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Heading up to Scotland next week for about a week. We'll be in a little camper van (people carrier size) with bikes and an inflatable canoe. Have done a search and got a few tips but would like some more.
Really not sure of a route yet but keen to get out into the wilds. Torridon sounds good so might try to get up to there. Probably something like Loch Lomond - Fort Bill - Torridon - Cairngorms - Stirling - Peebles. How does that sound? Any thing to miss/add? Must do's on the way?
Is wild camping OK in a van? Any rules for that? We'll just be overnighting before moving on.
Can we just pop the canoe in anywhere for a play? Is there a nice half day somewhere and back?
Cheers
There are many spots suitable for overnighting. We have never been moved on from a FC carpark. Please be discrete - ideally out of sight of houses/roads.
Can we just pop the canoe in anywhere for a play?
Yes, with some responsible thinking.
Is there a nice half day somewhere and back?
Where to start....Take care on the bigger Scottish lochs - it can be a surprise how far, how windy, how wavy they become.... Head over to Song of the Paddle, but on your route: Loch Lomond islands, Loch Lochy, loadsa coastal lochs, Loch Morlich, Loch Laggan, Loch Tay etc....
The Assynt area north of Ullapool is a great wilderness with quite special geography.
If you are in the Stirling area Loch Lubnaig near Callander is a great place for a kayak. It is often sheltered from strong winds so generally pretty calm.
Have not done much biking up north but Peebles is a lovely town and central for some great biking.
Hope this helps. Good luck and enjoy.
Personally, I think you are trying to do far too much in a week. You'll spend more time driving than riding and paddling.
Base yourself in one or two areas and do more in each.
You can't fail with Aviemore. Somewhere out towards Torridon would be a good alternate.
OTOH - if you are staying anywhere for more than a short overnighter, just pay to go into a campsite. "Wild camping" doesn't mean parking your van/caravan in a layby for a week.
Inverpolly would make an epic water-bound exploration. Probably midge HELL though...
I agree with keeping the milage down and concentrate on a part of the country. Distance is misleading because of single track roads and length of the lochs.
Prepare to be flexible. Go where the weather is good. East coast can be reliable and the far west can often be dry. In line with fortwilliam it starts to rain.
Midges will be hell. Come in may.
I like driving but
Loch Lomond - Fort Bill - Torridon - Cairngorms - Stirling - Peebles.
in a weeks holiday is pushing it.
Thing is - pick any one of those places and you could have a cracking holiday based in one spot. Pick 2 - fantastic, possibly (if you like rushing about 3). Depending on where you're coming from - Torrindon is the biggest time eater.
#Edit - Forgot to say - we see lots of "campers" parked up in the oddest spots, including outside our house near the centre of Edinburgh, and I dont imagine (with common sense) any of them get any hassle.
Please take your midge nets and all combination of sprays/lotions
Way too much driving. If it's a taster with fun stuff to do, then Cairngorms and Peebles and that's your lot. What you save in fuel and time can be spent on a campsite with hot showers. Find some of the South of Scotland mtb'ers and go for a day in the hills.
At a rough estimation you'r looking at 700 miles maybe more just in Scotland (add to that the journey to the border). Given some of the roads 100 miles may take 4 hours.
Thanks for the tips. We are looking to do a tour round so driving isn't too big an issue. We'll play it by ear anyway and miss stuff out if we need to or stay somewhere longer if it's nice. Just trying to get and idea of what the missable/unmissable bits are. We've both been before a few times but just doing fixed locations as suggested. This time I'd like to get a bit more out the way, hence a bit more travel.
Having given it a bit more thought some tips on where to put the canoe in en-route and prehaps a wild ride (although Torridon sounds good for this). Shall check out some of the options above.