We want to travel to Scotland! ;)

[starlightblue]

This year we want to travel from Belgium to Scotland in July for 18 days
We would definitely like to visit the Isle of Sky.

Is it good wild camping in Scotland?

I have the Park4night app.
We are self-sufficient (dry toilet, shower tent, electricity for 2 days for the refrigerator,...).
I might consider a simple campsite.
Are bikes useful?

Do you have any tips for this region or anything I should pay attention to?

Is it easy to drive from Dover to the North or should I take a ferry to more North, for example? Newcastle (Which is much (6x!) more expensive)

Thanks in advance

 

[colintfcolintf]

Depending on where in Scotland, it used to take me 8-9 hours driving from Bristol.
early crossing gives all day to get there
viamichelin or aarouteplanner websites will give to distances and estimated times for specific destinations of your choice.

 

[Perfectos]

This year we want to travel from Belgium to Scotland in July for 18 days
We would definitely like to visit the Isle of Sky.

Is it good wild camping in Scotland?

I have the Park4night app.
We are self-sufficient (dry toilet, shower tent, electricity for 2 days for the refrigerator,...).
I might consider a simple campsite.
Are bikes useful?

Do you have any tips for this region or anything I should pay attention to?

Is it easy to drive from Dover to the North or should I take a ferry to more North, for example? Newcastle (Which is much (6x!) more expensive)

Thanks in advance

Some reading for you

Search results for query: Nc500

vwcaliforniaclub.com

Driving from Dover to Scotland is relatively easy.
you will be able to use motorways for much of the Journey to Scotland.
I would suggest stopping en route in somewhere picturesque such as the Peak District , Lake District /Cumbria On the way to Scotland. (Plenty of threads on the Lake District) .

Wild camping - see threads on NC500 - not always possible, particularly in the isles.
Ferrys - suggest pre booking

try some general searches such as the one above and this one , that should get you going on your own research

Search results for query: Scotland

vwcaliforniaclub.com

 

[Hawthorn37]

The southern ferry ports are probably best for you. Newcastle is great but the roads up to Scotland (A1 / A68) are not the best. Best route would be up M1/ M6 / M76. Depending on your endurance levels, and ferry timings, maybe stops around Midlands (Tamworth area) and /or southern Scotland (Moffat or south of Glasgow - Strathclyde Country Park for example)?

For Skye, the local authority doesn’t seem to love campervans or motorhomes. Also the touring campsites on Skye aren’t plentiful and not generally in convenient locations (apart from one at Broadford). I’d camp on the mainland, close to the bridge - there are a few options.

The other thing we’ve found is the further north you go on the west coast, the more dramatic the scenery. If you can, try to get to Gairloch at least, it’s unbelievably beautiful.

Enjoy it, and report back!

 

[ThomasHJ]

This year we want to travel from Belgium to Scotland in July for 18 days
We would definitely like to visit the Isle of Sky.

Is it good wild camping in Scotland?

I have the Park4night app.
We are self-sufficient (dry toilet, shower tent, electricity for 2 days for the refrigerator,...).
I might consider a simple campsite.
Are bikes useful?

Do you have any tips for this region or anything I should pay attention to?

Is it easy to drive from Dover to the North or should I take a ferry to more North, for example? Newcastle (Which is much (6x!) more expensive)

Thanks in advance

We did the trip that you can see in the map below. Did it last summer (and took 23 days). The drive from Dover up to the north was just as normal as a trip in NL or Belgium, except of course for driving on the other side of the road. But that's something you get used to soon enough.

We found that there were certain area's where wild camping was not a problem at all, but also quite a lot of area's where the situation is similair to NL or BE and you wouldn't want to camp wild if you dont want to annoy people or prefer privacy. Midges made us move twice. I wish we would have read up on how to protect against midges before we went. We learned the hard way. Especially focus on being able to close off your van midge-proof (air-vent holes in the bellows).

We preferred taking the ferry back home. The cabins were as you expected, a bit cramped and not great beds, but the food was surprisingly abundant and good quality.

Must say we deliberately skipped the Isle of Skye, and the area around the lakes because we prefer to avoid the busier areas. But i bet it's lovely when you do visit. We found the isle of Mull to be astounding. It's the first thing that comes back to mind when I remember the trip. Will surely return there some day.

Also, make sure you check when school holidays start in the England and Scotland. Especially if you plan to visit camp sites.

We didn't mind not bringing bikes, but we never stayed long in one place.

