Scotland tour ideas

barryd

barryd

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As some of you may know Michelle has had Kidney stone surgery recently so inbetween appointments etc we are staying in the UK this year. We should have a good long window shortly between mid July and mid September so its likely we will head to the Isle of Arran for a good part of that (Its like a second home to us) but we are thinking of also heading up into Scotland mid August possibly. My thoughts were Trossachs, possibly up the west coast and maybe up to Loch Ness and then possibly up to Applecross area. I would consider other areas if anyone wants to recommend any. The main thing we look for is great trips out on the bike. The scarier and more spectacular the better. Kayking, hiking, epic scenery, lochs and mountains etc.

Here is my problem though. It will mainly be the school holidays or the back end of them. I don't like campsites and don't want to pay £40 a night either when I dont need EHU, Showers etc and certainly don't want to be around lots of kids. The second problem is we generally like to stay a while at a base and use the bike to get around so one night stopovers in laybys or forestry stay for "a" night stops are not great options for us either. The CL and CS network is sadly very thin on the ground compared to England which is what we generally rely on here. I know there are a few CAMpRA Aires now and I have found one or two that are suitable but not much more.

So I guess I am looking for those off grid gems you might have found where you can stay a while within 30 miles of those areas I mentioned. Any thoughts? PM if preferred.
 
Forget Applecross, unless you book a month in advance on the Applecross campsite, that is how far ahead they were booked when we tried.

The Wee Campsite in Lochcarron is very nice (yes that really is it's name) and not too expensive, but booking strongly advised. That is handy to go over the Bealach na ba on the bike for the day to explore Applecross.

Trossachs will be very busy this time of year.

If you like Islands, Harris / Lewis is very nice, we particularly like the Horgabost campsite. Somewhat more formal than it used to be they now require advanced bookings. No mains so you need to be self sufficient for power.

Another off the busy route campsite is Port a Beigh near Achiltibuie north of Ullapool if that is not too far?

You could do as we just did and head over to Raasay. We were charged £14.05 each way on the ferry for a 6M motorhome. No official sites but camping in the vicinity of the ferry terminal allowed. Water is on the pier next to where the ferry berths. Public toilets in ferry building. Hotel short walk away, use the bike to explore the island (might be better than subjecting your MH to the dire state of some of the island roads) Very few other tourists.
 
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Is Orkney of interest? You get a lot of bang for your buck there, and there are plenty of little corners for wild camping and at least one proper aire where motorhomes are permitted.
 
Must admit I haven't done the islands yet apart from Skye but it's extremely rare I ever book a site in Scotland. I do like Woods Leisure in Balloch, have used them 20 years or more on and off and the CCC site on Lock Ness.

I never have a problem just finding somewhere out he way to stop. Not usually up there in the summer though
 
Thanks. We have ruled out the islands other than Arran. As said, I have done them all including Orkney twice and Shetland but I just don't think they will be Michelles cup of tea and to be honest I wouldn't rush back to many of them either. I found the outer Hebrides a bit bleak and baron and a lot of them a bit flat and featureless although the coastal beaches and coves can be fabulous of course. We keep pondering revisiting Mull as we have both been there but we didn't have that great an experience last time but its probably 20 years ago.

So I reckon a bit more of central Scotland and possibly further up. Maybe as Kev suggests the Eastern side is worth a look as well.
 
ProDave said:
Forget Applecross, unless you book a month in advance on the Applecross campsite, that is how far ahead they were booked when we tried.

The Wee Campsite in Lochcarron is very nice (yes that really is it's name) and not too expensive, but booking strongly advised. That is handy to go over the Bealach na ba on the bike for the day to explore Applecross.

Trossachs will be very busy this time of year.

If you like Islands, Harris / Lewis is very nice, we particularly like the Horgabost campsite. Somewhat more formal than it used to be they now require advanced bookings. No mains so you need to be self sufficient for power.

Another off the busy route campsite is Port a Beigh near Achiltibuie north of Ullapool if that is not too far?

You could do as we just did and head over to Raasay. We were charged £14.05 each way on the ferry for a 6M motorhome. No official sites but camping in the vicinity of the ferry terminal allowed. Water is on the pier next to where the ferry berths. Public toilets in ferry building. Hotel short walk away, use the bike to explore the island (might be better than subjecting your MH to the dire state of some of the island roads) Very few other tourists.
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Horgabost beach just been named Best Beach in UK (?) . Probably increase traffic there
 
I would highly recommend the eastern side, but then I do live there! Plenty of free park ups as well as “aire” style stopovers, especially on the Moray Coast (Portsoy, Findhorn, Cullen etc). Lovely biking roads - B974 Cairn o’Mount is a favourite as well as Cockbridge to Tomintoul and Blairgowrie to Braemar over GlenShee. Fife Coast is lovely as well with the Fife Countryside Trust providing stopovers in some lovely spots (Ruby Bay at Elie, Kingsbarns beach etc)
 
Wot Tony said👆. Deeside Moray coast Cairngorms. Easy wilding less midges nice people. Crown estates and Glenlivet estates are trying hard to get NC500 business.
 
We've stayed here near the Forth Rail Bridge a few times, disabled parking extreme right, with a bikers cafe opposite and a good pub for grub within walking distance, busy during the day but quiet at night.

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the center works well most tourists now are focusing on the NC500 which gives you a lot to play in , having covered approximately 75% of scotland my two favourite areas are the borders and argyl kintyre wully has introduced me to much of that area and last month he took us to the lovely Aberfoyle then on to a Woods site at callender & we took the van in to nearby stirling to walk around the town and castle
 
Stop overnight in Moffat, plenty of space right in the centre of town, quiet at night and no one bothers you, plenty of places to eat out, or takeaways, then in the morning drive over to Grey Mare's Tail so Michelle can hike up to it.
 
I’m looking at doing the western isles again this year a few ferries involved but if you have the time you can split it over a longer trip. I would go through Skye spending a few days to do so then take the ferry out the back door of Skye at Uig to Tarbert travel up to Harris then back down through lewis the beaches on lewis are world class and plenty of we nooks and crannies to park for a night or two. Then if you wanted to be more adventurous you could travel down through north Uist Benbecula south Uist all the way down through Erisky ending in Barra where you take the ferry back to Oban. It Is an expensive trip ferry wise but a dream trip to do in a motorhome…Everyone should do this trip at least once in there life.

As Ken has said if your gonna be on Arran then maybe take the short ferry out the back door to Kintyre head down to Campbelltown using the old rd down past Caradale loads of we stops on way down it’s usually not too busy down that neck of the woods.

Once I’ve had time to think I’ll post again
 
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