Van life in Scotland: good or bad idea?
Scotland is a land of contrasts: steep mountains, mysterious lochs, wild coastlines, and picturesque villages. But before packing your bags, one question arises: is it better to travel its roads by van, or enjoy the charms of traditional bed & breakfasts?
The van life experience: total freedom
Van life is the promise of charting your own path. Waking up in the heart of the Highlands, having breakfast in the company of sheep or cows, picnicking by a loch... You move through the scenery without constraints.
What I loved : the freedom sensation, the magnificent nature, the budget.
What I didn't like : mechanical problems . No chances for us, our van experience was quite an adventure (and sometimes chaos).
First test: Indie Campers
For this first trip, we turned toIndie Campers.
Check-in (passport, driver's license...) is done online. Once on site, you just need to provide the reservation number to pick up your vehicle.
You won't have any trouble reaching the warehouse from Edinburgh airport, whether by taxi or public transport. We tested both options, and both are equal, although it's better to have some time to spare on the return.
Despite the wait, it is quite easy to pick up and drop off your vehicle. Many campers arrive at the same time, and the team on site is rather limited.
Before heading off on your adventure, we strongly advise you to check:
- The gas bottles, our supplies were empty right after leaving the warehouse. And the previous tenants had bought irreplaceable bottles.
⚠️ Some brands are not available in the Highlands. Therefore, it was impossible to get rid of them (and in a van, every bit of space is precious)
➡️ You won't have any problems using:Calor Gas - Your level ofAdBlue, if you don't want to be limited to 1000km of range lost in the middle of nature and far from everything. We were surprised to run out of it within the first few hours of driving; you can easily find it at gas stations! And it will avoid unnecessary trips during your stay...
You're traveling with a baby? Indie Campers have two options.
- Baby seat: It's a cosy (0-18M).
The descriptions make us doubted. Our girl was 2 years old for 10kg, at this time.
We thought the seat was ok as the description told. (Nope)
- Child seat: We opted for this option. More logical, more comfortable, more practical. Big advantage: the table in front to play.
Despite the few issues with our van, we loved traveling the roads of the Highlands freely and at our own pace.
The van is a great alternative to bed & breakfasts, especially when traveling with a child. Our daughter is a huge fan of van life, which she regularly practices with her grandparents, and having her own "Roberto" is a dream come true.
Our advice? Dare to try van life. Really!