We loved the single-track-roads. Might be useful to read a little about them so you know how to behave and get to enjoy them instead of getting stuck ;-)

 

[calibusje]

Hellow; Nice! Obviously everyone has their own ideas about this but here some of mine personal findings: Park4Night: very useful indeed and from time to time a small campsite (shower time).
We do not bring our bikes (and never did this when we visited Scotland) but this is of course possible. Instead: we walked there a lot.
We took the ferry from Zeebrugge to Hull, but this line is no longer available and I think we would use Calais or Dunkirk for now.
We always go during the Easter holidays and have not seen any midges yet. However, I am sure that you can also make a memorable, nice trip during the summer months in Scotland. I don't find it busy there, not even during the Easter holidays, on the contrary: you will often feel alone and remote and this is actually a wonderful feeling. Of course there are busy places; I have read a lot that the NC500 has become a busy route and is even a bit of a victim of its own success; Even before the route was named that, we drove it (kinda) and it must be said: it is a beautiful route, indeed.

On the way to or back from Scotland, possibly visit the following: Lake District and Lake Windermere (beautiful boat trip) and afterwards the Windermere ferry to Hill Top, Sawrey (Hawkshead): home of Beatrix Potter (Peter Rabbit).
Tan Hill Inn (Yorkshire Dales): Britain's highest inn (got unbelievably drunk there), overnight right opposite the Inn and delicious breakfast; Warner Bros. studio tour (Harry Potter) at Watford; Windsor Castle (and sleep at the coach parking): always our stop on the way to Camper Jam. Canterbury (stayed overnight for a few times on the coach parking and nice walk into town); the white cliffs of Dover (nice walk).

So, the Isle of Sky: very nice but there is indeed more to see than that: so without obligations just random where we were already, it's rather eclectic and from different journeys:
Here we go: Angel of the North at Gateshead followed by Hadian's wall (including Housesteads Roman Fort); Scotland with Neptunes Staircase, Fort William, Ben Nevis, Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge, The Jacobite Viaduct at Glenfinnan, Portree (we always eat fish & chips there/ what else did we get to know during our trips in the UK: marmite, haggis, marmalade, scones, sponge cake); Old Man of Storr, Applecross (and the road to it: Bealach na Ba), Balmoral (you can overnight in the parking lot), Urquhart Castle (+ Loch Ness and the exhibition center to learn all about Nessie), Dunnet Head, Wallace Memorial and much more (we will come back) and especially enjoy the surroundings;
What more: Edinbrugh with the Greyfiars Kirkyard where there is much to see ... and not to see ... (ghosts), Linlithgow Palace, birthplace of Mary, Queen of Scots; Blackness Castle; railway bridge over the Forth, Falkirk Wheel and the Kelpies; RRS Discovery and 'the Law' a war memorial in Dundee; St. Andrew's Abbey.
And more: Loch Lomond; Oban: ferry to Barra (very beautiful there), Vatersay and South Uist and North Uist; Skye, Kilt Rock; Dunvegan Castle; Kinloch Forest; Eilean Donan Castle; Leanachan forest at Spean Bridge; peninsula Kintyre to the Mull of Kintyre; There is more, but find out for yourself, it will be great!

Greetings
Calibusje
@Barra

Maybe for an other trip: Wales. Conwy, Snowdonia, Pen Y Pass, Mount Snowdon; Beddgelerd with Llywelyn's dog; Penmaenpool Toll Bridge; Portmeirion (‘special’ beautiful and where 'The Prisoner' was recorded here; The series also inspired Iron Maiden to the song The Prisoner, on the breakthrough album The number of the beast.); Aberystwyth.

 

[Straad]

This year we want to travel from Belgium to Scotland in July for 18 days
We would definitely like to visit the Isle of Sky.

Is it good wild camping in Scotland?

I have the Park4night app.
We are self-sufficient (dry toilet, shower tent, electricity for 2 days for the refrigerator,...).
I might consider a simple campsite.
Are bikes useful?

Do you have any tips for this region or anything I should pay attention to?

