Most people’s idea of a honeymoon is relaxing in the Maldives.
We decided to squeeze into a campervan without toilet for 2 weeks instead. Neither of us have tried anything like this before.
Thankfully, our marriage survived the honeymoon.
It certainly wasn’t the most relaxing holiday ever. But it truly was the most epic trip I think I would ever have for a while.
This is how it went.
Our Itinerary Highlights
We flew in to Glasgow. Our van had to be picked up from Blantyre, a town 20 mins away by train from Glasgow.
So Blantyre was our starting and ending point.
Day 1-3: Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Fort William
After picking up our van in Blantyre in the morning, we stocked up on groceries in a nearby Aldi.
From Blantyre, we drove for 1+ hours to Loch Lomond.
Loch Lomond - Cashel Campsite
We went straight to the campsite as our first stop because as first time campervan-ers, we wanted to buffer time for any issues we might encounter settling in (e.g. figuring out the electric hookup, how to refill water etc).
After picking our park up spot, we made use of the campsite’s electric hookup to make an easy hearty warm meal with the van’s microwave.
Quick review of Cashel Campsite:
- Great views if you get a lot right by the loch
- Protip: reserve the best lots or go early to choose, we recommend 54-56 and 61-63, see campsite map )
- Each lot had a picnic table (rare!) which was great because our van didn’t include a folding table or picnic chairs for chilling outside
- Very clean facilities
Loch Lomond - Conic Hill (Hike)
AllTrails Link , Parking Gmaps Link
After lunch, we hiked up Conic Hill. The parking is about 10-15 mins drive from the campsite.
Quick review of Conic Hill hike:
- Relatively easy 2-3 hours hike (excluding breaks and photos), which was perfect to get our hiking engine started
- Views are not the dramatic mountains like those in Isle of Skye or NC500 west coast, but still very nice (more rolling hills and lakes)
- Good views to difficulty ratio
Glencoe - A82 Scenic Route
The next day, we drove the well known A82 road through mountains of Glencoe. This was where the views started to get epic.
We spent the day stopping at various places to take in the scenery and take photos.
If you have time, you probably can do the Lost valley hike which we heard many good things about. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time because we needed to deal with some some issues with the van (this will be another post).
Fort William - Invercoe Campsite
This campsite is right at the end of the A82. We were lucky that the sunset was amazing despite the clouds!
Quick review of Invercoe campsite:
- Epic views - surrounded by mountains, by the loch
- Pick a pitch by the loch if you can!
- Very clean facilities
Fort William - Corpach Caol Shipwreck
Gmaps Link , Parking Gmaps Link
This was an easy walk from the carpark (toilet run by the community hall available).
The shipwreck itself is cool but my favourite part was how it’s framed by the magnificent snowcapped mountains behind.
Glenfinnan (Harry Potter Train)
Viewpoint (to see train coming towards you from when it departs from Mallaig) Gmaps Link
Viewpoint (to see train coming towards you from when it departs from Fort William) Gmaps Link
This was a 20 min drive from Fort William.
It’s a super popular destination because the train, viaduct and place were featured in the Harry Potter Movies ( watch this compilation to jog your memory ). Its so popular that they could get away with charging 10 pounds for parking (5 pounds for cars).
We did some research for the timing and best spot to see the train:
- When will you see the train?
- The timings for when the train departs from their stations can be found on the jacobite (name of the train) service website
- The timings when the train passes by the viewpoints are approximately 30 mins after the train departed from Fort William, and 1h20 mins after the train has departed from Mallaig
- You can confirm the precise timings when you reach - they will be put up somewhere around the carpark or in the cafe
- Go early with plenty of buffer to confirm the time and pick a good spot! We packed lunch to have a picnic while waiting.
- Where is the best spot to see the train?
