Motorhome Hire — Scotland

Scotland is many things to many travellers, but for motorhome enthusiasts it occupies a special place. It is a country built for touring - vast, varied, and blessed with a freedom-to-roam culture that welcomes those who want to explore its landscapes at their own pace. From the cultured streets of Edinburgh to the remote peninsulas of the west coast, from the whisky trails of Speyside to the white sand beaches of the Outer Hebrides, Scotland rewards motorhome travellers with experiences that are simply unavailable elsewhere in the British Isles. The drive from our Pontefract depot to the Scottish border takes around two and a half hours via the A1(M), and from there the whole country opens up.

Edinburgh, the Scottish capital, is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The medieval Old Town, climbing from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to Edinburgh Castle along the Royal Mile, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of extraordinary atmosphere. The Georgian New Town, laid out in the eighteenth century with its elegant crescents and squares, provides a refined counterpoint. The city's festival season in August transforms it into the cultural capital of the world, with the Edinburgh International Festival, the Fringe, and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo running simultaneously. Motorhome parking within central Edinburgh is limited, but Mortonhall Caravan and Camping Park on the southern edge of the city provides a well-connected base with bus routes into the centre.

Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, has reinvented itself from industrial powerhouse to cultural destination. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, the Riverside Museum of Transport, and the Burrell Collection are all world-class and free to enter. The architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh - the Glasgow School of Art, the Willow Tea Rooms, the House for an Art Lover - gives the city a creative identity that is entirely its own. Glasgow's live music scene is legendary, and its restaurant quarter around Finnieston has earned comparisons with the best in London. Strathclyde Country Park, east of the city, provides motorhome-friendly pitches within easy reach.

The Scottish Highlands are where motorhome travel reaches its peak. The landscape north of the Highland Boundary Fault is on a scale that England simply cannot match - mountains rising to over 1,300 metres, lochs stretching for miles through silent glens, and a coastline so deeply indented that the straight-line distance from east to west bears almost no relation to the driving distance. The Great Glen, running from Fort William to Inverness along the line of Loch Ness, Loch Oich, and Loch Lochy, provides a natural corridor through the heart of the Highlands and one of the most scenic drives in Britain.

The North Coast 500, a 516-mile circuit of the far north of Scotland starting and finishing in Inverness, has become one of the world's most celebrated road trips. The route passes through Wester Ross, Sutherland, and Caithness, taking in mountains, sea lochs, sandy beaches, and communities so remote that the nearest supermarket can be two hours away. Our Scottish Highlands and NC500 guide covers this route in detail, but the NC500 is just one of many outstanding touring routes that Scotland offers.

Scotland's islands are a world apart. The Inner Hebrides - Skye, Mull, Islay, and Jura among them - are accessible by ferry and offer landscapes of wild beauty. Skye, connected to the mainland by a bridge, is the most visited and the most dramatic, with the Cuillin ridge, the Old Man of Storr, and the Quiraing providing some of the most photographed scenery in Britain. Mull offers a quieter experience, with the colourful harbour town of Tobermory and boat trips to the sacred island of Iona and the volcanic isle of Staffa, home to Fingal's Cave. Islay, the queen of the Hebrides, is famous for its nine working distilleries and a peat-smoked whisky character that is unique in the world.

The Lowlands and Borders, often bypassed by travellers rushing north to the Highlands, deserve attention in their own right. The Borders abbeys of Melrose, Jedburgh, Dryburgh, and Kelso are atmospheric ruins in a landscape of rolling hills and salmon rivers. The Galloway Forest Park, in the south-west, holds the country's only Dark Sky Park, and its forests, lochs, and quiet roads are ideal for motorhome touring away from the crowds. St Andrews, on the Fife coast, offers the Old Course, a medieval university, and one of the finest stretches of beach in eastern Scotland.

Scottish food and drink have undergone a transformation. Beyond haggis and shortbread - both of which remain essential experiences - Scotland now boasts a food scene that celebrates outstanding local ingredients. Seafood from the west coast, venison from the Highlands, Aberdeen Angus beef, Arbroath smokies, and artisan cheese from small producers across the country all feature on menus that would hold their own anywhere in Europe. Scotch whisky, of course, is the national drink, and the distillery trails of Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown offer tastings and tours that are a highlight of any Scottish motorhome trip.

Practical considerations for motorhome travel in Scotland include the single-track roads that are common in the Highlands and islands. These roads, with passing places at regular intervals, require patience and courtesy - pull into a passing place on your left when you see an oncoming vehicle, and use them to let faster traffic overtake. Fuel stations can be sparse in remote areas, so fill up whenever you see one. Midges, the tiny biting insects of the Highlands, are at their worst from June to August in sheltered, damp locations - coastal and hilltop spots are generally breeze-swept and midge-free.

From our Pontefract depot, Scotland is one of the most rewarding motorhome destinations you can reach without leaving these islands. The variety is extraordinary - in a single fortnight you can explore world-class cities, drive through Europe's wildest landscapes, visit whisky distilleries, walk on empty beaches, and sleep beside lochs where the only sound is the call of a red-throated diver. Whatever your Scotland looks like, a motorhome from Heath's Motorhome Hire is the way to discover it.