehicle journeys. We liked the idea of the freedom we found with our old VW camper, so we hired a modern VW Transporter “pop-top” fitted with a sink, gas, electric and portable toilet. The local companies were all fully booked for August but we found a company “MooVans” located just off the M5 near Weston-Super-Mare and on our route north.

We hadn’t planned a detailed route more than to visit Emily near Carnforth, go up to the west coast of Scotland to get as far as we could and then return across Scotland to the east coast and visit Helen’s brother’s family near Tain (50 miles north of Inverness) and then south to see Iain and Elaine near Bathgate. From there we aimed to return to see Ems and then camp at my nephews wedding near Retford in Nottinghamshire and return home, all in about twenty five days.

We started on 25 th July to pick-up the camper “The Bull” a red and white van and headed  north on very busy roads to Tuxford to visit my brother and sisters and see family before the wedding we were attending later in August. We then went on to Carnforth and met Ems the next morning. We camped at a woodland spot near Bolton-le-Sands in wet weather but managing to get around and a walk along the estuary in sight of Morecombe Bay. The weather didn’t improve on our drive north around Glasgow and the southern shore of Loch Lomond in the Trossachs (a regional park in Scotland). We camped at “Lomond Woods” in Ballock which is close to the boat terminal and eating places for our evening meal. The following day we continued north through Glen Coe and found ourselves on the North Coast 500 scenic route that begins and ends in Inverness in the Highlands. We saw a lot of RV’s and tourists in the towns and campsites following the 500 route.

Ben Lomond from our coffee stop progressing northwards along the loch.

 At the end of Glen Coe, the weather was improving so we stopped at “An Torr” National Trust area for one night and walked to Signal Rock (Tom A’Ghrianain, Hill of the Sun). This is a pleasant park, especially as we were able to sit in the sunshine by the banks of the river. We did a short cycle ride to a local pub, Clachaig Inn, by taking a track north adjacent to the main road through Glen Coe and crossing the river Coe to a minor road to the village.

River Coe in Glen Coe taken on our cycle ride to Clachaig Inn

We continued to Fort William (there is a large car park on the left as you enter the town) for shopping and of course coffee. After that we followed the A82/87 north visiting Eilean Donan Castle and then a wild camping spot with several RVs that overlooked Loch Carron. We could see the loch but the distant mountains kept disappearing in low cloud.

View from our camp spot above Loch Carron as the clouds lift.

 At last the weather improved the next day as we stopped for refreshments at the garage shop come breakfast diner in Kinlochewe and met several motor cyclists. There isn’t a lot in the village but the Eighe Visitors Centre is nearby and a good chance to try some walks in the dry.  Here we watched Bramblings in the garden and walked the “Buzzard Path” gaining height and views of the mountains to the south-west and the glen below.

Bramblings feeding at the visitors centre.

For lunch we found a pleasant spot on a beach aside Loch Maree a short distance from the car park (possible camping spot).

Lunch spot along the banks of Loch Maree; spot Helen on the beach.

 Then we went on to Gairloch and Poolewe and a campsite near Inverewe Gardens (now belonging to the National Trust). We visited the Bridge Cottage café (Tarta de Santiago was very nice) and cycled along a narrow road towards Inverasdale and by accident came across a beach site “Firemore Camping” where they allow camping (no facilities, N57.83007,W5.68051). The next day we visited the gardens as spectacular as we recalled from previous visits and then drove to the beach campsite to spend a couple of days on the machair with sunshine and slight breeze to keep the midges away. In fact this was the only time we managed to eat outdoors on the entire holiday! We also cycled further along the minor road to the end of the peninsular to see a gunnery station set on the cliff tops. Lock Ewe was a base for the Home Fleet and assembly point for the Artic convoys during the last war. The cliffs gave some great views of the Loch and the Isle of Ewe that we could see opposite our camping spot. We also got good views of the Loch as we went north towards Ullapool stopping at the Elphin tea rooms with tables outside and splendid views to the Suilven (Pillar Mountain, 731 m), a distinctive profile rising from the moorland bog.

View from the camper of the beach at "Firemore" looking towards the sea. Great beach walks and cycle rides in the area with only gentle hills.

Pleasant camping on the beach, our best site of the holiday.

The Suilven from the tea rooms.

We camped at the Broomfield campsite in Ullapool very close to the harbour and in walking distance of the town and a pleasant walk in the evening sunshine along the shoreline. The better weather continued as we drove north on the A835/837 to get near Lochinver and then a narrow twisting single-track road to Clachtoll where we had hoped to camp near the beach. However, the campsite was full…full, may be because it was on the tourist information list.  We then decided to return to the main road by the same route as it was much longer to continue around the peninsular. I don’t know why but this single-track road was very busy; with limited passing-places it was not pleasant driving.

Moving on we stopped for lunch and a walk at a car park off the A837 on the Little Assynt Estate. The Leiter Easaidh path is an all ability suitable for wheel chairs with plenty of resting places and toilets with shelters nearby. They even allowed overnight stops in their car parks.

On our walk near Assynt estate with lochan in foreground with boat (boats can be hired) and eco-toilet.

We continued on but with the bad weather and prediction of rain to come we decided to start south crossing Scotland to the east side by the A838 and overnighting on the shores of Loch Merkland next to a timber wagon. The next day we went to Dunrobin Castle near Golspie but weren't impressed as we saw no mention of the Sutherlands role in the Highland Clearances, a major act of vandalism in the 18 th and 19 th centuries.

After family visits we took the A9 south stopping at villages on route including Carrbridge and lunch at the "Sugar Bowl" in Kingussie eventually overnighting at the National Trust place at Killiecrankie, "Soldiers Leap".

Dunrobin Castle from the gardens.

The packhorse bridge dating from 18th century with the River Dulnain in spate. The water levels later led to the bridge being shown on national television in the evening.

"Soldiers Leap" on the river Garry at Killiecrankie

After seeing Iain and Elain and then Emily, we went across the Pennines and Yorkshire Dales to the Midlands. The route was very pleasant driving but again in the rain. We stopped at Bedale and camped at a nice site on the river Ure at Sleningford Water Mill and walked into North Stainley village by a riverside footpath but the pub was closed. 

After the wedding (we did get sunshine on the actual wedding day), we returned home this time avoiding the motorways and traffic jams and going by the old Fosse Way, roads we routinely used forty years ago! We camped at Glastonbury in the rain but by now we were getting use to the summer weather.