West Coast Scotland Recommendations

[GeoffB]

Stayed here a few years ago when we had a tent, can't speak for Cali facilities but this is a great site with dramatic views, not far north of Ullapool.

http://ardmair.com/caravan.html

 

[viorelchicu]

I'm planning to take the family up to west Scotland, Oban area ish, over half term; I was wondering if anyone had any advice; child friendly campsites, wildcamping, is half term (end of October) a bad time? Thanks

 

[NZCol]

+1 for apple cross, we took our hired Cali there a couple of months back. The hard standing sites are ok , great pub. I sat and had a beer in the sun chatting to a motorbiker who turned out to be JK from Jamiroquai.
Also recommend Big Beach at Gairloch for an awesome spot and top notch facilities. It's a few miles outside Gairloch but great for kids big and small.
We also wild camped in Torridon which was no worries.
It's such an amazing area and so easy to get to in my opinion.

Edit: there is also a nice run for those that are into that from Applecross bay across the tops to shieldag - take good gear but it's a stunning run , just get your other half to do the scenic drive and then have a swim and a cuppa at the other side!
And Smidge works unbelievably well, Avon sss isn't as effective as it used to be but Smidge rocks.

 

[KernowLad]

+1 for Fidden Farm on Mull - it's pretty basic but I think you'd struggle to find a more stunning setting. There's stacks of places nearby you could wild camp in too.

View from our van:



Me looking stupid (as usual) with my kids:

 

[Ewan]

I'm planning to take the family up to west Scotland, Oban area ish, over half term; I was wondering if anyone had any advice; child friendly campsites, wildcamping, is half term (end of October) a bad time? Thanks

As others have mentioned, there are loads of options for good campsites on the West coast. I've done some reviews of (what I rate as) Scotland's best campsites on my blog - hopefully lots of choice.

Top 10 Campsites in Scotland http://wildaboutscotland.com/2013/04/14 ... -scotland/
Top 10 Beach Campsites in Scotland http://wildaboutscotland.com/2013/08/04 ... campsites/

I would check to see which campsites are still open in end October (half-term in Scotland is now past).

You say "Oban-ish" ... so I assume this rules out great sites further north around the Western Isles, Arisaig and Applecross etc. If so I'd recommend Fidden Farm (Mull), Port Ban (Kintyre) and either Resipole or Kilchoan (Ardnamurchan), all great, child friendly sites. And - if you get the weather - you couldn't wish for a better spot .

 

[Barefoot62]

Our west coast tour started in Inverness...

I don't want to sound 'picky' but isn't Inverness on the east coast?

Alasdair

 

[wollow007]

i'm up there for 2 weeks at the end of May (Fort William). Go there every year, couple of great campsites. Word of warning, The mountainbike downhill world cup is on at the end of May, reason i'm going. The campsites are rammed during the end of May and the first couple of weeks in June.

If you like watching crazy girl n guys riding down a mountain like there asses are on fire is well worth a look

Love Fort William, Hate Miggies!

 

[Archie]

There's a glorious semi wild camp (public toilets opposite) next to Calgary beach at the northern end of Mull.
Virtually on the beach, and what a beach!

Applecross is good, and any of the sites around Arisaig on the way to the Syke ferry

 

[ja197]

Hi

We cut a dash that way last Easter weekend (work didn't allow longer but looking to head back this year again), stayed just south of Mallaig in a very nice site (Sunnyside Croft I think it was) by the water with the best campsite facilities we've seen. Then grabbed a dawn ferry to Skye and did a circumnavigation picking up some fresh fish for lunch in Portree on the way past. We then stayed at the Sligachan campsite at the north end of the Cuillin and had some great food and beer and fantastic sunset views with snow on the ridge. Finally we stayed in Glen Nevis at the site you refer to, it was quiet at that time of year but probably picks up in May, it was clean and tidy and it is easy to access the Ben from there. We headed to Anoach Mor for a days skiing before heading south again - conditions were amazingly good for Scotland!!

