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Once we’re allowed back out again, me and a mate are thinking of taking the bikes up to the Isle of Sky (from Manchester).
I was wondering if anyone had been in a campervan and whether you’d do it again?
I’ve never driven one before and believe the roads are quite narrow in parts? I went to Cornwall over the summer and was so glad I didn’t get a campervan for down there as the roads (and fellow road users) are not kind to anything bigger than a van.
Any experience anyone has of this would be greatly welcomed.
Ours is small so not a problem anyway but it's nothing like the roads in Cornwall. It'll be fine. Great in fact. Lovely place
Not this week...
Go in my T4 a bit. If your confident driving one it's ok.
Better than Cornwall. Just expect crowds if you go on season. And please book a site the locals are well pissed at hired Van's wild camping wherever they feel like
The main roads on Skye are twin track. You'll be fine.
There's a great new site on the outskirts of Broadford. Community run and a few minutes walk from a fantastic pizza restaurant. Sligachan is "iconic" and has a decent pub nearby. Glen Brittle isn't what it once was.
Glen Brittle isn’t what it once was.
The midges have moved on?
Remember to look in your mirrors & let people past, when you inevitibly are on single tracks. Nothing boils our piss quite like a campervan bimbling along oblivious to the fact that they are holding eveyone else up.
Have to admit a fair amount of locals are similarly oblivious.
The midges have moved on?
Worse, they now employ ‘baristas’. Plural. That’s right, Glenbrittle is now so large and has the sort of clientele that they need the services of multiple barista.
Do you mean campervan or motorhome? There's a huge difference.
Roads in Scotland generally nothing like Devon ( not been west of Devon recently)
Very open and easy to drive on. Lots of Devon roads are even hard to get down on an MTB with 800mm bars 😩👿😃
I've been to Skye a fair few times. From west Yorkshire its about 12 hours driving but I always break up the trip with a stay over or two.
I have a lwb vw t5 and don't have any problems on most of the roads but I am comfortable driving it.
If I was taking anything bigger then I would only stick to the main roads which kind of defeats the object of going to Skye. If you take a bigger van make sure you take a road bike or some slick tyres.
If you're staying on sites it'll be great. If you're dossing it in lay-bys etc forget it. Every nook and cranny has some tightarse in it, often 2 or 3 vans in it too. The.huge increase in the popularity of northern Scotland and the isles in the last 5 years is astounding.
Go there have fun, contribute to the local community by paying for camping and shopping in the local shops. They'll appreciate you more for it.
OK, photo is not the Isle of Skye but a bit further north on the road to Inverpolly - this road is limited to vehicles less than 6m, so excludes anything bigger than a LWB van as you'll struggle to get around some corners / reverse safely into lay-bys. The roads on Skye are generally a lot wider and few are like the tiny lanes in Devon and Cornwall - I've driven plenty of those in my camper too.
I hadn't been to Glenbrittle for 30 years - changed a bit! We got there early and bagged the pitch right by the beach. A couple then pulled up and attempted to pitch their massive 6 berth tent right across us, blocking our exit- ****wits! I prefer to stay at campsites anyway - the 'honeypot' wild camping places are often strewn with rubbish and worse!
Lots of Devon roads are even hard to get down on an MTB with 800mm bars
That’s about right, done a fair bit of driving in the South Hams area. The thing about Devon lanes is that hedges and the banks they’re on drop vertically to the edge of the road, so there’s literally nowhere to pull over to avoid something coming in the opposite direction. With places like Skye and the Highlands and Islands, as far as I’ve ever seen in photos and on TV, there are no high hedges, just soft verges to avoid. Skye is somewhere I really, really want to visit, maybe one day.
A wee ferry over to Raasay and a bike run down to Brochel castle then have a wee look at Calum's handmade road only using a barry, a pick, shovel and maybe a riddle too. Every chance you will see a sea eagle if you look up
@CountZero - do it, it's an amazing place. If you get nice weather it's simply stunning
Use to work in Portree and a word of warning that everyone drives about at 90mph. Especially on the main roads between villages and they pass quite close which can be pretty scary as you dont always hear them coming.
If cycling on them i mean.
Last time I drove from Manc to Skye I got up dead early the first morning and did the Cuillin ridge solo and unsupported, glen brittle to glen brittle in a day.
Had a slow day the day after, just a short ride down glen Sligachan, then Annat/Achnascellach the next day, then Cairngorm and Ben Macdui the next day before driving home.
Three nights away and managed three of the best days out in the land.... From Manchester, alone.
Sorry, not relevant really, just thinking about happier times....
Actually, it was relevant as I was in my campervan. Suffice to say I didn't spend much time, if any, worrying about its manoeuvrability or getting past people...
I went in December in a hired van. There is a brilliant campsite in Ashaig which is like staying with Steptoe and son; the guys who run it can fix anything and are the friendliest, most relaxed people I've met.
Well worth a visit...
We went last summer in our van camper, it was brill. Stopped in a layby on the way up for one night, once up there we stayed on a different campsite every night, and one night in the tiny car park of a very posh hotel restaurant where we'd booked a anniversary meal but then couldn't get a campsite nearby...its one of the few occasions 'asking first' worked, I normally choose the 'apologise after' option 🙂
The benefit of the van style camper is you can take it anywhere without fear of plugging up a road or getting stuck, and park it in town in normal spaces. (or posh restaurant car parks) And campsites are more likely to allow you on an unserviced grass pitch rather than paying for a hardstanding with loads of extras you don't need.
Anyone been to the Isle of Skye in a campervan?
Yes, but only briefly. Getting there and getting around was no issue. The overnight 60mph winds and rain were... We scuttled off back to the mainland first thing in the morning. This was in August BTW.
this road is limited to vehicles less than 6m, so excludes anything bigger than a LWB van as you’ll struggle to get around some corners / reverse safely into lay-bys
Its 8m and and xlwb van is fine on it. As it is on the bealach na ba - another road folk make out to be difficult.
As with most Highland roads it's width that cripples you rather than length fnaaar fnaarr
I found the coach built van a much more intense drive to navigate the wee roads and had to concentrate much harder because of the width
If your not used to van driving / driving with mirrors ( Inc reverse).. watch what you hire.
Sligachan is “iconic” and has a decent pub nearby.
Only place I've been glad to have a cheap tent... It just fell over in the wind where everyone elses shredded themselves or floated down the rapidly rising river!
Toured Scotland a lot on my motorbike and Skye was right up there as the most miserable unwelcoming places I've been.
Best thing there was the road back over the bridge.
There are very few roads in the Highlands that you'd struggle with, width or length wise. You can take a seven tonne lorry anywhere you like as long as you pay attention, so campervans should be no issue.
What is a pain is the complete and utter lack of sensitivity to others behind you (someone did mention locals were as bad, but I can assure you the locals I know arent in the cohort - we have an inordinate amount of incomers who cant drive for ****).
Ive spoke to one of the local coppers on the north coast and she followed a campervan for two miles with blues and twos on and the woman driving the camper was completely oblivious to the fact she was behind her.
So a couple of points really. Use your mirrors and pull over to let faster vehicles past AND learn to reverse using your mirrors - The amount of people who cant reverse is scary and Ive lost count of the clowns who nearly end up in the ditch trying it.