HE might hail from the far south of England but motorhome expert Martin Dorey can’t resist the far north of Scotland.
In his travel guide, Take the Slow Road, Martin says Scotland is the best of British when it comes to campervan and motorhome travel.
“Motorhoming and Scotland are made for each other,” he said.
“There’s a lot of great driving in Scotland and so much open space for a vehicle. You can pull up anywhere to relax and take it easy.
“It has great views, great people and some of the greatest landscapes in the UK.
“And Scotland has really favourable laws and people who tolerate motorhoming.”
Martin has motored across the country for more than a decade.
His book describes 25 routes that wind across the lowlands, highlands and islands.
These include the best drives for surfers, wildlife watchers, climbers and walkers.
There are also themed journeys like the Harry Potter Trail which takes in Fort William, the Glenfinnan Viaduct and Rannoch Moor, while the Bonny Botany Trail links up botanic gardens near Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stranraer, Peebles and Dunoon.
“The thing about Scotland is, everywhere you look or drive there’s something brilliant,” added Martin.
“I’ve been working on guides to England and Wales. Wales is similar to Scotland in that it’s very beautiful but in England it’s harder to find really good routes.
“Loch Lomond is just a short drive from Glasgow and driving down the West Coast of Scotland’s main route from Fort William to Glasgow is incredible. You can’t say that about the M1.”
Martin’s guide is peppered with anecdotes of his travels and also offers advice on where to hire vehicles, things to see and do, the best roads to take and the most idyllic places to camp.
Among his favourite places to visit are the Outer Hebrides, the southern shores of Loch Fyne at Otter Ferry, the Speyside whisky trail and following the Moray Firth from Fraserburgh to Spey Bay.
One area that surprised him, though, was Galloway.
“The northern part of Galloway Forest Park was amazing,” he said.
“Having driven up the M74 to Glasgow then straight north, I was ignorant of what was there, so exploring the area on the 7Stanes cycle route was a lovely surprise. The Botanic Gardens route is really good because it takes in a part of Scotland that many people bypass.”
Take the Slow Road: Scotland, published by Bloomsbury, is out now.
Martin’s top travel tips
- Get some decent midge spray as it can be an issue in the summer.
- Being open-hearted gets you places, so get out of your motorhome and talk to people. It’s really worthwhile and the people I’ve met have been very generous and kind.
- Be adventurous. Explore roads that you wouldn’t necessarily go down because there could be something amazing at the end of them.
- Practise reversing or look ahead on a single track road so you don’t have to reverse.
- The majority of Scotland’s roads are great but a campervan will struggle on the Bealach na Bà on the way to Applecross. It’s an incredible drive and fine to do in a motorhome but think twice with a camper van.
Get your motor home runnin’: The top spots
Harris
We hop fences and arrive at a tiny cove at the far end of Hushinish’s main beach. Further out to sea, the water is stunning azure, reflecting the blue sky. It looks like the Caribbean.
Kintyre
From deep within the mist we see the guiding light of the Mull of Kintyre Lighthouse. It protrudes from the drizzle, seemingly rising as the clouds retreat.
Arran
As we round the last bend before Lochranza, we get our first view of the bay and we also see something that definitely doesn’t belong in this most bucolic of landscapes. It’s an enormous superyacht. It belongs to Roman Abramovich. So this is where the oligarchs have their holidays!
Benmore Botanic Garden near Dunoon
Looking up at the 50 sequoias that tower above me, stretching off into the distance along a verdant avenue carpeted with vibrant, early spring grass, I see a history of the earth rising up from the elephantine trunks of those giant redwoods.
Sandwood Bay
The beach is magical but there’s something about it that’s unsettling. I think of all those who were forcibly removed from here and those who ended their lives here. I vow to return to this magical, mysterious, deeply moving place.
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