Epic adventuring in the Highlands and The Outer Hebrides

We started our adventure in an Autograph 69-2 by leaving Bristol on a cold stormy Friday night. The rain was torrential and we made it to the North of England when we decided to pull over for the night. We still had a long way to go the next day to get to the Highlands and it was already pretty late. We made dinner and our bed and went to sleep. The next morning was still windy and wet and we pushed on heading north.

After many hours we had worked our way through Glasgow, Loch Lomond and eventually found a beautiful overnight spot near the side of a loch with trees and a flat parking area.

We woke to the call of a male stag just over the hill. I quickly threw on some clothes and ran out of the van and quietly walked up the hill. There was a large group of deer grazing under the watchful eye of a stag. Scotland is a fantastic place to spot and watch deer at this time of year, especially because autumn is the rutting season. The colours of the trees also add to the incredible atmosphere and scenes.

Our plan for the day was to explore one of our favourite places in the highland, which is the Glen Coe mountain area and also Glen Etive. We know of an incredible secluded parking area which is only big enough for one motorhome.

We pulled up, had some lunch and then set off for an adventure in the Glen Etive Forest. The emerald colours that covered the floor of this magical forest really need to be seen to be believed. The sound of stags calling from different parts of the forest make it even more mysterious and could be mistaken for the roars of bears that once used to live here.

After having driven through such rubbish weather the last couple of days, Scotland was now putting on an impressive show and the weather was blue skies and sun.

Our crossing to the Isle of Harris was incredibly calm and smooth, we also spotted many Dolphins leaping from the water. Our first destination was the world famous Luskentyre Beach. It did not disappoint and with the sun shining the water and white sand was glowing. Luskentyre is by far one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. The mountains that surround the area and perfect water and sand colour make it an utterly jaw dropping location.

The Isle of Lewis and Harris is let’s be honest surrounded by magical beaches that would be in a tropical location packed full of tourists. We visited some beaches where there was not another person for miles around. We were also told by some locals that this is the busiest the island has ever been. There were people around but it was very quiet. We absolutely loved the Isle of Lewis and Harris and exploring this remote part of the world was an epic adventure that surprised us with its beauty around every corner.

After 5 incredible nights we caught the ferry back to the mainland and pushed further north exploring mountains, beaches and forests. Scotland is the last wilderness in the UK and we hope it remains that way. Being able to get off of the beaten path and explore wild places is such a rare experience in the UK. It really is a place we feel we can go and truly connect with nature.

We spent a day re-exploring some of our favourite places on the Isle of Skye. We hiked up to the Old Man of Stoor, Hannah jumped into the fairy pools and we walked around a beautiful little home with the Cuillin mountains as a backdrop.

There were parts we avoided while heading north as they connected with the North Coast 500 which since its creation a few years ago has become incredibly popular. We are always keen to avoid large groups especially during Covid and we prefer quieter locations anyway.

We worked our way up to Ullapool for an overnight stop before exploring the beautiful Achmelvich Beach the next day. There are actually a couple of beaches at Achmelvich and we thought the second beach was even more beautiful. The incredibly clear water here was glowing turquoise when the sun hit it. The car park is a little small and does get busy quickly. Luckily we arrived early, but by the afternoon there were no more places to park. Also be aware of the road leading to Achmelvich, it is very tight and narrow.

Our time in Scotland was coming to an end and we started to head back down south. We parked overnight near Loch Ness before heading back to Glen Coe for one last photo session in the beautiful sunshine. We have always been lucky with the Scottish weather, but even the weather on this trip had surprised us. We had two days of on and off rain and the rest of the time we had dry sunny weather.

Scotland is a magical place, the last wilderness in the UK, and one of our favourite places to explore which is made even better when visiting in a motorhome.

To find out more about their Scottish adventure in a Autograph motorhome, check out the Isle of Lewis & Harris travel guide on their website.