Scotland

Following in the successful footsteps of the North Coast 500, the SWC 300 is the newest of Scotland’s ‘official’ driving routes. It follows a circular route around the south west coast of Strathclyde and Dumfries and Galloway, an area that romantics in the marketing department prefer to call ‘Scotland’s Hidden Corner’. Most visitors to Scotland head north on the M74 so it is a little forgotten. It has much to offer, from wild headlands alive with exuberant biodiversity to beach towns, ancient history and important landmarks.

The North Coast 500 (NC500 )was ‘introduced’ as a tourist destination in 2015, although people have been travelling along some of its roads since time immemorial. However, it’s only been going as a ‘thing’ officially for less than a decade (at the time of writing in early 2024), so its rise as a must-see, bucket-list, world-class attraction is phenomenal. Its creators have very cleverly linked up an epic drive with many of Scotland’s landmarks and most beautiful landscapes into a package that can be sold and sold again. Genius. There can be no doubt that the NC500 is one of Europe’s finest road trips, rivalling the Wild Atlantic Way in Ireland or the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland. The scenery is magnificent. The stories to be told along its way are full of wonder. The beaches are heavenly. The landscapes are incredible. In short, the NC500 is absolutely fantastic.Most people travel anticlockwise around the NC500, starting at Inverness and heading north on the A9. It isn’t the most exciting section, I will admit, but it hides some secrets, thousands of years of human occupation and the darker side to the Highlands’ more recent history, where a wander off the beaten track will reveal beautiful, empty glens and views fit for a millionaire.

The north coast of Scotland has always held a fascination for me. It is an area of sublime beauty, with wild bogland and gentle river valleys, peaty estuaries, cliffs and stacks, beaches and tiny harbours. For surfers, this part of Scotland offers opportunities to surf some of Europe’s best waves. But it’s not just for them. Everyone will find something to move them here.

The far north-west of Scotland is, to me, one of the most interesting parts of the NC500. It’s truly wild, as close to wilderness as you can get in the UK. With peaks reaching well over 800m (2,625ft) dominating the skyline and bog, loch and rock below, it’s wild, untamed and empty, with opportunities to get even wilder. Cape Wrath is as remote as it gets and you can get there by walking from Sandwood Bay or by boat from Keoldale.

Wildlife encounters can be few and far between, but sometimes you just stumble upon them and it really makes your day. Especially when it’s in a car park at the side of a road in one of the most remote parts of Britain. That’s where we met Callum. Although we didn’t know he was Callum at all.

Travel can make you acutely aware of the world around you and especially the changing seasons. You are out in the elements, and cannot avoid the rain, shine, snow or sleet. It’s part of the beauty of travelling by van or motorhome. You are always just a slide of the door away from nature and, if you get it right, extreme beauty. Thankfully, in Scotland, it’s always close at hand.

The NE250 is a route that’s been devised to rival the NC500. It does a pretty good job of it too, encompassing high mountain passes, beautiful coast and coastal villages, ski centres, opportunities to taste some of Scotland’s finest single malts, dolphins, rare Caledonian forest and, if you want to take a short detour, a chance to swim in one of the best lidos in the UK.