You’ve made an excellent choice in picking Scotland for your next campervan road trip.
This country has unbeatable scenery, with dramatic coastlines, soaring mountains, an abundance of wildlife, and more. There are so many incredible destinations in Scotland to choose from, and staying in a campervan will allow you to see as many as possible and camp in the heart of nature.
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Campervan Road Trip Tips for Scotland
We’ve rounded up the five most important tips for a campervan trip in Scotland so that you’re ready to get behind the wheel.
1. Choosing the right campervan
Finding the right campervan for your trip is a subjective choice, as there are many things to consider.
Firstly, how many sleeping places do you need? If you’re travelling with one other person, we recommend going for a two-berth or even a four-berth, as the size doesn’t differ too much.
Also, consider how much time you’ll actually spend in the van. If you plan to be out and about every day, then you can go for something smaller. But if you see rainy and cold days as a likely possibility, which it certainly could be in Scotland, then you might want to ensure you have the room to stretch around and rest inside.
Many assume they need a campervan with a toilet and shower, but if you plan to predominately pitch at campsites, then it may be more trouble than it is worth. Don’t underestimate the effort required to clean out a toilet tank.
Also, when choosing the right campervan for a road trip in Scotland, it’s worth going for something a bit smaller. A large Swift motorhome will struggle along the narrower roads of the Highlands and could get you stuck more than once.
If you intend to dive into the wild heart of Scotland, go for a smaller campervan like a Volkswagen or Mazda Bongo. You’ll have the most campervan options in larger cities, so you might wish to arrange your campervan hire in Edinburgh or Inverness.
2. Planning your campervan road trip route
Now, this raises another important question: will you plan ahead or take a laissez-faire approach? There are benefits to both. Some feel uncomfortable having nothing in place, whilst others quickly feel restricted by a day-to-day plan.
The perfect campervan trip has a bit of both. Perhaps a rough idea of where you’ll sleep each night, but enough space to let you dictate your plans for the day over your morning cup of coffee. This allows you to adapt to weather conditions. Also, to how you’re feeling, but also ensure you cover all of your intended destinations.
We often recommend that you and your travelling companions make a ‘bucket list’ for the trip, This includes the things you really want to do or places you simply must visit. You can plan these in to ensure everyone is content, but leave the rest up for grabs.
3. The best campervan road trip road trips
That being said, we’ve got a few places in Scotland in mind for your bucket list! Nothing beats a road trip in Scotland, as this allows you to take in as much of this glorious country as possible. To help, we’ve comprised a list of the best road trips in Scotland:
- North Coast 500 – It starts and ends in Inverness, takes you along the coast and includes highlights like John O’Groats and Applecross!
- South West Coastal 300 – Explore the gorgeous region of Dumfries and Galloway, easily done within a week.
- Fife Coastal – Through ancient forests, seal colonies, fantastical castles and more, this is a great road trip to take from Edinburgh to explore Fife.
4. Where to pitch
If you’re travelling in peak season, we recommend booking your campsites ahead of time to avoid disappointment. Scotland is an extremely popular destination, so better safe than sorry! Wild camping isn’t legal in Scotland, but it can be tolerated in certain areas. If in doubt, ask the local landowner!
On apps like Park4night, you’ll find places that allow you to free camp, such as parking lots and fields. Make sure to leave the place as you found it and remember this isn’t a place for proper camping behaviour, in that case, you’ll need to pitch at a campsite.
And where can you find campsites to pitch at?
There are plenty of options. We recommend checking out PitchUp to look through the campsites nearby. You can filter based on location, pitch type, amenities, and more!
5. Packing list for a campervan road trip
One of the perks of campervans is the extensive storage space available. Unlike other accommodation options, you don’t have to repack your bag each time you move, so you can really settle into your little home on wheels. So bring whatever you think you might need – when in doubt, pack it!
For a campervan holiday in Scotland, it’s all about layers! It can be gloriously sunny in summer when the campervan might even get a bit warm.
