Every year of my early childhood, my family would pack up a campervan and head to France, Switzerland or Austria for the long summer break. Locked in my memory are the scents of Calor gas, frying bacon and pine needles. I also vividly remember mornings lying in a hammock under the extendable roof, sunlight creeping through the striped awning, the kettle whistling and the clatter of olive green tupperware.
But it could be gruelling too: covering hundreds of miles in a few weeks, feeling car sick, breaking down on motorways. My mum used to joke that she needed a proper holiday to recover.
Undoubtedly the whirlwind tours of museums, churches and art galleries inspired my love of travel and culture. I ended up studying art history at college – and I imagine all those medieval altarpieces and Doric columns must have inspired me.
But it was never enough to win me over. I always craved frivolity and comfort instead; days on the beach, the joy of a hotel en-suite, shopping and meals out. After leaving home, I put my campervan days behind me and vowed I would never set foot in a communal shower block again.
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Perhaps, though, this was a teenage misapprehension. So I decided to try out a VW California Ocean for a week-long road trip, to see if it was time to finally revisit my childhood holidays.
My first anxiety was planning the route. My husband was happy to do all the driving, which means I was on map reading duty. We both knew even with GPS, it’s not my strong suit, which is why we choose the west coast of Scotland. After catching the train to Edinburgh we headed to Shieldaig via Loch Lomond, stopping at Glencoe on our return leg. The chief appeal was that there are so few roads. “Keep the water on your left, and just keep heading north,” I told myself.
On a sunny afternoon we picked up our campervan in Edinburgh. Every function, including heating, electricity and charging, is monitored by a compact touchscreen above the dashboard. The sleek grey interior – with a convertible double bed, slim fold-out table, gas hobs, fridge and freezer – is a world away from the bobbly nylon seats and fake kitchen pine units I recall.
The route couldn't be easier, putting a long empty road ahead of us and providing scenery that rapidly grows more dramatic as meadows and moorlands make way for hazy purple hills. The views were all the more breathtaking from the vantage point of a campervan with its large windows and raised seats.
After being on the road for less than two hours, we were setting up our first pitch at Cashel Campsite, an idyllic spot on the east side of Loch Lomond – a vast stretch of water fringed by woods and beaches where the Highlands really begin.
There was a brief flurry of panic when we couldn’t work out why the van wasn’t charging until a helpful man from reception explained – to the wry amusement of campers either side of us – that we had somehow managed to plug it in the wrong way round. We styled it out, unpacked our camper chairs and watched the sun sink behind the hills.
The next morning, there was a surprise in store. The communal shower blocks that gave me nightmares as a child appear to have undergone a transformation since my youth – these ones are entirely different, scrupulously clean with endless hot water and loo roll. I emerged refreshed and ready for the five hour journey ahead.
After Glencoe, we drove towards Ballachulish, a small village where the hills dip down to the sea loch. As the landscape became more remote and more stunning, the benefits of touring began to dawn on us. “What’s great is knowing if the worst comes to the worst, we could stop anywhere, in an empty field or even a lay-by,” my husband enthused.
The sense of freedom was liberating. All our fears about manoeuvring a vehicle that’s essentially a studio flat on wheels seemed unfounded. It was reassuring to know a VW van is no wider than any other car, so even narrow roads are easy to navigate.
As we reached Fort William, the scenery grew more lunar, with sweeping bare slopes and craggy peaks. Two hours later, we arrived in Wester Ross where the road met the coast with pretty inlets and clusters of white fisherman cottages.
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Our campsite, Shieldaig Camping and Cabins, is a small strip of land on top of a hill – all 23 pitches enjoy glorious views of the Loch below and the Torridon Mountains beyond. It’s such an idyllic spot that we decided to stay put for a few days. Shieldaig Bar and Coastal Kitchen is a short walk away. The hand-dived scallops and beer battered haddock are highlights.
The next day, we visited the delightful village of Plockton, a 40-minute drive towards the Kyle of Lochalsh. Overlooking Loch Carron, its mild west coast climate lends the village a tropical feel with bright pink flowers and palm trees lining the waterfront. Then it was on to Applecross Pass, known as Bealach na Ba (“the pass of the cattle”), a mountain road with epic scenery. We stopped afterwards for afternoon tea at Applecross Walled Garden, a sprawling Victorian garden in Strathcarron.
By the third evening, I’d cracked my cooking routine. Sitting on the backseat, prepping on the table, everything was within arm’s reach. One challenge remained, though: keeping track of our kit. Is the bedding in the overhead drawer or the corner cupboard? Where’s the towel for my shower? Keeping all our toiletries in one place – a clear plastic bag – really helped. As did a pair of slip-on shoes next to the door for midnight dashes to the loo. An eye mask and earplugs are invaluable; as much as sunrise and birdsong at 5am is a joy, it’s nice to sleep through. By the time we packed up and head south the next day, we feel like pros.
Once the trip had concluded, we felt wistful dropping off our California Ocean. It was a magical trip, and I’d more than overcome my adult reservations. Still, I couldn’t resist a final night in Edinburgh at The Hoxton, a recently converted Georgian townhouse in the Haymarket. But would the king-size bed, fluffy towels and rainfall shower feel quite so heavenly without a week in the wilderness as contrast?
Over supper that evening we found. ourselves plotting another road trip next summer. Those altarpieces in France are already beckoning.
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How to do it
A California Ocean VW campervan can be hired from Roadsurfer from £50 per night. Other motorhomes are available.
Where to stay
Campervan pitches at Cashel Campsite start from £42, while pitches at Shieldaig Camping and Cabins are slightly cheaper, from £29 per night.
Rooms at The Hoxton Edinburgh start at £165 a night.
Emma was a guest of The Hoxton Edinburgh