- The best viewpoint of the curving viaduct is a 20 min hike from the parking lot. This is NOT the “Glenfinnan Viewpoint” in gmaps
- If you want to see the train coming TOWARDS you, you need to check the direction of the train based on the timing that you are there and pick the correct viewpoint
- If the train is departing from Mallaig, this is the spot
- If the the train is departing from Fort William, this is the spot
There were plenty of other people camping to catch sight of the train too, which was kind of fun. It was a bit like catching a show in Universal Studios.
The train moved more slowly that we thought, which was good for us to slowly savour the view.
Eilean Donan Castle
Viewpoint 1 Gmaps Link - Dornie Community Hall and Toilets
Viewpoint 2 Gmaps Link - Eilean Donan Lookout
From Glenfinnan its about 2+ hours’ drive to Isle of Skye by the bridge (not the ferry). The drive is pretty scenic and enjoyable.
On the way, you will pass by Eilean Donan Castle. We didn’t actually go inside since history is not our main thing.
But there are several nice places to see the castle from which was what we did. One of them we discovered by accident because we were looking for a toilet!
Day 4 - 7: Isle of Skye
Isle of Skye - Sligachan Camping
It was getting late so our first stop in Skye was our campsite.
Quick review of Sligachan camping
- Very central location for getting to most places in Skye
- Great views surrounded by mountain
- Unfortunately, there are no electric hookup pitches by the loch
- Fresh coffee available
- Toilets are on the dirtier side compared to the others we’ve been to
Isle of Skye - Neist Point (hike)
AllTrails Link , Parking Gmaps Link
The next morning, we originally planned to hike the old man of Storr. However, the weather wasn’t great and so we decided to save it for another day and do an easier and less epic hike - Neist Point.
It’s an easy walk where you’ll see dramatic cliffs and a picturesque lighthouse.
Note that there is a viewpoint of the lighthouse together with the cliffs that is not in AllTrails that we missed. We wished we knew about it - it’s fairly near the carpark.
Isle of Skye - Gesto Bay Viewpoint
This was a nice viewpoint to pull over between Sligachan and Neist Point - sheeps in the foreground and beautiful cliffs and hills at the back!
We even caught the shepherd dropping by with his dog and cane to check in on his sheep! One of the most magical moments of our trip.
We loved it so much that we decided to park up there for the night (our first time!)
Isle of Skye - Quiraing (hike)
Parking Gmaps Link , AllTrails Link
You know a hike is going to be epic when the views are already magnificent from the carpark. This is one of those hikes. And it’s not even that difficult of a hike. The trail and views were nicely varied too.
Sadly the weather was a bit grey despite the forecasts claiming that it would be cloudy. I wouldn’t mind coming back to do this hike again on a clear day.
Isle of Skye - Brother’s point (hike)
AllTrails Link , Parking Gmaps Link
This was an easy hike that we added in because we had time and the weather was too good not to make use of. It turned out to be really nice with the blue skies making the water azure blue.
There’s a nice spot near the end where we just laid down on the grass to soak up the sun.
Some hikers that we met apparently saw some seals? No luck with that for us though.
Isle of Skye - Rigg Viewpoint
Nice place near Storr to pull over and see the views. We chose this as our parkup for the night!
BEWARE OF THE BIG POT HOLE at the entrance.
Isle of Skye - Talisker Distillery + Oyster Shed
These 2 places are often visited together because they are very near each other. Unfortunately, our experience with them wasn’t that great.
Oyster Shed
Unfortunately, the person who shucks the oyster wasn’t there that day, and so we didn’t get to try the oysters from the Oyster Shed.
They let you bring the closed oysters home so you can shuck it yourself, but it looked so dangerous and difficult we didn’t want to risk our fingers.
We tried their lobster, king prawns and mussels. Unfortunately our experience was terrible. The seafood did not taste fresh and was almost tasteless. They pretty much taste like frozen seafood from the supermarket. Not sure if that day was a bad day because there were so many raving reviews.
Talisker Distillery
Talisker Distillery Gmaps Link
We tried to book on the day itself (because we decide our itinerary by the day’s weather, and we prioritised being in nature over whiskey tours) but did not manage to get a slot. But it was a cool place to swing by and see the various whiskies nonetheless.