But autumn, winter and spring can be harsh, so make sure you’ve got extra sweaters, a scarf and a waterproof jacket. This might also mean you’ll have a few rainy days in your campervan, so pack some board games or other things to keep you busy.
You are ready for your Scotland campervan road trip
Now that you’ve completed these five steps, you’re ready for the perfect campervan trip in Scotland. It’s time to book your campervan, arrange your campsites and hit the road. But be warned, this country is so beautiful that you’ll definitely feel the urge to return many times after!
Save on your trip with these resources
We use these aggregator companies to save time and money. They do the work for us by providing a list of options, prices, and reviews for anywhere we are travelling worldwide. Plus, we have personally had positive customer service experiences with all of them:
- Flights: we use Expedia for the best and cheapest flight options.
- Hotels: we use Booking.com as they consistently return the best rates and their reviews are from actual guests. However, for self-contained lodging, use VRBO
- Cars: we use RentalCars to find the best deals and dealer ratings.
- Private guides: we often hire private guides from Tours by Locals
- Travel Insurance: we start at InsureMyTrip as they are the best option to compare plans and find the right coverage for you.
Before you book the rest of your trip: Check out our travel resources page for more companies that we use when you travel.
We believe this list to be the best in each category. You can’t go wrong using them on your trip too.
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Are you ready to plan for a campervan road trip in Scotland?
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About the author
Fleurine has grown up in numerous countries, leaving her with a deep love for travelling. Combining that love for travelling with writing for Goboony is a dream come true, and she can most commonly be found behind the wheel of her VW campervan!
Ann Marks
So would love to see Scotland and all the gorgeous destinations in your photos! Can’t wait to be able to go to Europe once again. Thank you for the incredible pics!
Unta
I’m dreaming of trip to Scotland for a long time, I was planning to go last summer but covid said no. 🙂 Still can’t wait, it looks unreal.
rachel
Saving this for our next Scotland adventure!!
Krysten Quiles
This looks like it would be so much fun!
Nancy
It looks like a lovely way to travel.
Carol
I’d love to go to Scotland and take a road trip. You described a dream trip.
Ashlee Fechino
This is our kind of trip! We would love to experience Scotland road tripping with a campervan. Thanks for sharing the tips!
Chad
This is amazing!!!! I’ve never been to Scotland and would love to spend a couple of months there…Can’t wait!
Gail
The Fife Coastal sounds like a lovely route to take. Scotland is on my list of places to go to once the pandemic is over. 🙂 Breaking down road trip preparations into five doable (and not overwhelming) steps is really helpful not just for a Scotland road trip but for any road trip, really. Thanks!
Kathy Kenny Ngo
I would love to try this out. I can’t imagine going in a campervan but with this article, I think I can give this a try.
Stephanie
I would have never thought of a campervan as the way to see the country, but it sounds like such a great idea! I’d love to visit Scotland one day and see all the sights, especially the old castles.
Renata Feyen
I have never been to Schotland, but I bet it’s the perfect place for hiking and walks
Krista
I’ve driven around Scotland many times but never in a campervan! It looks like an amazing experience and something I’d love to do in the autumn time.
Hanna Thomas
We travelled around Scotland with our tent, but it was just too cold to stand outside and cook, so I think next time we definitely need to take a camper! So many more places I’m adding the the itinerary after this post too!
Travelling Tam
Driving a van around Scotland is absolutely one of my dream road trips! One day I will do this! There are some great tips here, especially resources where you can find places to camp, both free and paid. Nothing like worrying where you will park up for the night legally, so that is really useful for planning before you go.
Josy A
Great Post Rhonda!
I love the idea of hiring a camper to travel around Scotland. I have a feeling we’d go with the book everything at the last moment approach so we could make the most of the weather and hike as much as possible!
L. Diane Wolfe
That would be a fun way to travel. I grew up in Oregon, so heck with the rain – go out anyway.
Alex J. Cavanaugh
We traveled by train to most destinations -and then walked after that. A campervan would be fun, although driving on the other side of the road would take a lot of adjustment. Probably be a great way to see the Isle of Skye.