From experience May and Sept are good times for the north west as it tends to be too cool for the midges - tried camping in Glen Brittle on Skye in June once and the midges were horrendously boring!

Enjoy.

 

[TwentyOneThirtyFive]

Our west coast tour started in Inverness...

I don't want to sound 'picky' but isn't Inverness on the east coast?

Alasdair

You are correct. We are fantastically bad at map reading

dan
(actual story was that somewhere just above the Lake District we thought it would be nice to drive along Loch Ness)

 

[maui2512]

We've just booked to stay at http://www.camusdarachcampsiteandbeach.co.uk/ in August, our first big trip away, together with my mum & stepdad in their Bongo.
Looks a nice site and gets great reviews. It's between Arisaig and Mallaig

 

[Goldie]

Many years ago we went to Skye in our 'bay window' on the Glenelg ferry. http://www.skyeferry.co.uk. Fantastic views on the road to the ferry.

Andy

 

[Barefoot62]

We're travelling up to North West Scotland at the end of May can anyone advise me on the where abouts of any(if any) good places for a spot of 'wild camping'
Much appriciated.

Alasdsir

 

[Larkrise]

We're travelling up to North West Scotland at the end of May can anyone advise me on the where abouts of any(if any) good places for a spot of 'wild camping'
Much appriciated.

Alasdsir

Just reviving this one as we start to plan an itinerary for early May (only 10 days)...did you get to 'wild camp' and any great sites (or wild spots) to recommend?

 

[GrannyJen]

Western Scotland and North-West Scotland is great for wild camping. Lots of Lay-bys, isolated roads out of peak times, great viewpoints, it really is not difficult to find somewhere superbly peaceful and quiet with great views and loads of space.

The only time I booked a camp site was to do some essential maintenance to both self and van, showers, hot water, cleaning places etc...

Even in towns most car parks are free of "no overnight camping" signs.

 

[Larkrise]

Sounds great... it must be 35 years since we last camped in the north west... and Applecross is the only place I remember (mostly for the fantastic approach)... I remember being told that electricity had only just been brought in... and we then promptly moved into a cottage with no electric for the next ten years! On that holiday we were forced to head east to dry the tent out; of course the Cali is made of sterner stuff!

 

[GrannyJen]

Love wester ross,

I wildcamped in Kyle, one night (Harbour car park) and Torridon the next.

The northern end of the Drumbeg road is pretty special as well, loads of places between Kylescu and Drumbeg, fabulous.

 

[Californiaman]

I can recommend the campsite at North Ledaig. It doesn't look like much from the road but every pitch has a sea view. It can get quite busy by all accounts but it is in a great spot for some lovely walks (the view from Beinn Lora is lovely)

 

[Skylark2.0]

Sites for Ben Nevis
The site in Glen Nevis is excellent (the link is in an above post): a good shop, good service blocks and OK food/drink available on site with bar food and restaurant food options. The slog up the Ben starts 300 yards from the site opposite the Youth Hostel. The path is easily followed in bad mist but take a good map to get the bifurcations right.
I did it once overnight to watch the sunrise from the top but there was too much rain cloud.

There is an excellent Inn (Ben Nevis Inn I think?) 1/4 mile from the site and at the true bottom of the Ben Nevis path (the path from the Youth Hostel joins the main path about 1/2 mile from the real start of the path where the Inn is). The beer in the Inn is very good and the food is of a high quality. There's no point in going into Fort William for food if you want quality: the Inn is nearer and better. Quaintly rustic with a mix of tourists just got out of cars with their freshly ironed mountain clothes and climbers having just done the trip, manky knackered and very thirsty.

A word of warning, though: the winds coming down the glen can often be severe. Nomatter how well you secure your awning, it will not survive - so wind it in when away from the van.

Enjoy

Better have the wind than midges. We stopped their briefly one August after a trip down the hebrides, got eaten alive by the little blighters as it was still