Your most breathtaking routes
One of the best things about owning a caravan or motorhome is the freedom to explore some of the most breathtaking routes the country has to offer. There’s something truly special about hitting the open road and enjoying those picture-perfect views.
I would love to see your favourite scenic routes. Do you have a hidden gem you stumbled upon or a well-known drive that lived up to the hype? Share your photos here and take us along on your journey.
What you might want to include:
- A picture (or a few!) of your favourite route.
- The name and location of the road or area, if possible—help others find it.
- Tips for visiting—What’s the best time of year to go? Any must-see spots nearby?
- Any unique or fun experiences you had along the way.
I can't wait to see your journey through your lens! 🚐
Comments
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I would say many of these are in Scotland. Almost any route in the Highlands is worthwhile.. The A95 from Aviemore to Elgin is one I like, but possibly not with a large caravan behind. You can break for some shortbread and whisky distilleries.
Even the very busy A9 has some really spectacular bits South of Inverness.
If visiting in Winter though watch the weather forecasts, but generally the roads are passable.
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I have not been to the Highlands of Scotland for at least 20 years but agree the scenery can be spectacular. I have drivien round the coast with a caravan before the NC500 was even thought of, these days one is put off from doing any of it because it popularity is its downfall. A particular route I have enjoyed in the Highlands has been the drive from Fort William to Malaig. I feel there is everything the Higlands has to offer in this 40 mile drive, mountains, lochs and wonderful beaches and seascape views across to the islands, but do use the old road from Arisaig to Malaig and try the cullen skink at the pub in Arisaig.
Loch Ailort
Skye View
A beach near Arisaig
While the Highlands are beautiful when the weather is fine, for me the north coast road, the A39 from Porlock to Lands End via St Ives and then into Penzance via Porthcurno Lamorna and Mousehole has much more interest and variety. I will try and post more on this route another time.
Sunset over the islands
As an aside if you did not know already, if you just click on a photo it opens full size in a new tab.
peedee
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Good tip @peedee, thanks.
My favourite view is on the A82 coming down past the Bridge of Orchy heading towards Glen Coe, with Ben Dorain to the right and Loch Tulla in front of me. The real start of The Highlands in my opinion.
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I have always thought that crossing Rannoch Moor on the A82 to be quite spectacular as well.
Having said that many of the roads we have travelled in in Europe are also quite spectacular, often more so the first time you drive on them. I have in mind the Brenner Pass, the A40 Autoroute Blanc over towards Annecy and the A10 Autobahn in Austria. Shame I don't have any photos but was driving at the time!
David
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Scotland has many beautiful routes as does the rest of the UK, perhaps not as dramatic as those you find on the Continent but nevertheless many routes and destinations in the UK can be very rewarding if you get the weather to go with it. Scotland can be very wet but if you are lucky you can get views like this taken in the Cairngorms.
peedee
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A word in for North Wales👍 Some stunning scenery around Snowdon (Eryri). We did a fabulous circuit around Snowdon itself last year, taking in places like Waunfawr, Rhyd Du, Beddgelert, Pen y pass, LLanberis. We did it in our Jeep, but I think most of the route would be ok for a small MH, but there are bits too tight for larger MHs and towing vehicles. Scenery was very atmospheric, as it was a wet day, but the spectacular water falls coming off Snowdon and the Glyders was worth seeing. Some good park up spots and lots of places of interest all the way round.
Taken near the start of the Watkin Path up Snowdon.
Dolbadarn Castle, looking towards slate quarries and back up the Llanberis Pass.
Driving towards Beddgelert, Moel Hebog shrouded in rain mist.
Snowdon summit from pull in on road towards Pen Y Pass.
Llanberis Pass, Snowdon on the left, Glyders on the right. Mountain goats were out and about along here.
This holiday was in December 2023, and despite it being Winter, we had some lovely sunny days. Somehow, the bare trees, the rain coming off the mountains added a lot to our trip. Wonderful in Summer of course as well. We kept encountering the Steam trains as well at various points on the route. Lots a fabulous castles, Museums, other places of interest.
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Know it quite well @Takethedogalong, I used to be a very regular visitor to North Wales and agree it is well worth visiting. I have been up Snowdon on the railway and ridden the Wesh Highland and Ffestiniog railways, the latter to the slate quarries at Blaenau Ffestiniog. They are all great trips and a great way to see North Wales to avoid driving and there are plenty of campsites to base oneself at. Beddgelert is one of my favourite places and my favourite way of getting there is to park at the Caernarfon end of the WHR and ride the train through Snowdonia to Beddgelert for the day. Wonderful trip and higly recommended.
The Club used to have a site withing walking distance of Caernarfon, sadly it is now but a memory.
peedee
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Our North Wales campsite of choice was always the Forestry Commission Site at Beddgelert, right from early 1980’s. The railway didn’t go through it in those days, and you simply rocked up and pitched wherever you fancied, tent or caravan. It was never the same after C&CC too k it on, then it changed to predominant log cabins, like many of the Forestry sites. We drove round it last year. Shop and cafe is still nice, but the touring pitch area is very unattractive now. Location of course though is simply stunning, and it does have the station at the campsite. My Dad’s brother lived in Blaenau Ffestiniog, so we had lots of holidays in North Wales as children.
