THE SWC300 - SCOTLANDS SECRET NC500 ALTERNATIVE - (Van Life Scotland)

[Music] foreign Scotland let's go down the vacuum you're choking earlier I swallowed too quickly [Music] we're currently exploring Scotland's southwest coast well we're trying to so far it's broke our dog our van and this week it tries to break me but none of that takes away from how spectacular this place is with its nature Field Forest insanely beautiful scenery stunning Coastline and some of the most magical park-ups we've ever found it really has it all this week we are leaving the coast and heading Inland to explore its largest lot [Music] this coastline is so so pretty I don't know why I wasn't expecting it to be because everyone kept saying to us when we've done our trips to Norway you should come to Scotland is it's just like it but it is really making me miss Norway and there's some wooden houses and stuff like that oh I'm just loving this drive [Music] time has been so hard on us my friend but to every night we keep on dancing [Music] it always we are just coming up to a place where Emily assures me where if I stick the van in neutral I will roll uphill I have faith but it doesn't make any sense so we're on the hill now we just need to find somewhere to pull over and apparently if I'll put the van in neutral and just wait the van Will Roll uphill it's a heavy van you know [Music] so you have to fiddle out of your road position a little bit but I definitely think I've found it Jesus those cars this is not safe let me show you very much in neutral very much rolling backwards that is actually pretty cool the van is actually rolling uphill we are at electric Bray and thanks to the figuration of the land makes it oh it's just so round on the wind it's rolling up hill how cool is that oh I'm going at speed now it took us a few attempts to to kind of get the right spot but yeah she's still going it's so cool now this is literally just a main road so if you do come here and have a look please be careful but there are signs either side of it saying caution slow moving Vehicles because clearly a few people do try it and you can come and do it with a tennis ball or a bike or anything like that but it's actually pretty cool [Music] so that was electric braid definitely worth a stop if you're doing this route and now we're on to another stop but Emily won't tell me what it is no you just need to follow the sat nav please is that it is that what you bought me you are kidding me just find me I'll let you inventory on the park in the race you've brought me all the way here I'm not gonna fit in any of these parking spaces at all small town parking spaces [Music] unbelievable so whenever we come on these kinds of trips Emily normally does a little bit of route planning and she makes puts little pins on it like a Google map and then we follow those pins around and it gives us our rough route now I normally look at the pins only the day before to see where we're driving to next like how far we've got to go if it's going to be any good for parking but I didn't do that this morning I wish I had because this stop is ridiculous it's an ice cream shop now this came highly recommended to me by a few people so how could I not try it so let's kind of give me that a milkshake shall we [Music] please with yourself for the viewers they're going to want to know these things something yeah yeah Mom because it was this coffee also just crappy banana and I also treated us got you a Terry's chocolate orange brownie yep and then I've got a Kinder Bruno Blondie how good does that look there you go then I suppose we're gonna stop it for lunch and we'll see you a lot later such a greedy Pig aren't you no Shake [Music] as we headed Inland Scotland was about to gift us with one of the most beautiful drives starting with passing under this Burton Viaduct [Music] the further Inland we went the more breathtaking it became the single track road that leads to the lock passes through the Scottish Hills and Pine Forest before eventually opening up to the water right beside you [Music] we drove the entire length for the lock and found somewhere to park this is honestly one of the best park hops we've ever found in any country [Music] foreign [Music] foreign believe it or not this is one of the best places in spite of the conditions we've ever parked up [Applause] yesterday if you didn't know that this was a lock you'd have been convinced that it was the sea the wind was so strong that there was actual waves in this lock this is locked down and even in the rain it is so picturesque now hopefully I got enough on the Drone yesterday to do it some justice because I got no chance today I don't think but it is well hopefully you can appreciate how amazingly beautiful this place is it is absolutely gorgeous full of hikes full of walking the plan was to go and do some wild camping here but I have got a zero chance I think of getting a tent down on the ground because it is that foggy there is some Forest so I could take the hammock but we've tried to wait out the weather for two days now to try and show you this place but it just keeps coming it is Relentless the storm yesterday I had to move the van so we was all the way down the bottom uh so this Lake this locks like five miles long so we park right down the bottom beautiful Parker one of the best we've ever had but as soon as the Storm come in that was it we lost internet we lost phone signal which obviously Emily needs for work it was very exposed down there so I managed to find a little Nook that we could get the van in so we've been staying there but we do need to move on because we can't just sit here waiting out the rain because I'll put the forecast on the screen now there's more coming now I know what you're going to say it's Scotland of course it's raining it's November yes I know we are very well kitted out and prepared for the rain we do quite well in the rain however we've had locals apologizing like it's not their fault literally apologize and apparently it's wetter and if you've seen the previous videos it is just I think we've had two