A campervan trip to the remote north of Scotland

Part 1: Gairloch

I should start by explaining that this was the beginning of our holiday after a busy few weeks, and with the weather turning wet and windy at times, we opted for a slower pace to begin with, and stayed on and around the campsite in Gairloch.

The campsite was essentially sprawled across the dunes of an incredible beach cove, so no matter where you chose to pitch, you were just a few metres away from a beautiful beach (which also meant we had great views of the sea from the van). 

We managed some nice beach walks, some sea kayaking, and even a small barbecue on the beach when the weather allowed it. When the sun came out, the sea seemed to calm to the point that it was incredibly tranquil to bob around on in a kayak.

Along with that, there were views to mountain ranges and other islands from the beach, and the stretch of sea is filled with interesting creatures to look out for, from dolphins, to whales, to rare bird species, so there was plenty to enjoy right there.

Even in the school holidays, the campsite felt quiet. There were lots of other campers there (the site was full), but people were quiet and respectful, and there was plenty of space around each camping spot, so it didn’t feel like anyone was on top of each other.

The icing on the cake for the campsite was its amazing shop. It had everything, including freshly baked bread and pastries (delicious croissants!), so we had some very nice breakfasts, in true holiday style.

When it rained we mostly hid in our campervan and played board games (we discovered a game called Quirkle, which is fun and incredibly addictive).

There were things nearby that we didn’t do: we didn’t go into Gairloch, which looked to be a beautiful seaside town; and I’m sure there were other sights along the coastline we could have visited.

But, like I mention above, we had a much-needed rest here, and had plenty to do within walking distance of the van to keep us happy.

Top tips:

• The weather changes very fast. It can go from beautiful sunny summer, to cold and wet wintry bursts within in minutes, so it’s best to be prepared for both. The blustery weather also causes the sea to get a bit choppy, so stay safe if you’re planning any water activities.

• As you’d expect from a remote location, there is limited phone signal (I had zero signal the whole time with 3 mobile, and Anna had incredibly weak signal with Vodafone).

• If you’re a board game lover – give Quirkle a try!

Part 2: Dunvegan, Skye

After our lazy start to the trip, we picked up our adventurous attitudes and headed along scenic roads towards Kyle of Lochalsh, and eventually Skye. It was a return to the breath-taking mountain scenery, and also an introduction to the more challenging gradients and single-track roads. Quite early on we actually saw a car abandoned with a burst tyre in the side of a narrow road, sitting like a warning of the damage that the roads can cause.

It was also our introduction to the big crowds of the summer holiday season. When we joined the main road for Kyle of Lochalsh, we realised that Eilean Donan Castle was just a little way along in the other direction, and so we stopped off for a visit. We arrived in a jam packed car park where we had to shunt our way through narrow gaps to find ourself a space. The stop-off was definitely worth it, though. The castle is beautiful and so picturesque beside the loch, and even with the crowds I managed to get photos of the castle alone. We avoided crossing the bridge and going inside, as the castle had quite an expensive entrance fee and seemed too busy to enjoy properly.

After lunch we crossed the bridge to the Isle of Skye and headed for some sights in the general direction of our campsite. The next stop was the Fairy Pools at Glenbrittle, and we had an incredibly scenic drive along single-track roads as we approached the moody mountain range. 

We arrived at another busy car park, but were embracing it by then, expecting there to be crowds at any sight we went to. With well-worn paths all the way up the hill alongside the Fairy Pools, it never really got quieter. But the views were great and definitely worth it. I actually preferred the views of the surrounding mountains to the pools themselves; they were much more of a spectacle for me, with heavy grey cloud looming over their peaks. If it was quieter it may have been somewhere we could have stayed for longer and had a swim in the pools; they have waterfalls, crystal clear water, and rock formations that stretch deep under the surface to the eery darkness below. We enjoyed our walk and then headed back to the campervan, as we started to run out of time to get to our campsite before check-in closed.

Instead of being on the shores of the North Sea, tonight’s campsite was on the shores of Loch Dunvegan, and once again we had views of the water from our pitch. We were up on a hill this time, and felt the difference of a more exposed location. The weather had kept dry for us, but there was a blustery wind that had a definite bite. It was another reminder of how the weather could suddenly change and feel like you had briefly moved back towards winter. The cold wind was soon overpowered by a gorgeous sunset over the loch, though, and it was great to watch it late into the evening from our bed.

The next day had a brief and slightly comical drama early on. One feature of the campsite that kept haunting us was these low rocks that were used as markers at the edges of pitches. I had bumped into one the evening before when I was reversing the van. This morning, Anna drove straight over one and dragged it along a little way beneath the van as we tried to leave the pitch. Luckily there was no damage, and after a brief stress to dislodge the rock, we drove the van away and got on with our next day of adventuring.

The town of Dunvegan was just around the corner from our campsite. The town has a famous castle, but similar to Eilean Donan Castle the day before, we didn’t go into this one because of the crowds. It’s on the shores of the loch, and we enjoyed glimpses of it from a distance instead.

We carried on a few miles down a single-track lane to reach the car park at the start of a picturesque walk to Coral Beach. It was another busy car park with incredibly tight gaps to squeeze through to find a space (there was actually a large motorhome parked in there that seemed unable to get out all day, until all the other cars cleared out of its way). The challenge of parking was something we got used to, and it was soon forgotten about as we walked along pretty and rugged paths beside a naturally beautiful coast line.

It was a mile or so of strolling until we reached the white, shelly sand of Coral Beach. Just beyond the beach was a tall hill that we scrambled up to get views across the whole bay; a panoramic broken up by small islands and gentle sea. Whilst we enjoyed the views, a group of people a little way off had remembered to bring their binoculars, and were looking out to sea and pointing excitedly as they spotted dolphins somewhere out on the horizon.