Another lovely route is the Coast and Castles route in Northumberland. The stretch from Tynemouth, North right up into Berwick upon Tweed is very scenic, but it’s even better driving South when Bamburgh just appears like some CG film set over a hill. Plenty to do and see around here of course as well.
Mighty Warkworth Castle, a couple of miles from Amble and Alnmouth on the Coast and Castles route. Some nice eateries in all three places, pubs, cafes, restaurants, ice cream parlours.
Bamburgh Castle, on beach behind the dunes with our two hounds. Plenty of MH parking in day time, plus the big car park is opposite the Castle.
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@peedee its probably not attracting posters because it keeps slipping down the list of current discussions. I am interested in this thread, so have bookmarked it, and so know when new posts have been added.
Another favourite tour route for us, is to do a big circle around the Dumfries and Galloway area. We make sure we take in some of the stunning inland moors and hills, and also wend our way along the coast as well. I’m not going to give specific roads, as we don’t seem to do the same journey twice, plus we have a small MH so it’s easy for us to use smaller roads, windy routes. There is a tourist route devised by the Scottish TB called the SW 300, but it’s not for us, we prefer to go our own way, and take in what we want to visit, and the castles and abbeys as well as the beaches.
Caerlavarock Castle. We stayed in a lovely Aire on the Estate, and walked and cycled to see the Castle.
Logan Botanical Gardens on the Mull of Kintyre, not far from New England Bay Club Site.
Gorgeous small beach, good for swimming, heading West. Hills of the Lake District in the background.
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Decades since we went across to the Farnes, mainly because we always have dogs with us. I have been up the red Lighthouse on the Outer Farne as well. Not sure if you can still do this. Very special place.
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The photos of mountains and beaches are indeed beautiful but I'm reminded, almost on a daily basis, how lucky I am to drive through a countryside from here in North East Wales south and westwards to reach destinations in Gwynedd and Powis to name but a couple of nearby counties.
Just a couple of examples where the countryside can be seen to glorious effect and is the star attraction, usually easily admired on little used roads.
The first in Flintshire and the second from Powis Castle.
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The whole of Wales is simply stunning to tour round👍
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One of the highest parts of England is found around the Buxton to Leek area and we've always enjoyed walking in this area. Not as lung bursting as some of the more mountainous places but just as rewarding. A couple of photos, one of which is of Hen Cloud in The Roaches near the clubs site at Blackshaw Moor. This is mainly to show there is road access as you can see some parked vehicles.
The second photo is a view looking from the tops, not far from Ludd's Cave, he of Luddite fame. Mrs.WN liked the rock formation with the arrow of the clouds plus the distant view of English countryside and subsequently did an oil painting of it.
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@Wherenext some years ago we stayed at Blackshaw Moor and I seem to recall a bus service up to The Roaches from opposite the site entrance. No idea if the service still exists?
David
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Neither have I @DavidKlyne.🤷♂️ We travelled there from a CL but the wardens of either the CAMC or C&CC might know. I do know that the cafe not far from where the cars are parked serves a fantastic Victoria Sponge GF cake. Worth the visit alone for me. They also have a car park with a small fee.
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We drove through the area when going across to Cheshire and a site at Mow Cop. Lovely drive, and Mow Cop is worth a visit, you can climb up and see right across to Liverpool and Wales. The towns can be slow going though on the route.
Possibly our favourite place in the UK is Dartmoor. We have had lots of lovely holidays and days out on the Moor. We used to tow our small caravan across the Moor between Exeter and Plymouth or Tavistock. Wonderful scenery, and some good stop off places, either in nice pubs, or simply somewhere safe to pull in and picnic. We have taken our MH up onto the Moor as well, via Tavistock, but it needs smaller outfits and some good route planning to avoid mishaps. Much prefer a good 4x4 to be honest on Dartmoor, the granite filled hedgerows are serious hazards, and being higher up makes negotiating the tiny lanes and hairpin bends easier. We have ridden quite a few bits as well, high up above Lydford, fabulous. Livestock sometimes needs shifting though🤣
Having a scratch🤣 Always lots of Highland Cattle around.
Beautiful Fernworthy Reservoir Walk, not far from Chagford.
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Lucky for us living just outside of Tavistock and Dartmoor on our Doorstep !
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When the Welsh Government opened up Wales to residents only during one of the lockdown periods we headed to Conwy and the hills above for solitude. They are reached via the Sychnant Pass, accessible through Conwy town by the castle, and from various points further west. It used to be the main coastal route at one time. Thomas Telford had a hand in it somewhere. The 3 pictures show 1) The Great Orme 2) The marina at Conwy with Deganwy on the opposite bank. You can walk from the base of the Great Orme along the sand dunes and past Deganwy on a pathway, then over the bridge to Conwy itself which is picture 3. The "lagoon" on the opposite bank is the RSPB reserve made from the extraction of the A55 tunnel under the estuary. There are multiple walks on the hills and quite a bit of history.
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@Frank Gill most envious😁 Love Tavistock and Chagford, in fact most of the moorland towns and villages. Our favourite holiday cottage is hidden away up near North Bovey, impossible to get there with either a van or a small MH camper as there is a tiny narrow bridge over a stream. We like to head out and find some of the more obscure old stone circles and such. We explore the locations for Bernard Knight and Michael Jecks mysteries as well. There are some great wild swimming spots as well👍 Even in a very busy hot Summer you can find somewhere fairly peaceful on Dartmoor.
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