Is it easy to drive from Dover to the North or should I take a ferry to more North, for example? Newcastle (Which is much (6x!) more expensive)

Thanks in advance

Hi Starlightblue,
A few random thoughts.
First of all, welcome to Scotland!
We travel down through Europe to Italy a lot and we now always come back on the Ijmuiden/Newcastle ferry. It’s a slog up through England and the traffic is not much fun. The A1 up from Newcastle on the other hand is ok provided you’re not in a rush!
Personally I’d avoid Skye. Too busy and touristy. There are many many other places on the West Coast (try Arran, Mull and Iona) and also the East is lovely too. Look at the Angus Glens where we are.
Plenty of wild camping spots and Park4night is great. Just check out/walk on to the spot before you drive in so that don’t end up axle deep in a bog like we did once. I still wake up sweating about that experience!
Midges are hellish from mid summer on but Easter through May even June you will be fine and often you will get the best weather.
Scotland is a welcoming and beautiful country
Have fun.
Alan

 

[fatbob]

Second Skye comment, Mull + Iona better call.

 

[RockinNRollin]

Lots of good advice already. If you're not tied to specific dates, June (especially early June) will be quieter. Skye these days is rather ruined by tourists; I have visited the place since the mid-2000s and it used to be such a tranquil place, but since Covid everyone is descending on it relentlessly and even out of season it can be busy. We called in mid-September last year and it was unpleasantly busy; every campsite was rammed (there's only a handful anyway) and the roads were packed with Great Whites. The problem with Skye is you don't need a lengthy ferry journey to get there, you can just hop over the bridge for free = lots more visitors.

Keep heading north and it gets quieter and nicer, but the NC500 has sort of made a rod for its own back in that it's probably encouraged too many people into areas that aren't really suitable for so many visitors.

 

[starlightblue]

thank you for all the useful advice.
I will have to go during July or August as my wife works as a teacher.
So i have to deal with the midges

 

[calibusje]

thank you for all the useful advice.
I will have to go during July or August as my wife works as a teacher.
So i have to deal with the midges

Mine is also a teacher. Hence all our trips and travel during the school holidays I'm used to it and I don't mind this at all.
About those little mosquitoes: they can ruin your trip friends of ours went to Scotland in the summer a few years ago and had a lot of problems with them. But fortunately you can do something about it: there is ointment to rub on you that will keep them away, anti-insect spray with deet or smidge (without deet), avon skin so soft, there are also hats with a mosquito net. The best tip I ever heard (read) is simply don't stand near water, peat or swamp (they don't like drought and also occur after a rain shower). And if you do: keep your California closed. They also prefer not to have direct sunlight and you will mainly encounter them at dusk. If the wind blows, they won't bother you because they are so small that they blow away.
You’ll have a great holiday in Scotland (been there several times and thinking about going there again next Easter holiday). Maybe you can book a ferry and visit the Outer Hebrides. I would definitely recommend Kintyre as well. And what the others say Great tips for me too.
Have fun planning!

 

[Perfectos]

It can get biblical

 

[HectaTheSpecta]

Depending on route it could be quite a long journey.

I’ve recently moved to Scotland and the journey from north to south of England can be fairly tiring even for a season long distanced driver.

I would say consider ferrying over to the hook of Holland or even Newcastle with the latter breaking the driving down quite a bit.

Also take into consideration the western side of Scotland during the summer months for Midges, those pesky things can ruin a nice camp!

 

[Betsycalifornia]

Penmaenpool Toll Bridge; Portmeirion (‘special’ beautiful and where 'The Prisoner' was recorded here; The series also

Also, Morfa bychan (black rock sands) and shell Island at llanbedr. Maybe Aber by Conwy.

 

[scottk]

If the midgies are bad, head to the east coast. Cairngorms and Deeside are both lovely if you are visiting Balmoral. Scottish schools are on holiday end of June, England are July. If you are heading to the Western Isles, check the ferries beforehand as we have had big problems the last few years.

 

[RockinNRollin]

If the midgies are bad, head to the east coast. Cairngorms and Deeside are both lovely if you are visiting Balmoral. Scottish schools are on holiday end of June, England are July. If you are heading to the Western Isles, check the ferries beforehand as we have had big problems the last few years.

On our recent tour of the inner Hebrides and southern western isles we must have caught nearly a dozen CalMac services over the course of 10 days and every one was on time and operated perfectly. They were actually a far more enjoyable experience than the Dover ferries; CalMac services I’d say are a bit more basic and many of the vessels elderly but they have a good and reasonably priced cafe on board. I am aware they’re not always perfect though!

To the OP don’t discount places like Arran (busy but lovely), Mull (less busy) and Islay (tranquil and relatively midge free). Realistically Scotland and its isles are vast and you could spend months exploring!

