Looking for tips for camper van hire in Scotland for your next trip? We’ve been in your shoes – and have a few of hard-earned suggestions to make your rental adventure a tad less stressful and a whole lot more enjoyable. You can do it – with a little pre-research and knowledge.
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Scotland – it’s been on my list forever. In particular, the Highlands of Scotland held enormous appeal. When gear guru finally agreed to travel to the land of bagpipes, heather, Scotch whisky and endless Munro and Corbett-bagging, we knew we wanted to camp in comfort. My guy wasn’t a fan of the country’s notoriously fickle and often wet weather. And packing up a wet tent every day held little appeal for either of us. A campervan hire was the best solution.
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Tip #1: You Can Rent a Camper Van in Scotland!
The most important thing is to be confident. You can do this. It is possible – and fun – to rent a campervan in Scotland and have an amazing holiday. If you love camping in the U.S. and Canada, you’re going to love camping in Scotland.
Our first tip is to get over any doubts. Don’t let the fear of stepping outside your comfort zone stop you from an amazing adventure. This is 100% doable!
Hours of internet research based on our parameters – close to Glasgow, available for specific dates, and price range – narrowed the field. From there our final choice was made by ease of contact and response time to our queries.
Caveats – Or Good to Know Before You Rent an RV in Scotland!
- traffic drives on the left side of the road
- Scotland uses roundabouts instead of stoplights on many highway intersections
- most vehicle rentals are standard transmission (if you’ve never driven a standard in your life, don’t start with a rental RV in Scotland – take more time to find an automatic transmission for your Scottish campervan adventure!)
Tip #2: Start Planning Your Camper Van Hire in Scotland Early
Check availability right away! RV rentals in Scotland are popular.
Campervans always book up fast for the prime holiday months. And since the pandemic, rentals have increased in popularity. We booked four months ahead of time for shoulder season and as a result had more choices.
If you have a specific campervan make and model you want to hire, reserve it early. And if you are looking at prime summer months or holiday periods, start looking a minimum of six months ahead of time.
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Tip # 3: Know Your RV Rental Budget
When we plugged “Campervans Scotland” into Google, the options that popped up were all pretty similar in price. Campsie has a popup with “Best Value Guarantee” and that drew our attention. Turns out the RV model we chose was great value even though it was more than we really needed.
- How much are you willing to spend/what is your min/max budget?
- Be sure to factor in the cost of insurance!
- What are the costs of the extras (gas, bedding, camping chairs, camping tables…)
- What is cost for an extra driver (if you need this option)
Tip # 4: Make a List and Check it Twice
Start by making a list of possible camper van rental companies in Scotland near your arrival destination. Unless you have more than a couple weeks, you won’t want to waste time traveling to pick up your RV.
We wanted something close to Glasgow, so we narrowed the search to Glasgow and area. Ask where the company is located. Also, we needed the van for a specified date. Ask about availability for your timeline.
Make a list of questions and get answers:
- What times are pick up and returns? Is there any flexibility in this?
- What are the penalties for late return (in case something goes wrong and you can’t make it on time)?
- Do they have a 24-hour helpline in case of issues such as flat tires, mechanical issues…?
- What equipment is included (dishes, dish towel, dish soap)?
- What are extra costs (gas, bedding, camp chairs, camp table, portapotty…)?
Does the camper van rental company have a transfer service?
This question deserves more explanation. We flew into Glasgow and didn’t want to try and drive out of the city jetlagged right away after landing. In our case, we chose Campsie Campers for the first rental partly because it was outside of the city in a quiet, rural location.
Our second RV was smaller, and we were already familiar with the roads and righthand drive. When they said pickup was in the city, conveniently located to where we were staying, it was okay.
It’s important to ask if a transfer service from the airport – or wherever you arrive – is available. What is the cost? How long does it take?
Tip #5: Pick the Right Size Campervan for Your Scottish RV Adventure
Our first camper van hire in Scotland was a Puegot Sky-Liner. We picked it for the size – not too big, not too small. Turned out Bonnie – each van had a name with Campsie Campers – was 2.6 m (8.5 ft) in height and 5.4 m (17.7 ft) in length. It had a 48-litre fridge, 30-litre water tank, air conditioning and a 2-burner hob (stove).
It didn’t take long to realise that it was a lot bigger than we wanted or needed. While the space was luxurious, driving down the smaller highways and backroads was more adventure than anticipated.
The second camper van we rented from Trax was picked for its size. Sound familiar? Only this time we knew what size we really needed – and that was as small as possible!
According to the rental company’s website “the mini camper is the baby of our fleet.” We read that as “tiny.”
Perfect!
The VW Caddy was significantly narrower in width and shorter in length than the Puegot. It was only 4.8 m (15.7 ft) long and 1.9 m (6.2 ft) high. More importantly, it was only 1.7 m (5.6 ft) wide.
This mini-RV handled like a car, had plenty of zip to pass and still offered the convenience of a camper with a popup roof, small bed, drawer fridge, one-burner stove, sink and cupboard.
Where are You Planning to Go on Your Scottish Adventure?
We had two specific agendas for our RV adventures:
- Driving a portion of the North Coast 500 (NC 500) exploring the Northern Highlands and heading across by ferry to the Orkney Islands
- Circumnavigating Cairngorms National Park
Based on our trip experiences, size matters when planning your own camper van hire in Scotland and deciding on size of vehicle to rent:
- Think about parking the RV if planning city travel
- Consider the extra cost of ferry travel for longer and over height vehicles
- Add in gas mileage in a small RV versus a larger one
- Are you travelling backroads and off-the-beaten track areas or sticking to areas serviced by main highways (backroads and byways are narrow).
But in the end, no matter where you go, relax, have fun and enjoy the ride!
These are all fantastic tips, thank you for sharing…
Thanks for your feedback Jeanine!
Ok. Been RV’ing in Canada and US for years. Now I want this. We’re retired teachers so time of year is not an issue. What would your recommendation be for best time of year(say for 2-3 weeks) to camp in Scotland?
Late spring or fall. Midges are bad in summer and campgrounds are busy. We loved September!