Vanlife Scotland - The North 2021
Vanlife in Scotland, for us, was a time when great memories were made, Peppé was challenged, and plenty of fires were had by the fire.
After spending Autumn Equinox at Stonehenge in Wiltshire, UK, we set off with our souls recharged and in search of a snowy winter and a magical festive season. Our bus Peppé is well equipped for winter with a cosy log burner and backup diesel heater for extremely chilly mornings! Our journey first took us to a stormy Snowdonia in North Wales and after a restless night with high winds and thunderous clouds, we decided to be brave, embrace the day and tackle the mountain climb. For those who have climbed Snowdon in atrocious weather too - we salute you. It took a lot of energy to keep our spirits up and after a stroppy 20 minutes, we were laughing and chuckling through the storm and continued onwards and upwards to the top of the mountain (well…nearly the top of the mountain…the wind blew us down on our bums 10 minutes before the peak so we beat a hasty retreat back down!). After returning to Peppé and refuelling with peanut butter sandwiches (a classic in the hippy bus), we continued onward in our northern quest.
We had been planning our Scotland trip for some time and in all honesty, we quickly clocked in plenty of miles in our adventure up to the West Coast. Dumfries and Galloway immediately welcomed us with rainbows, blue skies and an abundance of smiles. We drove through the narrow lanes and sheep-inhabited fields to the 260ft Mull of Galloway Lighthouse. If you’re not scared of being blown off your feet, it is well worth the drive to the Rhins of Galloway peninsula to see the proud lighthouse perching right on the cliff edge of the tempestuous Irish Sea. Something about the Scottish landscape makes you feel incredibly small, with mountains towering above you and their peaks dancing with the clouds. After such a stressful conversion of Peppé, we welcomed the remote peace that Scotland offers and with such an abundance of beauty on the West Coast, it’s easy to follow the roads and allow yourself to get immersed in the Jurassic Park-like scenery.
As the leaves became crispy underfoot and the chilly breeze of mid October brought out our hats and scarves, we headed to Frugaldom; a little haven hidden away in the Galloway Forest with rescue animals, tree planting, vegetable growing and the loveliest humans keeping it thriving. One of our life goals is to eventually have a little off-grid spot on the planet we are able to call our own. It was so inspiring to see the owners of Frugaldom achieving this mission and we were incredibly grateful to be able to spend some time learning about their accomplishments on the land. After spending time with the ponies, rescue goats (hello Vincent and Goatis!) and building an outdoor kitchen area at Frugaldom, we headed further up the west coast and followed the Kintyre peninsula to Campbeltown.
Our quest for a white Christmas was well and truly underway and as we headed through Glencoe and onwards to Fort William, we decided to tackle the infamous Ben Nevis. We’re in no way professional or even regular hikers but there was no way we could leave Scotland without climbing Big Ben. We fuelled up with porridge in the morning and loaded up with plenty of layers, snacks and water. We begin the ascent up the mountain and even though the climb was snowy, slippery, calf-burning and tedious, we loved every single second. If you’re planning a trip to Scotland and are tempted by Ben Nevis, we would highly recommend giving it a go. Be sure to check the weather forecast though as conditions can get pretty gnarly up there!
There is something so unbelievably magical about the rugged, raw landscape of the North West coast of Scotland. Driving through the mountains in our nearly 30 year old bus, we had regular conversations about how grateful we are for this way of life. From Fort William, Peppé drove us to Glenfinnan, Kyle of Lochalsh and across to the Isle of Skye. Crossing over the bridge to Skye, we felt the landscape change and arguably become more dramatic. We spent just under two weeks travelling the island and explored Fairy Glen, Old Man of Storr, Eilean Donan Castle, Neist Point Lighthouse and The Quiraing. The weather took a turn for the worst during our tour of Skye and in between adventuring to Skye’s gems, we found ourselves desperately trying to find shelter from the torrential rain and gale-force winds. We eventually grew tired of the dire weather and returned to the mainland to continue our Scotland journey.
We successfully tackled Applecross Pass and continued on to Torridon, Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve, Ullapool and eventually made it to John O’Groats. After spending such an abundance of time on the somewhat lonely west coast, the east promised historic cities and our goal for Christmas - The Cairngorms.
FAQs
Is Scotland campervan friendly?
Other than an angry driver who thought we were going up a steep hill at 10mph out of choice (thanks Peps), we didn’t have any trouble in our camper during our 5 month winter trip around Scotland. Due to having such majestic scenery and being the home of the infamous NC500 route, travelling Scotland by campervan has grown massively in popularity. Unfortunately, not all travellers have been respectful and by leaving litter, toilet waste and causing disruptions to wildlife and locals, many places are now forbidden to campervans. This is a prime example of how a few inconsiderate individuals can spoil things for us all. Please be clean campers and try to leave areas better than how you find them. Also, there are campsites up, down and around the whole of Scotland with toilet dumping facilities - please don’t use public toilets and farmer’s fields to get rid of black waste.
What is the northernmost point in the UK?
Although John O’Groats is the UK’s most northerly inhabited point, Dunnet Head is actually the UK’s most northerly point.
Can you take a campervan to Edinburgh?
You can take a campervan to Edinburgh with ease. Although there are many campsites around the capital city, we like to keep costs low and so we parked Peppé in a car park just outside the centre and walked in. The ticket was only a few pounds and with so many people walking around, it felt like a safe place to leave Peppé for a few hours. We always take valuables with us when we leave the bus and pull the curtains across so no one can take a peek when we’re not there - always take precautions!
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