 

[The Merle]

thank you for all the useful advice.
I will have to go during July or August as my wife works as a teacher.
So i have to deal with the midges

Skye is busy but if you stay away from the main areas for nighttime parkup you can find some hidden gems, head south when you get on skye or west or right up toward uig.
Park4night is a lot nicer to use in eu than uk in my view

 

[Oceandrive2023]

Great info on here as always. We are planning to go Mid May. If it helps, we also ordered this book from Amazon by Martin Dorey called Take the Slow road to Scotland. Very useful info in this book for us .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/184486538X/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[KevH]

Great info on here as always. We are planning to go Mid May. If it helps, we also ordered this book from Amazon by Martin Dorey called Take the Slow road to Scotland. Very useful info in this book for us .
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/184486538X/?tag=eliteelect-21

Agreed, the Slow Road books keep you off the touristy roads and are well worth using as a planning aid.
A useful route to the western isles is via Arran, although wild camping is discouraged there. The southern end is midge free too due to the breeze.
Top tip is to plan your ferries and prebook the major crossings. Minor crossings are free flowing. All are good value.
Skye is disappointing imo, perhaps over sold? North and east of Skye is stunning and relatively quiet.
Enjoy and do post pictures. We are heading that way in June and I cannot wait.

 

[Nuala Wright]

This year we want to travel from Belgium to Scotland in July for 18 days
We would definitely like to visit the Isle of Sky.

Is it good wild camping in Scotland?

I have the Park4night app.
We are self-sufficient (dry toilet, shower tent, electricity for 2 days for the refrigerator,...).
I might consider a simple campsite.
Are bikes useful?

Do you have any tips for this region or anything I should pay attention to?

Is it easy to drive from Dover to the North or should I take a ferry to more North, for example? Newcastle (Which is much (6x!) more expensive)

Thanks in advance

 

[Nuala Wright]

I usually use Newcastle Amsterdam ferry, as travel in uk is more expensive and more congested. The overnight on the ferry can save a nights accommodation cost.
It is advisable to book a site on Skye in advance, as it can be very busy and vehicles turned back at the Skye bridge if you have no accommodation. Wild camping is restricted in a few places - Loch Lomond National Park is one.
Enjoy your trip!

 

[dspuk]

Lots of great advice here I’ll not add to. We did the NC500 last year over 10 days and it was breathtaking. The drive up though from south England we did over two nights.

One thing to keep in mind though is that Scottish wild camping laws are for people with tents and do not apply to motorised vehicles. So be prepared to be moved on or for the local kids to decide to bang the side of your camper in the middle of the night. We found with forward planning camp sites were cheap, great quality and safe. Many towns also have stay overnight areas that you can use that have no facilities for a small fee.

Most important. Take it easy. Scotland is majestic and begs you to take your time.

 

[calibusje]

On our recent tour of the inner Hebrides and southern western isles we must have caught nearly a dozen CalMac services over the course of 10 days and every one was on time and operated perfectly. They were actually a far more enjoyable experience than the Dover ferries; CalMac services I’d say are a bit more basic and many of the vessels elderly but they have a good and reasonably priced cafe on board. I am aware they’re not always perfect though!

Indeed, they're doing a good job. Here's what we experienced a few years ago when we wanted to sail from the Isle of Barra back to Oban and the ferry a few kilometers out to sea had a crack in the hull due to the storm at sea and took on water. We had to return to Barra and later sail to Skye via South Uist-North Uist. Fortunately, I was able to extend my leave at work and and had a nice bonus to our holiday. Only the Hull-Zeebrugge ferry (with P&O) caused problems due to our no show, which I reported directly from Barra, but after a few phone calls we got in touch with someone with a little more understanding of the situation (impossible to reach Hull on time) and we were able to book a new return trip at a more acceptable price. CalMac ferries was very correct and let us take the ferries to South Uist and later from Nord Uist to Uig with the original Barra-Oban ticket. It was something different

 

[markusschork]

Scotland is absolutely stunning and we went up there last Easter holidays around Loch Maree (fun fact, it is part of the "Islands in lakes on islands in lakes on islands" list on this wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Recursive_islands_and_lakes). There we stayed with friends.
But we did wild camp in some places and used park4night for that.

The picture was taken at a lovely spot where it was just us and some sheep on the way to Kilchoan (to take the ferry to Mull).
We had issues getting a ferry from Mull to Oban and had to do a few additional hours of drive. I hope that got sorted by now, but probably worth checking (if not booking in advance).
Good luck!