Note that the whiskies sold there are actually more expensive than if you bought the same elsewhere. So probably not a good idea to buy unless its difficult to find elsewhere.
The dram prices at the bar are also more expensive than restaurants! So you might want to consider trying them at restaurants instead. We had one at Old School Restaurant and the waitress was actually pretty knowledgeable and helpful!
Isle of Skye - Old Man of Storr (hike)
Parking Gamps Link , AllTrails Link
This was the iconic Isle of Skye hike that we were looking forward to. So when we saw that the weather was clearing it up, we rushed over to do it.
The hike did not disappoint. The dramatic rock formations made it feel out of this world, and the views along the trail were nice varied.
Make sure to follow the AllTrails route. Most people just go up and down the obvious steps. But if you do that you’ll miss a very nice side path.
Isle of Skye - Bla Bheinn (hike)
Parking Gmaps Link , AllTrails Link
This was one of the most challenging hikes we’ve done yet.
It’s 896m of elevation gain over 8.7km, lots of loose rocks, not very clear trail markings, and even requires a wee bit of bouldering near the top. There was even a bit of snow near the top.
But it was a really rewarding hike and you can see really far on a clear day. The landscape is not as dramatic as Storr or Quairaing, but still very nice!
I would also consider it a bit of a hidden gem because I don’t see many mentions of this online!
You can read more details about our experience with the hike in this post.
The carpark for the trailhead is also very nice. They had a compost toilet that was very well maintained, picnic tables, non-potable water for washing, and great views surrounded by mountains and a loch. Purely donation based.
We liked it so much that we camped there for the night!
Day 8-12: NC500 West coast
NC500 West Coast - Bealach na Ba
This is the supposed “most dangerous road in NC500”. It’s known as that because of the narrow single track roads, steep dropoffs, and tight hairpin turns.
I was a bit spooked by the rep initially, and almost gave it a pass. But honestly it wasn’t so bad for our van (Volkswagen T6). Maybe the turns would be much more tricky with a long motorhome.
I think it also helped that it wasn’t peak of summer (e.g. June-August) and the drivers I met so far were super courteous and often initiated to wait at their passing places.
Just make sure you’ve had plenty of practice using passing places on single track roads beforehand
Anyway, the views along the road are indeed very epic, and I was glad I did not skip it.
NC500 West Coast - Applecross
This is a little town at the end of Bealach na Ba. I wasn’t expecting much but was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful the beach is.
he sand had a tinge of pink color which made it spectecular combined with the azure blue waters on a sunny day.
NC500 West Coast - Torridon Hills
Loch Torridon Viewpoint -
Gmaps Link
Bealach na Gaoithe Viewpoint -
Gmaps Link
After going back through Bealach na Ba from Applecross, you’ll reach the Torridon Hills area.
It’s a beautiful area to drive through, and there are plenty of nice viewpoints to visit.
NC500 West Coast - Glen Docherty Viewpoint
This is supposedly one of the iconic viewpoints of the NC500.
Pretty cool for a quick stop to see the winding road stretch into the valleys.
NC500 West coast - Gailoch beach
Another nice beach to stop by!
We loved how common it is to find these cute benches, often dedicated to a late, well loved resident who loved that spot.
NC500 West Coast - Gruinard Bay View Point
Yet another nice viewpoint of a beach to stop by. Weather wasn’t great so we didn’t hang for too long.
NC500 West Coast - Unnamed Parking Area on A832
This hidden gem (not even marked on Google Maps) was one of our highlights!
It is a large parking area where you can pull over and get a picture perfect view of the magnificent snowcapped An Teallach mountain group. The winding road leading up to it is the cherry on top.
The sunset was starting to look amazing that day so we decided to park up there for the night.
Although it started to become cloud, the sunset turned out to be truly dramatic. A nice old man from wales also doing a campervan trip shared how he drove the route a few years before but never noticed the mountain group because he was driving the other direction. Together we stood in the cold as we watched in awe at the light change.
