Scotland Trip September 2022
We are planning to take our caravan from Somerset up to Fort William towards the end of September. We intend to take a week getting there and staying in Scotland for approx two weeks before travelling home. We are happy getting up to Glasgow and had intended on taking the A82 up the side of Loch Lomond but have read that would not be a good route for towing a caravan. Does anyone have recommendations on suitable routes for towers?
We are hoping to take the Jacobite Train journey while there (staying at Bunree site). We’d like to move on from there after a few days. Any recommendations where to go without making our return journey too long?
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Sorry I didn’t introduce myself as a new user. I’m Gill, my husband is Owen. We live in Somerset. We caravanned for many years when the children were young and have just recently gone back to it with our Coachman. The roads are so much busier now!!
We are hoping to do a Scotland trip in September as in my above post, so need some advice please
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Welcome to CT. Personally I would stay well away from the route up Loch Lomond, using the M80/ M9 to Stirling, then A84 through Callendar and on via the A85 to rejoin the A82 at Crianlarich. You pass close to the club site at Killin on this route which we like. From Fort William you could perhaps carry on the additional 60 miles to the Morvich site, from where you could take a solo trip onto Skye if you wished. Plus if you like walking there are several spectacular walks straight from the site.
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Might not be a long enough hop from Bunree for you, but the North Ledaig Site is very nice. Ferries to various islands from Oban. We prefer this Site to Bunree, but depends what you want to do. Enjoy.😁
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Welcome to CT Gill and Owen. We live in Somerset too but have also lived in several areas of Scotland. It's hard to recommend a particular place or area as there's so much to see. It's quite a long haul on busy roads but we usually go via the M5/M6/M74 route and when you get to the English Lakes the scenery starts to take over. I'd recommend a stop or two along the way. I sometimes say to people head for the central region which is Scotland in miniature. There are beautiful spots in The Trossachs with lochs and mountains to enjoy and you'd be within easy reach of Glasgow, Stirling and Edinburgh. Stirling Castle and Bannockburn in this area are two special places worth visiting, where history comes to the fore. Here's a LINK to NT Bannockburn. If you are NT members you can use your cards in Scotland. (Hope they get the heating sorted at the Bannockburn visitor centre!
)I have to say my first taste of Scotland when young was around Eyemouth on the NE coast and later Oban, Port Appin and Loch Linnhe, all worth a visit too!
The Borders are lovely, Melrose on the Tweed is a good place to start. So is the Mull of Galloway and so on....hope you find somewhere to enjoy!
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Apologies I read your second post first! So you're heading for Fort William, we've towed both the popular routes up there, I always enjoy seeing Loch Lomond but it's a personal choice and the driver takes precedence.
Book the train early!
I think you'd enjoy the central region on return.
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Just a little tip about towing around Loch Lomond.........If the towcar has electric folding mirrors fold them in on the narrow twisty sections!!White van man tends to hug the white line and the mirrors on most of these vehicles is at the same height as my Milenco mirrors!(even the most stupid motorcycle driver is unlikely to try to overtake your outfit!)If you are travelling in the summer that road is busy with coaches and they value their mirrors so if you can,tuck in behind a coach!
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Remember Scotland is a big country - it’s not a county to be ticked off a list like Cornwall or Yorkshire. You can’t ‘do’ Scotland in one visit and making recommendations is difficult, I have been visiting Scotland for over 60 years. My suggestion is not to be too ambitious with your first visit. It is civilised - even has motorways albeit to get to the best bits you don’t want to be a nervous driver/tower. Distances can take longer due in part to the distraction to stop and look at scenery, narrower winding roads and so on. If you like beaches there is the border coastal towns and villages, Galloway and Solway Firth or the far north west coast from Gairloch north and beyond Ullapool. If you like forests there is also Galloway but also north east, around Loch Ness and more. If you like mountains you just cannot beat Torridon and all the way up the west coast. You will need years to see it all!
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Absolutely agree, Steve. It’s the route we've taken ever since making the mistake of using the Erskine Bridge and A82 Loch Lomond route on our first venture north. For us it’s M5, M6, M74 then as you said and with the further choice of heading for either Oban or Fort William.
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No-one has mentioned the Cairngorms. We meandered around there last May/June getting as far as Dingwall. Dolphins at Chanory Point went all bashful though.
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Stayed at loch Lomond last September for a great week having travelled from Pembrokeshire. We stayed front row on the lock (you can prebook)at a Camping in the Forest site (not a club site). You could travel in the car from there but you are on the East side of the loch. It has a boat ramp which meant there were locals there (50% front row long term) and hence noisy jet skis at times. The site we thought would be better and quieter just down the road on the loch was Campingand caravaning club!
Cheap fuel going north just pull off at all the Asda garages next to the motoways saving a fortune!
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it’s not a county to be ticked off a list like Cornwall or Yorkshire.
Flatcoat, you do neither of these two counties credit! Neither can be "ticked off" as they, like many other countries in this country, deserve lots of time spent in them as they too have so much to offer that can't possibly done in a single visit.
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Hi Gill, as you are in Fort William, Bunree, I would recommend Arisaig as being not too much further and a must see. There are lots of Crofts and wee sites, as well as a couple of CLs, where you can pitch by the beach/sea. If you didn't want to take the van, it's still worth a visit.
Again, not too much further North after Fort William, you could turn right at Spean Bridge over to Dalwhinnie and join the A9. This then gives you access to places like Inverness, Aviemore, Grantown on Spey, especially if you or Owen like a wee dram.🙂
Returning home via the East coast perhaps to take in Edinburgh.
Lots of great suggestions from everyone and every one a winner. Enjoy yourselves researching and planning.👍
Cheers, Alex.
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