- Decide how many miles/how many hours you want to travel per day. Remember when planning your route, that many roads in the Highlands are single track and therefore you need to allow extra time.
2. Decide 5 key sites you don’t want to miss and plot them on your map. Use a map plotting tool such as Google Route Maps
3. Next plan your campsites each night. If you are planning some informal camping, make sure you also book some campsites so that you can stock up on water and empty your waste. We recommend hooking up to electrics and emptying and filling water approximately every 3 days but it depends on your campervan and the size of the water tank plus how much water you use. If you have a shower, you are likely to have to stock up more frequently.
4. Know in advance places to stop for refuelling or ensure that you always stop and fill up at major towns. Whilst the Highlands have plenty of petrol stations, they may not be open at suitable times for your journey.
5. Take basic food if you wish but make sure you stop and buy local delicacies on route. There is a limit to storage and fridge space in a campervan, so ensure you leave some room to buy some local seafood, pates or preserves, and of course, whisky!
6. If holidaying at peak times (May, June, July, August, September and bank holidays) ensure you book your campsites in advance or you may be forced to informal camp if they are full.
7. If you are planning to visit one of Scotland’s many islands, check out ferry time tables and if possible, book in advance. Be prepared to wait a couple of days at busy times if you haven’t booked in advance!
8. Make sure you know the sizes of your campervan or motorhome before setting off. You will also need to know the height for some car parks. For ferry bookings you will need to know the length, width and height. Short wheel based campers generally cost the same as a car. The majority of sea routes are run by Caledonian Macbrayne in Scotland but there are some shorter ferry routes run by alternative operators.
9. Check ‘What’s on Guides,’ to see where you can enjoy local entertainment. It will also let you know if a road is likely to be busy at a particular time. Remember too that Friday and Sunday afternoons are likely to be busy on the roads with others heading North on the Friday then South on the Sunday.
10. One of the pleasures of a campervan holiday is that you have the freedom of the road and don’t have to plan every detail. Make sure you have some flexibility during your tour. You may be forced to change your plans due to full campsites, busy ferries or the Scottish weather. Often it’s the places that you discover unexpectedly that are the best!