Scotland campervan road trip: 2 weeks from Edinburgh
22 May – 5 June · 14 nights · An anticlockwise Highland loop from Edinburgh over the Cairngorms to Loch Ness, across the Bealach na Bà to Skye's cliffs and sea lochs, then home through Glencoe and Loch Lomond — slow single-track driving and a walk at every base.
Every campsite on this route is a real, named site from OpenStreetMap — pinned where it actually is, with its own website where there is one, so you can check it before you drive there.
Start · Edinburgh, Scotland
1
22 – 25 May · Stop 1 of 5
Aviemore
3 nightsLoch an Eilein walkCairngorm Mountain funicularStrathspey Steam Railway
Getting there: 203 km · 3 h 33 from Edinburgh · A9 dual carriageway north through Perthshire and into the Cairngorms, wide and easy for a 6m van; the long climb and descent over Drumochter Pass is the only real test.
May 22 - arrive
09:00Leave Edinburgh and drive north on the A9 through Perth into the Cairngorms
13:30Arrive Aviemore, check in at the campsite
15:00Easy stroll around Loch an Eilein
19:00Dinner in Aviemore village
May 23 - explore
09:30Walk through Rothiemurchus Forest to Loch Morlich
13:00Lunch by the loch
14:30Drive up to the Cairngorm Mountain funicular base for views over Strathspey
19:00Dinner back in Aviemore
May 24 - explore
09:00Ride the Strathspey Steam Railway from Aviemore to Broomhill
13:00Lunch in Boat of Garten
15:00Visit Cardhu distillery for a tasting
19:00Quiet evening at the campsite
May 25 - depart
09:30Pack up and drive north through Carrbridge and Inverness towards Loch Ness
Getting there: 75 km · 1 h 21 from Aviemore · A82 hugs the northern shore of Loch Ness below Inverness, twisty but well maintained; take it easy on the tight bends right at the water's edge.
May 25 - arrive
13:30Arrive Drumnadrochit, check in at the campsite
15:00Visit Urquhart Castle on the loch shore
18:30Dinner in Drumnadrochit
May 26 - explore
09:30Visit the Loch Ness Centre exhibition
11:30Boat cruise on Loch Ness
14:00Lunch by the loch
15:30Drive round to the Falls of Foyers viewpoint
19:00Dinner back at Drumnadrochit
May 27 - depart
09:00Pack up and drive west along Glenmoriston and Glen Shiel towards Lochcarron
12:30Lunch stop in Lochcarron village
14:00Continue over the Bealach na Bà pass to Applecross
Getting there: 150 km · 2 h 42 from Drumnadrochit · The road climbs onto Wester Ross's Bealach na Bà, one of Britain's highest and steepest passes — hairpins and a fierce gradient with passing places only, so take it slow in low gear and avoid it in poor weather.
May 27 - arrive
15:30Arrive Applecross, check in at the campsite
16:30Walk along Applecross Bay beach
19:00Dinner at the Applecross Inn
May 28 - explore
09:30Visit the Applecross Walled Garden
11:30Walk the coast path to Sand beach
15:00Coffee stop back in Applecross
16:30Drive the coastal loop past Fearnmore for views to Skye and Raasay
19:00Dinner at the Applecross Inn
May 29 - depart
09:00Pack up and drive back over the Bealach na Bà toward Lochcarron
11:00Stop at Eilean Donan Castle, Dornie
13:00Cross the Skye Bridge and continue to Portree
Getting there: 120 km · 2 h 18 from Applecross · The road onto Skye crosses the Skye Bridge and runs through open moorland to Portree; further north the single-track lanes to Trotternish and Duirinish demand slow, patient driving in a large van.
May 29 - arrive
14:30Arrive Portree, check in at the campsite
15:30Wander Portree's colourful harbour front
19:00Dinner overlooking the harbour
May 30 - explore
09:00Hike to the Old Man of Storr
13:00Lunch back in Portree
15:00Explore Lealt Falls and the Kilt Rock viewpoint
19:00Dinner in Portree
May 31 - explore
09:00Drive the Quiraing loop road and walk part of the ridge trail
14:00Lunch in Uig
16:00Visit the Fairy Glen near Uig
19:00Dinner in Portree
Jun 1 - explore
09:30Drive to Neist Point for the lighthouse cliff walk
14:30Lunch on the way back
16:00Visit Dunvegan Castle and gardens
19:00Final dinner in Portree
Jun 2 - depart
09:00Pack up and drive south down the Sleat peninsula to Armadale
11:00Board the CalMac ferry from Armadale to Mallaig
12:30Arrive Mallaig and continue along the Road to the Isles toward Fort William and Glencoe
Getting there: 162 km · 2 h 52 from Portree · The Road to the Isles from Mallaig to Fort William runs beneath Ben Nevis and along Loch Eil, wide and scenic; the final stretch into Glencoe follows the A82 through the glen itself.
⛴ Crossing: CalMac ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, about 30 minutes — book the motorhome space well ahead for the summer season.
Jun 2 - arrive
15:00Arrive Glencoe, check in at the campsite
16:00Walk along the shore of Loch Leven at Invercoe
19:00Dinner in Glencoe village
Jun 3 - explore
09:30Hike into the Lost Valley (Coire Gabhail)
14:00Lunch back at the campsite
15:30Visit the Glencoe Folk Museum
19:00Dinner in Glencoe village
Jun 4 - explore
09:30Walk to the Three Sisters viewpoint and visitor centre
13:00Lunch nearby
14:30Drive up Glen Etive along the single-track loch-side road
19:00Final dinner in Glencoe
Jun 5 - depart
09:00Pack up and drive south via Rannoch Moor and Loch Lomond, stopping at Luss village
10:35Lunch stop at Luss on the shore of Loch Lomond
14:00Continue on to Edinburgh
5 June · End of the trip
Edinburgh
Getting there: 231 km · 4 h 02 from Glencoe
Jun 5 - drop-off
16:00Arrive back in Edinburgh and drop off the campervan
A plan, not a promise. Campsites, roads and opening times can be wrong or out of date — check anything you'd be sorry to get wrong.
Campsites come from OpenStreetMap, which volunteers maintain. A site listed here may have closed, be full, open only in season, or be tagged wrong. We link the site’s own page where there is one, and pin it where OSM says it is — always confirm it exists, and book it yourself.
Distances and times are measured on real roads, not guessed. But a router doesn't know about roadworks, a closed pass, a ferry that stops running in October, or the height, width and weight limits that apply to a large campervan. Treat them as good numbers, not gospel.
The day-by-day plan is written by AI. Opening hours, prices, whether a thing runs in your season, and whether it suits your vehicle or your party can all be wrong. Check anything you'd be sorry to arrive and find shut.
Local rules are yours to know. Where you may park and sleep overnight, what a licence permits, and what the road demands of a big van vary by country and change without telling us.
Use your own judgement, and see our Terms for the rest.
Want this United Kingdom campervan trip, but planned for you?
Different dates. A different start. Shorter driving days, or no toddler in the back. Change the shape of it and re-plan any stop — you get your own copy, and one link to share with everyone in the van.
Vanabout
