Once to Scotland
Scotland has been on our wish list for several years. During that time we managed to get three other couples to dream with us and soon we had a WhatsApp group “Once Scotland” that was full of ideas.
At the beginning of this year, “Someday Scotland” changed to “Scotland 2022” and we went to Vanomobil together to reserve four campervans. Now the planning could really begin! For one of the couples it was the first time that they would travel with a campervan and so the necessary tips were exchanged: use easily biodegradable toilet paper, take a dustpan & brush and a mat with you to keep the camper clean and put clothes and supplies. in luggage organizers so you can easily find everything.
At the end of April the time had finally come and we were allowed to pick up our campervans. After an extensive explanation we drove home to prepare the vans for our trip and the next morning we left for Scotland. The cheapest way to cross the channel turned out to be by ferry from Dunkirk and it all went smoothly!
Once we arrived on land, we drove north via the excellent English roads. For the first stop we parked our Vans at the Gordale Scar Campsite, which is located in the middle of the Yorkshire Dales national park. This park was recently voted the most beautiful European national park and rightly so! A beautiful walk immediately made for a highlight of this trip!
The next day we drove to Inverness, the starting point of the North Coast 500. The NC500 is one of the most beautiful car routes in Europe and is 500 miles or 805 km long. This route took us along the beautiful coasts of Northern Scotland, over bridges, past castles and breathtaking views behind every bend.
Wild camping is allowed in Scotland, so we happily took advantage of that. Sometimes it took a while to find space for four campers, but we never had to look for very long. The Park4night app also came in handy for this. We enjoyed wonderful evenings in peace and quiet in nature.
We returned to Flanders in two days with another highlight in between, namely a boat trip to the Farne Islands where we could not only see tens of thousands of puffins flying and nesting but also photograph them up close.
In the meantime, we look back with great nostalgia to our dream trip to Scotland, a trip that more than met all expectations. The formula with rented campervans is certainly recommended. This way, each couple travels very comfortably in their own house on wheels, but you still experience a huge adventure together and enjoy the beautiful nature together.
Photos and text by Dirk Dierickx
