Travel / The Motorhome Holiday Company

Exploring the north of Scotland in a motorhome

By Ben Wright  Tuesday Jun 8, 2021

The last time my partner and I had ventured north of the border to Scotland we were blissfully kid-free and spent a couple of magical weeks exploring the islands (and whiskies) of Isla, Jura, Aran and Mull.

Back then we were driving a battered work van with a camping stove and a mattress in the back. Now, with a boisterous four-year-old and inquisitive one-year-old in tow, we knew it might not be quite the same experience. We also knew we would need a bit more space this time.

As the rain hammered down and the wind howled around us, we dropped our car at The Motorhome Holiday Company depot near Weston-super-Mare and were shown around our new home: a 7.5-meter T-Line 740 motorhome.

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For the next three and a half weeks we covered nearly 2,000 miles up to and around the highlands and islands of Scotland, breaking the journey up with stop-offs in the beautiful Lake District on the way up and back. Most of our time was spent around the north coast of Scotland though, where we enjoyed exploring beautiful white sand beaches, windswept mountains, crumbling castles perched precariously on cliffs, caves with hidden subterranean waterfalls and lochs where seals eyed us curiously.

The ruins of Old Wick Castle, perched on a spine of rock over the North Sea

Scotland’s government has promoted this part of the country since 2015 by creating the ‘North Coast 500’, a route of roughly 500 miles starting and finishing in Inverness. We chose to take the route anti-clockwise, heading north and following the road that hugged the sparsely vegetated east coast.

Hundreds of miles of winding single track road to explore around the very north of Scotland

We picked up a bottle of whisky from the Old Pultney distillery, in the otherwise rather grim and surprising large town of Wick, and crab claws and prawns from a local fisherman in picturesque Helmsdale harbour who refused to accept anything but a few beers in return.

We benefitted from warm Scottish hospitality in the form of some delicious local crab from fishermen on the east coast

Whilst the campsites were often full, the roads still seemed empty apart from the odd motorhome, some Teslas on tour, a few determined cyclists and lots of sheep who seemed oblivious to the increased traffic.

We spent most nights pulled up in parking spots by the side of the road overlooking the sea or one of the hundreds of lochs along the route. We rarely had to share with anyone else but when we did, we braved the cold to share a dram and travel stories around the fire pit.

Another perfect spot to stop for the night

The girls shared the room at the back, Ettie zipped up in her travel cot with doting older sister Imber keeping her company whilst Claire and I slept on a bed that lowered down over the living area. None of us have ever slept so well since their arrival!

As we travelled along the north coast and down the west, the landscape became increasingly beautiful as we enjoyed winding mountain passes, beautiful beaches, some spectacular sunsets and a drop of luxury with lunch at the five-star Torridon Hotel.

The sun setting over Skye

Rather than completing the route back to Inverness, we chose to explore the magical Island of Skye, sampling some fine whisky from the Talisker distillery and wandering around the weird and dramatic rock formations of the Old Man of Stour and the Quiraing in the north.

A trek to the weird and wonderful Quiraing in the north of Skye

We then caught a ferry to the bare and windswept island of Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides bejewelled with some of Europe’s most beautiful beaches where we had some bracing swims in the North Atlantic Ocean.

One of the many beautiful white sand beaches in South Harris

These remote parts of the UK have a few more visitors since we last ventured north, thanks to a good PR campaign and a pandemic that has encouraged us all to think more about the treasures this nation has to offer. Our circumstances have also changed with a young family in tow. But a road trip around Scotland still had all the magic, excitement, and warm hospitality that we experienced a decade ago. We’ll be back.

Motorhome hire from The Motorhome Holiday Company starts at £100 per day. More information and booking options here.

Main photo: Ben Wright

Read more: An escape from the city

 

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