The weather cleared the next morning and we were treated to a beautiful sunrise. It was freezing cold that morning but totally worth it!
NC500 West Coast - Stac Pollaidh (hike)
Parking Gmaps Link , AllTrails Link
This was a moderate hike that wasn’t too difficult technically. I wouldn’t say its the most epic hike, but worth doing if you are around the area!
The straight sloping formation was pretty cool.
NC500 West Coast - Advreck Castle
A cool castle stop along the way to check out. We’re not normally castle fans but this one is pretty cool with its pretty surroundings.
NC500 West Coast - Wailing Willows Waterfall
Parking Gmaps Link , Falls Gamps Link
Somebody on instagram said that this was their number 1 in the NC500.
It’s pretty cool but it wasn’t anywhere number 1 in our list. I think maybe because we’ve seen many more bigger and more dramatic waterfalls in South East Asia?
Nonetheless I’d say it is worth checking out. The hike in is quite short (15-20 mins) especially if you are surefooted. And the minecraft-like rock formations are quite unique!
My wife wasn’t so surefooted so I don’t think she found the hike worth it.
NC500. West Coast - Faraid Head (hike)
Parking Gmaps Link , AllTrails Link
This was a surprisingly rewarding hike. I wasn’t expecting much from the photos on AllTrails but I was pleasantly surprised!
The terrain is nicely varied. You start from the beach with cobalt blue waters (assuming a blue sky day) with snowcapped mountains in the backdrop, then move on to wide plains dotted with sheep, then to rocky cliffs with crashing waves, then return via sand dunes covered with strangely uniform vegetation.
And its all an easy relatively flat walk!
Day 13 -15: NC500 East Coast, Cairngorms
NC500 East Coast - Dunscaby Stacks (hike)
Parking Gmaps Link , AllTrails Link
An iconic destination on the NC500.
The stacks were pretty cool, but the trail itself was fairly underwhelming because the stacks are the main thing to see throughout the hike.
And you get the best view of it about 25% into the hike.
NC500 East Coast - Scotland Haven + Scone with the Wind
Parking and Scones are behind the Highland Haven Hotel
This was a little hidden gem that we stumbled upon (found by tapping around on Google maps) while trying to make use of the good weather after the Dunscaby Stacks hike.
From the hotel, its a 10 mins hike to the tidal pond. You’ll need to climb over the short fence and walk through some boggy terrain. A man at the hotel was very kind to point us in the right direction and reassure us that its ok to climb the fence.
After the hike, we saw a cute little hut called “Scone with the wind” and decided to give it a visit. We were pleasantly surprised to find a cute little high tea setup inside. There were freshly baked scones on the table, complete with butter and jam in a cold box, tea bags and hot water from a dispenser.
There was nobody there and you basically help yourself and there’s a honesty box with a sign that says 5 pounds for 2 large scones.
The scones were delicious and surprisngly moist! We even had a visit from the resident cat.
NC500 East Coast - Whaligoe Steps
The drive along the east coast was definitely less epic than the west coast (seems like its because the east coast is more populated so it’s mostly towns and farmland). And so we welcomed this stopover that we found on Google maps.
We were treated to a very cool waterfall display thanks to the strong wind - the water couldn’t fall straight and danced with the wind.
At the bottom of the steps, among waves crashing onto the cliffs, we found a lot of cute Guillemot birds nestling on the cliffs. They look and waddle like little penguins!
NC500 East Coast - Chanonry Point
Parking Gmaps Link , Dolphin View Point Gmaps Link
Lots of people gather here to watch dolphins. I was skeptical that we could catch any but was surprised to see at least 10 instances of dolphins leaping out of the water.
There were a couple of times when they pretty close, maybe 20m away? Which was amazing because I did not expect the dolphins to hang out so close to the shore.
Unfortunately no photos or videos because we weren’t fast enough. Plus we were busy eating our lunch while waiting for the dolphins.
Cairngorms -Lake Morlich
We decided to go back to Blantyre via Cairngorms. Unfortunately we didn’t have time to do the snow road which is apparently more scenic, and so the drive was more foresty and less scenic.