days where we've had dry spells where the sun's come out and the rest of the time it's just been torrential but it is not ruining it for us because it means we've got the place all to ourselves wild camping Vans and Tents I think must be incredibly popular here there's these little fire pits started about everywhere and when I say everywhere I mean everywhere I must have seen at least I don't know 50 60 70 of these all over the ground when I've been out walking and sometimes like there's two or three right next to each other there's even one up there in a passing place and it's like come on this place is going to get shut down pretty soon I think because with the fire pits there's usual barbecues left behind a chair some litter it's such a shame to see it sorry I mean look yeah there's no way I'm pitching a tent in this yeah such a shame to see it because I'm absolutely 100 convinced that this place is going to get shut down to Camping soon if this Behavior carries on and we all know that it will so real real real real real shame because they're quite welcome in here it's one of this area Southwest Scotland one of the best areas we've been in the UK so far for wild camping and we're going to lose it and it is just a crying shame because look at it [Music] this is a complete wrong lens but if you look we have a very short probably break in the weather so we'll have a go with the Drone and see if I can show you see if I can show you around properly I might need to put this camera down though cool with the uh with the good weather comes the wind so apologies the audio is probably going to be crap because I've got no mic on because of the rain this is so much fun yeah YouTuber they said it'll be great fun they said it is [Music] there we go then that was it wind it doesn't look too windy down here but up there once you get out of this shop where these few trees it is very windy drone didn't like it next bad weather front's rolling in so I'm gonna run back to the van hopefully before I get another soaking from the rain also I put my tripod down in some poo and with the disrespect that's clearly going on here I couldn't tell you if it was sheepdog or human so I want to get that off me before I get back to the van with rain comes rainbows and I've probably got a few seconds oh oh I'm gonna leave that in just for shits and giggles I've got a few seconds ah I don't run across the bogs I've got a few seconds to get this I don't know if the GoPro is going to get it but look at that that is a beaut I'm in the complete wrong place I think we have to go for a GoPro photo oh my word I need to be over there but we'll give it a go no it's gone and like that it was gone ah real real Shane that we missed out with the camera and the Drone bar never mind at least I've got a shitty tripod and sort of knees now so it's things like that you can see why people come and Camp here what a beautiful spot to wake up to in the morning and I know it's something you're going to say just get on with it low and camp in the rain I would I actually love camping in the rain but the problem is with three wet coats two wet sets of trousers a wet dog a wet cat because she goes out in the rain I've got nowhere to dry out all my gear and it's going to be raining for the next well Forever by the looks of things so yeah Emily's not going to appreciate a wet tent trying to dry out in the van so unfortunately not this time but you never know [Music] [Music] s [Music] oh my word [Music] he is not happy that we're leaving him behind the weather has given us a very brief interlude so we're gonna go and check out what we're doing Dal Kearney Falls it's a what we're gonna have a quick pit stop at before we get to our next Parker yes and if you do want to come here the track up is one of those roads where you get on it and you kind of think yeah should I have come up this because if there's nowhere to turn around at the top buy him stuffed it's very very narrow bumpy larger motorhomes I would say avoid it especially in the winter because it is a holy and slippy and horrendous isn't it it is indeed this is why we've not bought AJ because it's really slippery and it's quite Steep and we all know how his legs are your little legs are you gonna get back up you need a phone call for every step in y'all [Music] I like it it's really impressive actually it's thicker what I thought it was gonna be definitely a little Hidden Gem but way more than I was expecting actually it was just a little pin on Google Maps so yeah if you can get it up here then if you can get up here this is definitely recommend I didn't even do that one on purpose I recommend giving it a look because it is pretty cool little spot it is yeah but Central Sally shoes please right so we're gonna get parked up maybe you could take a run up and it'll be easier [Music] to talk to you admit when you feel here we go then folks look Rebel with our calls Breaking All the Rules again what are you doing back there em do not put that on the way she's back there she was too hungry to wait the 26 minutes we got to go to a park up so she's making a sandwich lady the van's not moving we're on a single Track Road there's literally us and the sheep and one thing I'm loving about this part of Scotland is we are barely seeing another Soul so for days I don't think we've even seen another car have we no not on these roads obviously the main roads they are but when we're around the lock and everything we pretty much add it to ourselves yes the weather is crap so no one else probably wants to be out camping in it but definitely definitely a massive point for this point this part of Scotland at this time of year I am using that can I have a sandwich yeah thank you [Music] I wish that I could tell you how much I really care [Music] don't get my way I'm trying to cook what is cooking we're gonna have some skinny pizzas tonight skinny pizzas is in there good for us or skinny pizzas they're on squish black bread skinny pieces they're one squish flatbread she's going back to do some editing but yes I'm gonna cook out some skinny pizzas tonight