I would love to drive around Scotland this year, probably Autumn. Really want to get to the more remote Lochs rather than the cities and wild camp most of the time. We have a Westie (Herman) who has just (or will have) a new 1.9 engine fitted, so hopefully he''ll be more reliable than he has been.
Really what I would like to know if anybody else has toured Scotland and whether you have any tipes or places you would recommend.
Pepperami wrote:ooooooooooer you don't want to go up there it's full of Scottish people
You'll be fine in Edinburgh though...even Scots feel like tourists there
I've lived here all my life and never been to most of the more out of the way parts...this summer gonna seriously hit the west coast and islands. If going north make sure you use the A82 and not the A9
I would love to drive around Scotland this year, probably Autumn. Really want to get to the more remote Lochs rather than the cities and wild camp most of the time. We have a Westie (Herman) who has just (or will have) a new 1.9 engine fitted, so hopefully he''ll be more reliable than he has been.
Really what I would like to know if anybody else has toured Scotland and whether you have any tipes or places you would recommend.
Theres a good website here worth registering and yup A82 is a much better road traffic moves faster and better views but I'm biased being a west coaster plenty of layby's along that road as well you can stop in overnight should you wish dont forget the South west coast as well plenty to keep you comming back for a few years yet!
We did someting similar to the others:
Started in Cumbria at Solfest, and carried on up the west coast, taking the most coastal road we could find at each point, all the way to Durness (Cape Wrath).
Highlights were:
Ffionporth farm campsite on Mull, overlooking Iona (the most beautiful location and beach ever, and would have been worth staying longer)
Glenbrittle campsite on east coast of Skye (again, fantastic location and big isolated beach)
Almost anywhere in the extreme north!
It was a great experience, and the camper gets to places anything bigger simply would not fit. Only downside was the weather!
Would have been nice to go to Outer Hebrides, possibly leaving camper behind and taking tent & bicycles to save on the extortionate ferry costs.
Planning on doing same again in a year or so once our first-born is, er born, so may stay longer at a few places rather than charging onwards all the time.
Hi if you are planning going to the outer hebridies you will find the ferrys a lot cheaper as they have introduced a road equivalent tariff witch means approx half the price it used to be and if you do go i can highly recommend the isle of harris with some of the nicest beaches in britain that you can rough camp at. You should try to go to applecross via lochcarron it has a lovely campsite and a village hotel that serves local seafoad that is to die for.The road over the top is single track and steep but well worth it for the views we go there a lot in our van so it will get up the hill.There is a low road out of applecross that will take you to Sheildaig and lochmarie and gairloch,i could go on but if you need any more advice just lrt me know
here's a couple of pic's of sandwood bay it's near kinlochbervie in sutherland looking towards the cape wrath lighthouse, it's the most remote beach on the uk mainland and well worth the walk to get there, there are loads of places worth a visit and i would also recommend applecross it's stunning.
sandwood bay looking towards the shepard
Ignore the posts bout the A9 being slower than the A82 - you will be the one holding the traffic up (along with the Tesco lorries...).
Depends where you are going - the A9 is 2.5 hrs Perth to Inverness in a Van - then another 2.5 hrs + to get to the North coast.
I would go to Orkney (ferry £50e/w from Gills Bay)
Don't ignore the Cairngorms etc. also the nearer islands, Islay etc. Raasay off Skye (wild camping only. the North Coast (Caithness - Durness), Sutherland (extreme North West Coast) good camp sites - as others have said Mull, Ardnamurchan (Resipole site)
We are off to Harris (Valtos) in the Western Isles in May after an excellent tour last year in better weather than you got down South all summer.
<£100 for Van and 2+2 Mallaig - Skye - Skye - Harris - Stornaway - Ullapool - so no more complaining about the ferry prices pleeeeeasseee
We find this site pretty good....with up to date recommends for sites.....
We did our trip 2 summers ago.
Drove from merseyside to Lake District, onto Dumfries and Galloway,Ayr,Arran,Mull of Kintyre,Islay,Fort William,Skye,Benbecula,Lewis, Harris,
Ullapool,Aviemore then home.
Spent three weeks away,stopping a few days in most places and used what was then caled the Island Rover ferry ticket to hop from one island to another - this saved a huge amount of driving and although expensive it also saved us a fortune in petrol.
I believe ferry prices have been slashed.
Best trip I've done - as good as New Zealand.
My fiance and I drove around part of the west coast of Scotland last year and we really enjoyed it despite the weather.
We stayed in Corpach near Fort William right on the shoreline of Loch Eil (Ben the collie cross lab loved it). We went to Oban, Loch Ness, South Skye, Maillig, etc. and all we can say is that the scenery is spectacular.
It did cost me an absolute bomb though......nearly £600 in petrol (drove from Orpington to near Blackpool then Fort William and back again).
I go quite regularly - up the East coast,across the top, down the West coast + lots inbetween. Top up with water whenever you can, I wildcamp for two to five weeks at a time.You will not regret going - I have been going since the early seventies!
Some pics. http://s404.photobucket.com/albums/pp125/boyofabeach/
Someone mentioned the Ardnamurchan peninsula and i could recommend no nicer place, and Morvern on the same part of coast.Head up there half a dozen times a year with the kids to see friends and it is beautiful. As is the Isle of Mull but take a few days to enjoy it cos it only looks small but takes an age to drive round. Someone also mentioned Applecross further North and the fact that there is a good pub and campsite (I know the landlady well as she is from Holmfirth) and both points are right but after the Monty Halls Great Escape programme being shown on the beeb at the moment can only imagine it will be anything but quiet this summer. We were up on the Ardnamurchan prior to xmas and the weather was appalling so headed up and across to the east coast above Inverness, the Black Isle. First time we had been there but was great, really relaxing. Torridan north of Applecross is gorgeous too. Al in all plenty of places to wild camp, even though some of the laybys on smaller roads say 'no overnight parking' if you are sensible there are few people to prevent you from doing so. Enjoy, John.