But we got to visit Lake Morlich on the other side of the Cairngorms.
Unforutnately the weather wasn’t that great. If not, the views of the snow capped mountains reflecting on the mirror lake would have been spectecular.
Cairngorms - Viewpoint near Cable Car
We were looking for places to park up for the night and managed to find this gem. It’s above the treeline and so you get to see the Cairngorms from above with the snowcapped mountains behind.
We were also super lucky to have the wild reindeer herd pay us a visit! What a magical experience.
Cairngorms - Utah Lochans (hike)
Parking Gmaps Link , Trail Link on Komoot
Before returning the van, we wanted to squeeze in one last quick hike.
Unfortunately it looks like they’ve been doing some logging in the area, so what we saw was a balder version of the photos we’ve seen before. It was also a bit hazy that day.
Nonetheless, it was a nice quick walk before heading back!
Adapting our itinerary on the fly based on the weather
- Scotland’s weather is infamously varied and unpredictable
- Some activities must be done in good weather (e.g. challenging hikes)
- Some activities can be done in bad weather (e.g. distillery visit, groceries run)
- Some activities are ideally not done in bad weather, but can still be done (e.g. easy hikes, scenic drives)
- Instead of planning a fixed and rigid itinerary, we had a rough one with some options and adapted it according to the weather
- When the weather was bad, we visited distilleries and took the chance to stock up on groceries
- When the weather was very good, we prioritized the longer and more challenging hikes, or the epic ones that we were really looking forward to (e.g. Old Man of Storr)
- The weather forecast helps but is not 100% accurate. In our experience AccuWeather was the best but even then it was only about 75% right for even just the forecast up to the next day
Our experience traveling the shoulder season (April)
- We’ve never done the trip during summer, but we’ve heard horror stories of crowded roads and midges
- Some of the popular attractions (Old Man of Storr) already had fairly full car parks - we shudder to think what it’s like in summer
- Fairly little cars on the road in Skye and western part of NC500, which is a great feeling because you’re not worried about traffic and you feel like you’re truly immersed in the wild
- Wild camping seems more acceptable (at least from our impressions) and manageable just because there is so much space to go around. We were often the only van in some of the smaller spots. For the larger spots it’s usually only at most 30% full.
- It’s cold but not unbearable. There were a few night where it got as low as 1-3 degrees celcius
- But it is often too cold to stay out too long during sunset and sunrise
- Surprisingly, we didn’t need to use the heater throughout the night even though our van wasn’t insulated for winter. The sleeping bag provided by our van owner + each other’s body warmth was sufficient.
- Temperature in the day is great for hiking - any warmer we’d be sweating a lot
- No midges yet. Some flies in a few areas but nothing problematic.
Overall, we thought we made a good choice (for us) to go during the shoulder season.
Especially because I’m new to driving a larger vehicle, heavy traffic and full carparks would have sent my stress levels through the roof. And trying to relax after a hard day’s drive with midges buzzing around sounds like a nightmare.
How we rented the campervan
We rented the van from Goboony , which is like Airbnb for motorhomes and campervans.
More about our experience in this post.
Here’s the gist of it:
- There are a few other similar platforms but we found Goboony to have the most options for the UK.
- Initially, our preference was to use a professional campervan rental company instead of doing it Airbnb-style because we were campervanning for the first time and wanted to reduce the number of things that could go wrong.
- However, we couldn’t find many companies offering automatic campervans (you have to search and check each company one by one by the way, there is no platform that aggregates the options)
- The one company that did have an automatic campervan available cancelled 3 weeks before our trip because their insurance decided not to cover Singaporean licenses upon renewal (story for another time). So we didn’t have any choice but use Goboony.
- We did have issues with the van during our trip (this will be another post). But Chris, the van owner, was very nice and helpful. So overall, our experience with Goboony was a positive one.
- We paid 1,542.15 GBP for 13 days, 12 nights. That worked out to 128.50 GBP per night.