Scottish Vanlife: 7 Favourite Locations

Think adventure, landscape, wilderness & pure rugged unspoilt beauty. Scotland is simply idyllic for campervans. From big mountain landscapes, to glistening white sandy beaches and magnificent coastlines. For me, Scotland takes the best of the Alps and mixes it with the best of the Mediterranean, making the best of both more accessible. Sure it rains a bit & midges are a minor problem, but there is a reason why Scotland is continuously voted into the top places to visit in the world. The highlands and islands offer everything the adventurer could possibly wish for.

Having not travelled nearly as much as originally planned, I’ve found myself spending a lot of time north of the border this year. Here’s some of my favourite Scottish vanlife spots.

1. West Coast of Arran

Think quiet, purpose built alcoves along the coast line, sunset views, smell of salty air and a cuppa to take it all in.

Think everything great about Scotland, condensed into a 60-mile circumferential island, plonked in an accessible southern location. That would be the Isle of Arran. To describe Arran as Scotland in miniature would be spot on. With fabulous rocky mountains to the north, rolling hills & charming coastal villages to the south. This island has everything for a long adventurous weekend getaway.

2. Mallaig

Watching the sunset over the dramatic Cuilin range on Skye, should be high on everyone’s bucketlist. Mallaig is centred around working ferry port, but still a bustling coastal town and the ideal location to begin a Scottish vanlife trip exploring the north western highlands & Skye.

3. Skye

Perhaps the most well visited Scottish island – but for good reason. The Cuilin ridge is an attractive proposition for any mountain adventurist. From multiday ridge traverses & climbing the inaccessible pinnacle, to more straightforward one day hikes. There is enough here to keep the most experienced occupied. Distilleries, waterfalls, lighthouses and fascinating rock formations provide plenty of sightseeing and exploration opportunities. Glendale or Neist point offer a high chance of seeing the Northern lights at the right time of year, failing that they aren’t bad spots to watch the sunset.

4. Torridon

The perfect combination of big mountains and stunning coastlines. Beinn Alligin & Beinn Eighe don’t begin the scratch the hiking and scrambling surface here, but they’re fantastic places to get a feel for the spectacular landscape.

Torridon is also one of my favourite enduro mountain biking locations. Its remote, its technical, it offers altitude and scenery & is just generally epic!

If you’re lucky enough to be heading here, take every toy you’ve got (and food, conveniences are in short supply)

5. Glencoe

This iconic location is perhaps the epitome of Scotland. For me it’s where every whitewater kayaking trip starts. The west coast is a UK kayaking mecca, with Glen Etive & its tribs right at the heart of it.

For the hiker and climber Glencoe is home to fabulous mountain routes and arguably one of the best UK ridges – Aonach Eagach. This exposed Grade 2 scramble will surely get the adrenaline flowing!

Oh yeah, and the Clachaig for some classic Scottish culture.

6. Cairngorms National Park

Perhaps the wildest of Scottish national parks, but also my favourite. Home to second & third highest mountains in UK, the Cairngorms is an outdoor adventure sport mecca year round. From mountain biking and climbing in the summer months, to skiing in the winter, there is just so much to do here!

For me, I wouldn’t head here on a Scottish vanlife adventure without a bike. The road, cycle path & trail network lend itself to some spectacular multi-day bikepacking, with an abundance of bothies to make life simpler..

7. Lochinver

Last and certainly not least, a place I’m really fond of. Lochinver. Remote, big mountain days out are what this part of Assynt is all about – followed by sunset beach views in the evening. I could give you some ideas, but really I would encourage all my readers to head up to this magical part of the world and just get lost amongst it – it’s an absolute paradise!

Not only is wildcamping perfectly legal, but it’s so easy to get off the beaten track & find a perfect overnight spot. Stick to the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, behave responsibility & leave no trace. Happy travels!