11 things I loved on my road trip to Scotland
Traveling has always been a part of my life. But road tripping has been one of my favorite ways to see the world. There are many perks to traveling by car or a camper van rather than a bus tour, train, or any other way. I feel more inspired in the way I plan my trip when I can organize my itinerary the way I want it. I can afford to put more stops and sights to see on my itinerary.
Some countries are amazing to visit by road. In some other countries, I might not venture out on their roads alone or want to drive there anyway. But most places are relatively safe to drive around yourself.
In fall 2019, I did a three weeks road trip around a big part of Scotland. We rented a camper van in Edinburgh and made our way around. My husband and I went all the way up on the east coast to the Highlands and made our way to the west side. From there, we crossed the bridge to the Isle of Skye, drove down the west coast to Glasgow, and finished our road trip in Edinburgh.
We didn’t go all the way north or south either. We still have a lot to see in Scotland and I could’ve used another three weeks to see all there is to see.
Even though we haven’t seen everything, here are 11 things I loved on my road trip to Scotland!
The liberty
Traveling in a camper van, I had a lot of liberty. My itinerary was planned with what I wanted to see. I didn’t have to skip on places. Tours are often limited to the most popular sites that are often very busy too. With the camper van, I could stop whenever I wanted. I was able to visit some castles that were empty except for us and see magnificent views that I might not have had the opportunity to witness on a tour.
Having the van, when a local pointed us to a beautiful place to go, we were able to add it to our itinerary. This was great because I saw places I never knew existed which is why it is part of the things I love on my road trip to Scotland!
Slow travel
This kind of goes with the liberty you get when traveling on a road trip but goes a little further. I like to slow travel because I can take my time visiting instead of rushing to see as much as I can. I still want to see as much as I can on my trips but I like to see them at my own pace. That’s why I chose to go to Scotland for three weeks. I had a lot to see but my itinerary was spaced out so I didn’t have to rush every day and end up waking up super early in the morning and going to bed late at night to pack as many visits as I could.
Most days, I left the campsite around 9 am and I was done for the day around 3 pm. So I was able to relax and unwind with a little glass of wine in my camper, with a beautiful view on top of that. I was able to actually take two hours if I wanted to visit a castle just because I had some time to spare. I didn’t have to count my time everywhere I went to stay on schedule or make sure to catch my tour bus or last bus/train of the day.
Castles
Castles have always been intriguing to me. They have so much history and so many secrets as well. I can tell you that Scotland didn’t disappoint! At first, my boyfriend wasn’t that impressed that my itinerary had so many castles but when we were on the west coast of Scotland, there are not as many castles to see, he was disappointed and he even told me I kind of need to see a castle right now, the scenery is beautiful but… Even he was impressed.
We learned so much about the culture and its history! It was so interesting to learn something from visiting all those castles. When you arrive at a castle and it stands tall on a cliff, it is quite a sight too!
The history
I’m not a history nerd but I do love a good story. And Scotland’s is great. From one castle to another, the story continues. I found it fascinating to go from one place to another and fit the pieces together. It seemed like the puzzle pieces all came together at some point. I like to watch the show Outlander and it was nice to put real faces to some of the characters that actually existed in real life and to see the places the events all took place. I know the story of the show isn’t all real but for the facts that are true, it was nice to put it together and learn even more!
The people
Scottish people are amazing! They are so friendly! The people were very respectful of us as well. They are very helpful too! Before heading out to St-Andrew’s we stopped in a grocery store to stock up on food for a couple of days. We saw this older gentleman spot our camper but didn’t really make anything out of it. The parking was actually paid to park. This gentleman came all the way from the opposite side of the parking lot to explain to us how it worked! You had to pay for the time you were staying parked there, and you had to bring your ticket inside to the cashier who then deducted the price on your bill!
We were amazed at how nice he had been to come and explain to us how it worked without even asking! For the whole trip, the people were that nice!
Traveling
Scotland is so much more than castles! There are some beautiful beaches all over the place. Some beaches even rival the Caribbean. You have mountains to hike for some breathtaking views. Lochs, castles, the Highlands, pubs and so much more… Chances are, anyone can find an activity they will like in Scotland. Even if you are not on a road trip you can easily do some day trips. Buses and trains run frequently and are pretty cheap to use.
Hairy cows (coos)
Hairy cows are unique to the Highlands. Every time I’ve been to Scotland before this road trip, I always wanted to see one but being in the city, it is quite hard to spot one! I got so excited the first time I saw one! How cute are they?!
Unrestricted camping
One great thing about Scotland is that you can camp anywhere you like. If there is no sign saying otherwise, you can park your van and sleep there. As long as you respect the environment and clean up after yourself, you are welcome to camp. There are beautiful spots to wake up with a great view!
The accent
I have to tell you, the accent is amazing! The first time I went to Scotland, I couldn’t understand a thing the guy in the lobby told me but it was great! I was shocked because we spoke the same language but I just couldn’t make out what he was saying! It is hard to understand their slang but otherwise, I love hearing them talk! After three weeks, I was starting to understand most of it!
The roads
The quality of their roads is awesome! I think I didn’t even see a hole on the street for the whole trip! Other than being on narrow roads, and driving on the right side of the car and the left side of the road, we had a great experience driving around!
Shoulder season
I went to Scotland at the beginning of October and it was fantastic! The weather was actually quite nice. We got maybe two or three days of on and off rain but other than that, the weather was grey but we barely had any rain. It’s actually comfortable weather to walk around with only a little jacket. Shoulder season also means a LOT fewer tourists. On all of our visits, we were either alone or there were maybe five or six people with us visiting the place.
It was great because we were able to take amazing pictures without the crowd taking up all the space. We had more freedom as well to look around without people in the way. The only places on our itinerary that were crowded even in October were Edinburg and Loch Ness. I just can’t even imagine what it must be like in the summertime when it is packed with tourists! I thought it was great to skip those crowds.
If you’ve never been to Scotland, now is a great time to do so! You cannot be bored with all there is to do and see! Even if you’re not a fan of history and castles, I can tell you, there is still a lot to appreciate on the trip! I fell in love with Scotland. If I could go back tomorrow, I would in a heartbeat! There is so much to do and so much I still haven’t seen! I’ll have to go on another road trip soon! There are just so many things to love about Scotland!
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This was the best road trip we’ve done so far! Let’s see how we did it!