Thinking of our tummies again (it never takes long!), we headed back to the town of Dunvegan to find some food. This became an activity in itself, as there were a number of places filled with character that we experienced. One was a small patisserie that looked like a little gingerbread house, filled with so many beautiful looking, freshly made cakes and pies that it drew quite a crowd. Whilst Anna waited in the queue to get us some salted caramel cheesecake and apple pie (both served with fresh cream), I went and queued for some freshly cooked fish and chips. It took a while, but it was fun and left our tummies very happy. We also found a shop to get some food to cook later on a barbecue, so we were well fed and stocked for the day.

We finished the day with a trip out to Neist Point. It was another scenic trek in the van along single-track roads, and it ended with views of sprawling cliffs along the coast, all topped with dense, emerald green grass, and one with a distant waterfall gushing into the sea. We climbed down incredibly steep steps and followed a path out to a lighthouse. Then we had a short but steep hike up a hill to get gorgeous views over the whole location, including a breath-taking panoramic as the sea dropped off the horizon with golden sky above. It was another vast landscape filled with natural wonders, and we enjoyed the challenge of the walk with those incredibly steep steps that led to the lighthouse.

Top tips:

• Take binoculars if you’re planning a visit to Coral Beach; dolphins (and other beautiful sea life) can be spotted a little way off the coast.

• Stop off in the town of Dunvegan for the local food, but be braced for potential long waiting times. If you’re cramming activities in, you’ll need to allow a couple of hours here. It’s part of the charm of a remote and relaxed little town, though, and the food is definitely worth it.

• The worst enemy of the summer holiday season is the small and rugged car parks you get stuck in. I can only imagine some of the damage to vehicles as people impatiently shunt through tight gaps, and slip into deep pot holes or catch giant rocks.

Part 3: Portree, Skye

We said goodbye to our camping spot in Dunvegan and had one last little trip into the old town before getting back on the road. With our tummies filled with bacon rolls, and with the van stocked with fresh baked corn bread from the old bakery, we set off across the island towards Portree.

The Old Man of Storr was the first major sight we were greeted with when we were past Portree. The huge needles of rock were instantly recognisable on the horizon and stayed with us as we made our way along the road. Unfortunately, the volume of cars parked nearby and crowds of people going to see it were just as apparent, and we changed our plans to stop off there at the last minute. We soon got over our disappointment, though, as we looked out over the rest of the landscape and saw plenty more breath-taking mountain ranges and other natural wonders.

We had a brief stop off at Kilt Rock, but this also had big crowds, and wasn’t hugely impressive to see (both the dinosaur footprints and the waterfall were a lot less dramatic than expected!). It was fine, though, and as we continued exploring the landscapes, the communities become more and more peaceful, and more and more remote, as houses were scattered scarcely across green hills. We were once again seeing the isolated and quirky world I had hoped to see on this trip.

We had some beautiful peace and quiet on a mountain walk along the Quiraing. The area is very remote and involved climbing steep single-track roads to get to. Although the car park at the beginning was somehow busy with the summer holiday crowd, after about a mile of walking along rugged mountain paths, we had the whole mountainside almost to ourselves, and a perfect silence hung in the air. The walk was filled with amazing panoramic views, tall and sharp rock formations, and lots of waterfalls and streams. The mountains and vast green land stretched across the horizon, and was truly worth skipping past the other crowded areas to get to. We hiked around two miles along the trails and enjoyed the silence before returning to civilisation (in the form of a busy car park).

From there we started to make our way back to Portree. Portree is a beautiful town to walk around, with lots of shops selling crafts and local produce. It also has lots of places to get food, including fresh seafood. The small harbour was lovely to go and pick up some fish and chips, and then sit and look across Loch Portree with fishing boats bobbing and the hills of another island just ahead.

We decided to have a quiet start to our final full day of the holiday. We hung around on the campsite and cooked bacon on the barbecue for breakfast, and then set out in search of places to row with our kayak.

We began with a short row on a loch near the Old Man of Storr, which although had beautiful views, was surprisingly unsettling because of how still and dark the water was; it seemed like it could just swallow us up. We didn’t hang around there long, and instead decided to drive across to the other side of the island for some sea kayaking at Loch Bay.

Loch Bay was beautifully secluded, with a long drive along single-track roads to get there. The bay itself was vast, with views across to scenic cliffs along the coastline, and fishing boats bobbing on the sea. It was very peaceful to row across. The bay is a designated dark skies area too, so it would be great to go back to for some star gazing when the nights are longer and darker. The only downside was that the two venues that serve food were fully booked, and so after a cool drink in the beer garden looking across the bay, we headed back towards our campsite. We finished our day with deep fried crab sticks, seaweed salad, crispy potato katsu curry, and tempura prawns with noodles from a Japanese restaurant in Portree.

We still had room to soak in some more sights on our journey home the next day. This included scenic roads along the Ben Nevis range, a stop off in Fort William, and then a nostalgic drive back to civilisation via Glencoe and Loch Lomond (it brought back lots of happy memories a holiday we had just over 12 months before).

Top tips:

• If you see food that you like, don’t hang around – get it before it goes. We missed out on lobster and chips because we held off, and it was taken off the menu by the time we went back.

• On a similar note, book for food if you want to go to a restaurant or Inn. We got turned away from an Inn, and a restaurant we saw at Loch Bay didn’t have vacancies until September (two months away!).

• Be mindful of the challenges of the roads (although the challenge is part of the enjoyment). When we were near Portree we saw a car almost on its side, because the drop off to the verge beside the road was so steep. We also came across lots of deep pot holes; and when we were further afield in the depths of remote countryside, there was cattle roaming on some of the roads – so just be careful!