because we've managed to find a really nice place in the forest but it took us quite a while to find it because of the internet signal and the phone signal was pretty bad so we need something quick and easy and that is what it is we all know Louise is a weirdo and has pineapple but I'm gonna have sausages tonight and I want to know whether you think that that's weird or whether that's normal because I think that's going to be nice and tasty sausage is a bit of mushroom bit of cheese that's gonna be good veggie sausages as well it's gonna be good honestly and if you haven't tried it I think you should [Music] we've come to the conclusion that the weather forecast for Scotland you might as well not bother we've got bright blue skies they're not even giving that now if we check the weather forecast now it says torrential rain and wind we do have the wind though don't we we do yeah we've got our woolly hats on protect our ears and we should be fine you have a little trip [Music] foreign [Music] not everybody gets to see Pixies though so only Pixies can see other Pixies I reckon that's why you can see them that is why I can see them [Music] it's really nice isn't it I love this type of forest look at the trees right with all like the Rossy stuff everything's covered in Moss isn't it absolutely everything it just makes it magical and season's coming up to Christmas that's even better [Music] so this Forest is a very very short walk from the car park where we're parked up in and it is an amazing Park up Summer absolutely loves it she's been going crazy she loves the forest take her out she's been skipping over all the Moss climbing up trees I can't get that on camera yet but I'm trying so yeah ideal first we lost a lot of the morning doing that with her Emily's been working but now we're going to enjoy this forest and this is what Emily's talking about look absolutely everything is covered in Moss not just the trunks it's all the roots it's all the branches quite a bit of mushrooms going on as well like this every single branch on this tree is covered in Moss there are absolutely loads of these trees all like fallen down everywhere around here and I don't know there's just something about it like look at the size of that it's just it's mental isn't it do not think and have they all fallen down wind it must get bloody windy here I'd say so most of them everywhere I was considering a bit of Hammock Camping but with the trees down the way they are and the wind that they're giving tonight I think it's 40 50 miles an hour or something overnight um probably not the safest option foreign trees looks like they've all fallen down as one like terrorist row of trees it does doesn't it that has got to get super super windy for sure I wonder what um well now it has to be to actually blow the the tree down because obviously it's going to have quite a few years of like swaying knocking knocking yeah FYI that's what Emmy looks like when she's had a few to drink as well and then obviously yeah that's there's got to be some wind right some power because then votes go far reckon you could do it after a curry get them down you never know please [Music] thank you Blackfish this area of Scotland this southwest coast and Inland on this southwest corner is absolutely brilliant and it's an ideal alternative to doing the NC 500 if like us you don't have a lot of time or you've got other commitments like a job and stuff and you've only got fit your trip in in and out of little Windows this is perfect it's such a forgotten missed area of Scotland didn't it it is yeah and it's just like on the tip of Scotland as well just as you enter so it is an idle route for a small trip that doesn't take too long because when I looked at it and plotted it out the actual route if it was to drive it is only around 12 to 14 hours so you could plan it a little bit better than us to be fair we've had a very many setbacks on this trip and then there's also Inland to consider so it's 12 to 14 hours just around the loop doing yeah doing the actual Loop of the the official southwest coast 500. it's the kind of trip you could cram it in and do it in two weeks and see absolutely loads or if you wanted to you could stretch it out and spend quite a bit of time up here really exploring every single little area however there are some massive caveats to do in this part of Scotland I for one wouldn't want to come here in the summer nearly everywhere is a single Track Road and if you put lots of Camper vans and vehicles it's just going to be a nightmare the park UPS many many Great Park ups and when I say many many many for us because there's been no one else here but if you come here in summer the park-ups are going to run out pretty quickly now you are allowed to Wild Camp here and a lot of car Parks accommodate that but there are limits on the numbers so some of them will be like only three vans now we've seen it lots and lots of times where it says only free Vans and someone gets there late and they stay sets four bands and someone else gets the latest five vans please please please stick to it and the way we do this is when we're looking for somewhere to stay for the night we have three or four spots in mind so that if we get to the first one and it's really full yep we've got others in mind and if we if it is a really busy time we don't even bother with the good ones we'll go there for the day and then go somewhere else because the locals will get frustrated if they can't park their car to book their dog or do their usual activities and then all of these things that they've put in place for camper vans and motorhomes and stuff will get taken away from us yeah because the stuff we saw in some of the places around the lock we've seen when we first got here some of the the first Park I went to it was six man's only when we woke up in the morning there was eight Vans it will get shut down and we will lose it and this is one of the best places we've been for Van life in a long time isn't it it is yeah they're just so accommodating and you know what everyone has been super friendly that