Two weeks free! You’ve hired your campervan, obviously from us at The Tartan Camper Company! You are about to go on a trip of a life time! Many hire companies offer dog friendly campervan hire, so your best friend is in tow as well. Where to go? Here are our top 5 must see destinations in Scotland!
Visit Edinburgh.
With no disrespect to Glasgow, if you’re going to visit one great city in Scotland it has to be Edinburgh. The county’s capital city has well preserved architecture from a number of periods. Starting with its dominant medieval castle, Georgian townhouses and pedestrian friendly cobbled streets, to the modern buildings such as the Royal Commonwealth Pool, National Museum of Scotland Extension, and the Holyrood parliament buildings.
In the summer Edinburgh becomes host to one of the world’s great arts festivals; The Edinburgh fringe. The festival showcases art, dance, music, street artists, plays, comedy and much more from some of the world best performers. It’s very well attended so get the itinerary of shows early, choose who and what you want to see, and make your bookings early to avoid any disappointment. Always a great way to discover new talent who will go on to be a household name in years to come. But, not just the fringe happen here, there’s also the Edinburgh International Book Festival and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo.
Just a mile or so north of the city centre is Edinburgh’s port: Leith. Here you can visit and board the Queens retired ship The Royal Yacht Britannia. The Queen sailed for over 40 years, and a million miles, around the world representing the UK. See where world leaders were entertained, wined and dined, as well as celebrities such as Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor and US presidents. You can also sample great Scottish fare at Leith Farmers Market, or grab a snack at The Pitt food street market.
Great Shops, restaurants and green space make Edinburgh a must see destination.
Visit The Scottish Highlands
Want to see nature in all its amazing glory, well the Scottish Highlands have it all, from Inverness, to the very tip of the country, at John O’Groats. Forests, glens, mountains, rivers, and amazing sandy, deserted, beaches! You can experience the full majesty of the Scottish highlands as you tour through the country. In the summer months you can experience the road trip of a life time by following the North coast 500 route or drive through the Cairngorms National Park.
Visit Loch Ness.
Who hasn’t heard of the Loch Ness Monster?! Is it’s a serpent, a prehistoric creature or the figment of our imagination – who knows, but every year thousands travel to this part of Scotland to try and spot Nessie! Though sightings have receded in recent years the location is steeped in myth and legend.
Urquhart castle built in the 1100s is well worth a visit. Take a boat trip on the loch, or visit the Loch Ness Centre dedicated to the history of Nessie spotting. Who knows, you might even add to the myths.
The Home of Golf - St Andrews and the Fife Coast.
Are you passionate about golf? Well the Fife coast is home to some of the very best golf courses in the world. From the home of the 2022 Open Championship, at St Andrews, which has hosted 29 open championships, to Carnoustie, (this Championship Course has hosted eight Open Championships, two Women's Opens and two Seniors Opens) making it one of the very few to have done so in the UK. You may not play well enough to get on the main championship courses, but they both have a number of courses you can play, and who wouldn’t pick up a score card with St Andrews or Carnoustie on the header!
You don’t just have to like golf, the coastal path can easily be walked, and passes through idyllic old fishing towns and beaches, Wildlife can be seen in abundance, with regular sighting of dolphins, sea birds and most recently a humpback whale was seen in the waters just off the coast at Anstruther!
The Scottish Islands.
Want to get away from it all, be remote, and experience sparse beauty and wild landscapes? Take your campervan and jump on a ferry to some of the remote islands off the Scottish mainland. The Isles of Harris (famous for its Harris fabric jackets) and the islands of North and South Uist lie off the north-west coast. It’s hard to believe that here you can walk miles of endless sandy beaches, body-board, swim and picnic on beaches, all by yourself.
Further north you can travel to the Shetland and Orkney islands. Here the scenery is dominated by Arctic-alpine plants, wild flowers, moss and lichen. On both islands there are numerous seabird colonies, birds found in the islands include Atlantic puffin, storm-petrel, red-throated diver, northern gannet and the great skua. Recommended beaches on Shetland are Da Lang Ayre, Uyea Ayre and Sands of Breckon. Whilst on Orkney visit Rackwick, Grobust and Waulmill.
There are many great campervan sites that you can book and stay at whilst you tour around Scotland, all can be found here. ukcampsite.co.uk or at campsite.co.uk