My Scottish Road Trip

My Scottish Road Trip

In my opinion, Scotland is the perfect place for a motorhome holiday. I’ve driven extensively around Europe in my Swift 664,  but it’s still Scotland that I most regularly return to, the majesty and beauty of the landscape drawing me back time and again.

Highland cow

This spring I embarked on a three day long road trip following the Argyll Coastal Route, a journey of 150 miles. You could do it all in a day but I wanted to drive slowly and make the most of my stop offs. Before I left I went through my usual check list of provisions, had the motorhome serviced and, crucially, made sure my breakdown cover was up to date – I recently switched to the AA and have been really impressed by their breakdown cover deals.

I set off from Tarbet, a village on the banks of the beautiful, or bonny, as the Scottish would say, Loch Lomond. The first leg of my journey took me past the head of Loch Long, through the Argyll Forest Park and up the hills to the delightfully named viewing point, Rest and Be Thankful. These words were inscribed on a stone by soldiers who built the road in 1753, which can be seen near the junction of the A38 and the B828. Sticking with the A38 I then came down the other side of the hills, following the coast round the highest point of the Loch Fyne and spending the night at Inverary.

Rest and be thankful mountain pass

The next day I set off in beautiful sunshine along the coast of the Loch on my way to the town of Lochgilphaed, which, as the name suggests, sits at the head of Loch Gilp. The town has many beautiful gardens to visit and makes the most of its proximity to the Loch with boating, diving and fishing trips readily available. After a look around I got back on the road and turned north towards Oban, passing the picturesque Crinan Canal on the way. If you had time for a longer trip you could take a detour and hop on one of the many ferries that sail from Oban to the west coast islands. Looking at the views across the Firth of Lorn and the Sound of Mull I was tempted, but decided to save that trip for another time. Oban itself is a pretty little coastal town, well worth exploring and I had a very pleasant meal at the Cuan Mor, a Celtic restaurant that overlooks the bay.

Sunset in an overnight wild camp spot

On the last day of my trip I set off from Oban on the A85 which would take me over the Connel Bridge, a striking steel structure which spans Loch Etive, and drove through stunning wooded valleys up towards Ballachulish where I stopped for lunch at a high point overlooking Loch Leven. I set off again on the final, and most impressive, leg of the journey as I drove towards Fort William in the shadow on Ben Nevis, the UK’s highest mountain. A highly recommended trip!