Your home on the road

In the latest of our series on accommodation in Scotland, Richard Goslan tackles the controversial caravan.

Nothing divides opinion quite like the humble caravan. It's a bit like George Bush's mindset on his “war on terror” – you're either with us or against us. And if you're stuck in a tailback on a narrow Highland road caused by a caravanner who's barely touching 30mph, it's easy to fall into the former group.

But for those who are doing the towing, with the ability to stop wherever they please and still have all their creature comforts around them, it's hard to imagine why you would ever want to splash out on an expensive hotel or B&B again. And when you consider that Scotland has some of the most scenic sites imaginable, maybe it's time for the anti-caravan brigade to take a deep breath and consider what they're missing out on.

There are countless reasons why caravanning is more popular than ever in Scotland.

Of course, there's the ability to travel with your own little home from home, with everything you need for your trip stowed away on board, and no need to laboriously pack and unpack at every new destination.

There's the knowledge that throughout Scotland, there are more than 500 licensed caravan sites to choose from, so if you're running behind schedule and want to change your plans, you're always going to be able to find an alternative spot to spend the night.

There's the financial factor, of course – most caravan sites cost between just £12-£26 ($25- $54) per night for a pitch which will provide an electric hook-up and all the facilities you could wish for...

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• By : Richard Goslan
• In : Hotels
• Issue : 36
• Page : 42
• Words : 1,216