Activity: Coast & beaches

One lochside night, a gentle walk and time to learn the van. Luss gives this first weekend a clear base close enough for an easy return to Renfrew.

Six hire days give Mull and Iona room to breathe: Salen for the north, Fidden for the Iona visit, then a booked mainland night before returning the camper.

Stay within a compact coastal region and spend the saved driving time in its harbours, cafés and footpaths. Falkland, St Andrews and the East Neuk offer a different Scottish trip from the Highland loops.

Small ports, Whithorn’s archaeology and a bookable farm experience make the south-west more than a scenic driving loop. Use seven days to stop properly rather than collect viewpoints.

Eight days along Loch Lomond, Loch Fyne, Oban and Glencoe before the Mallaig ferry to Skye. Keep Trotternish for the full island day, then make the separate mainland transfer to Glencoe before handback.

A nine-day NC500 highlights circuit from Renfrew. This plan keeps Wick, Tongue, Durness and the west coast, but skips Applecross and extra coastal loops. It includes several substantial driving days; allow longer if you want the full coast at a slower pace.

Follow the islands from Barra through the Uists to Harris and Lewis, with baking, beach walks and authorised pitches along the way. Ferry bookings and a weather buffer shape the journey.

Tarbert’s harbour, Campbeltown and Machrihanish’s beach reward the drive down Kintyre. Give the peninsula proper time, then work north for your final Inveraray night.