we've met yes that's another thing the locals aren't anti-vans who don't have that hostility yet but I do fear that it will come now I know what you're gonna say you've put it all on YouTube this and the other I would like to think that our subscribers are a very respectful Bunch so please please please if this is the first time you come here and we are you are getting this information from us make sure that you look after this place because it's an absolute gem in a very dwindling van life landscape that's left in the UK yeah that's it and we just want to keep it like that and we want to come back and see it again as well yes and the other thing is I said I wouldn't come here in summer in the if you're going to come here in the Autumn or the winter like us bear in mind Scotland is brutal the weather yes we've had more rain than is normal but even still you're on the west coast you're going to get hit with every single front that comes in and there's not a lot to do here if you don't like the outdoors so you would literally just be driving around parking moving on it's not there's not loads of bars restaurants calves any of that kind of thing there really is you've got to like the outdoors haven't you yeah exploring in the forest going along the coast and having a look in the little Villages and stuff yeah but also like Lou said bring an array of different clothes yes and also bear in mind that a lot of the roots will be shut so there's like Raiders Road there's a forest drive here that's all closed we got to a place on the coast the other day the little Coast Road it all shuts for the winter so you won't be able to do all the big popular bits in the winter so like I say you really have got to enjoy getting out and exploring in nature aren't you which we do which we really really do now we're gonna go back to the vanishing dinner yes always hungry always hungry I feel I've worked for it though done I've done a walk [Music] one of my favorite things about editing is freeze framing on Emily's silly faces look at them so we just got back to the van we're having dinner what we're having we are gonna have jambalaya I can't really do my dance sorry because I'm trying the hammer and what is jambalaya so rice dish right it is a vice station I use veggie stuff obviously [Music] nobody on the floor [Music] foreign [Music] this is what it looks like pretty much done is it pretty much done I'm starving it is pretty much done and it tastes quite good actually so it's rice chorizo and obviously if he was a chicken lover chicken but I got some mushrooms in there you can put some peppers in there cayenne pepper is in the powder a bit of chili powder a bit of like vegetable stuff in it oh it's lovely come in a proper cooking channel this one I know honestly I'm just such a little like coronary dislikes in the kitchen but you say yes now yes now yeah so there we go then dinner is looking good can't wait for that I did just want to say about this uh area of Scotland it is very much a well-kept secret we didn't know much about it really until just before we come here did we no we didn't know and I'm kind of in two minds whether to actually tell you a lot about it but I also think if everyone just flocks to the NC 500 and misses out the rest of Scotland then we're just crowding on the NC 500 every single summer when there's so much more that Scotland has to offer like there's so it's not just this bit there's nice bits dotted all over Scotland we've done bits on the East Coast before aren't we years ago yes very many years ago before Vans and stuff was a thing and really enjoyed it and didn't get anywhere near the north so there is so much more to explore and do in Scotland that isn't the NC 500 and this route we've really enjoyed it [Music] foreign [Music] you'll notice that I'm having mine in a bowl and Emily's got hers on a plate and why is that him what you having with it boy excuse as to why she's effing extra we got chips and spring rolls yes I'm not gonna have a lot of rice I'm just gonna have a little bit I've got to get it's not even full potions Louise obviously I'm only joking Emily is bloody beautiful and can eat what you want Kanye that is right and she does and on that note I think we're gonna go because this is probably our last if not second to last night in Scotland we do have to start heading south don't we we do unfortunately got a few plans yeah a couple of days in the where are we going Lake District in the Lake District we may or may not film it may take a couple of days to ourselves to see how we feel when we get there but I hope you've enjoyed this little jaunt around Scotland I know it's been delayed with the tire debacle when AJ's leg and the lodge and all that but we've thoroughly enjoyed this southwest coast 300 anyway we have yes and honestly I cannot wait to come back and explore so many other places in Scotland because this has just given me like a little bit of a taste of it I'm just like oh I love it yes and honestly spread out don't all flock to the same old places because you'll have a much better time there's far more space and hopefully it'll put less of the pressure on those small places and give a bit more tourist economy to the other parts of Scotland which are beautiful definitely so thanks Scotland for having us if you've enjoyed all this through the subscribing thingy or whatever do the the other things that YouTube you know likes everyone to do and we will see you all on the next one wherever that may be bye

Channel: Camper Vibe

Views: 101,017

Keywords: van life, vanlife europe, female travellers, living in a van, travel vlog, youtube travel series, travelling in a van, female van life, self built campervan, van life couple, van life uk, vanlife, van life scotland, not the nc500, swc300, scotland south west coast, dumfries and galloway, don't be a van life sheep, scotlands wilderness, remote scotland, loch doon, van life off the beaten track, galloway forest, nc500 alternative, wild camping scotland, motorhome scotland

Id: 54EDKV4dmic

Length: 30min 12sec (1812 seconds)

Published: Sun Nov 27 2022