To go on holiday in a campervan in Scotland in October?

[letspartytomorrow]

We can never afford it in the summer and have found a good deal. I get that it will be slightly colder and dark at 5 pm. But that means we can have camp fires at a reasonable time for the kids! AIBU? Will it be terrible?

Scotland is just incredible and so much space with so few people! The weather is unpredictable for sure and you may experience extremes of weather but it is by no means as bad as some pp have described.

We visited the Highlands and Skye in January and it was the best holiday I’ve ever had. 85% of the time the weather was great (including snow up in the mountains which was just beautiful) and hotels with log fires in the evenings. I would travel around Scotland any time of year in a heartbeat.

Yes. It will be terrible.

This, the majority of places don't close until after the school break and there are plenty of harvest and Halloween events on, although the best ones will be booked in advance.
It won't be sunbathing weather but let's face it, people don't come to Scotland to sunbathe, we have far more to offer.
Embrace the weather and bask in the beauty of the surroundings.

Scotland isn’t exactly getting glowing reviews on this thread is it 😂 thank goodness we have webbed feet eh!

If you’re in Edinburgh and don’t want to drive more than 4 hours, I’d stick around Moray and the Cairngorms, maybe venture to Inverness. Lots to do and less precipitation than the west coast.

A walk around The Hermitage at Dunkeld is well worth it at that time of year. And aviemore is great. Dalraddy, just outside Aviemore, is a really good base for campers and has the Alvie Forest foods van on site which serves delicious food.

At that time of year I would focus more on the autumn colours in the forests rather than the coast but depending on your route, the coast between Arisaig and Mallaig is stunning, especially Camusdarach Beach. The route through Glencoe is also stunning at that time of year (see the James Bond Skyfall scene that was filmed on the Glen Etive road.)

Where in Scotland do you live? That doesn't describe our area in October. At all.

OP glad you've booked it, just take the right clothes and you'll be fine. We've been on the far north coast, and Skye, in January. Both were fantastic.

I was actually about to say the Hermitage as well @Givemestrengthorvodka

Oh my god at some of these posts 😂 it's Scotland! You hardly need to be Shackleton preparing for the Antarctic!! October still tends to be on the cooler side of mild, wouldn't go as far as to say it feels 'cold' (unless you're coming from Terra Del Fuego!). Yes it can be wet but hardly a guarantee, this is Britain after all. Try and stay away from the west coast, go more Cairngorms or Royal Deeside. October is gorgeous up here, amazing autumnal canopies on the trees, dark evenings for campfires and to get cosy, loads of fun activities to do, and autumn walks are the best! Go for it, be prepared for the worst and then you can enjoy it no matter what!

October is full on winter in Scotland has made me laugh, my DD is still insisting on shorts and summer dresses and it's the last day of September. I guess she is in for a shock tomorrow!

It will be fine. My honeymoon was a week in a folding caravan in Glencoe in February. It was cold but good sleeping bags help a lot. That was over 40 years ago. A modern motor home on a campsite will be lovely

Also, if you like biking check out Comrie Croft, Glentress (near Peebles, nice town to visit), Beecraigs just outside Edinburgh in Linlithgow (which is a lovely town to visit with a Palace, canal and loch) and 'gravelfoyle' .

We camp in Scotland in a bell tent with a log burner in March and it is lovely. Take warm clothes and waterproofs and make sure that you have warm sleeping bags. Last March we had rain, hail, frost and snow and the temperature went down to minus 5 one night. We loved every minute. You will be fine in a campervan. Take some board games for the children for in the camper van and some hot chocolate and marshmallows for the campfires.

The enchanted forest at Pitlochry is on in October, it's worth seeing,
Falkirk wheel and the Kelpies are great too.

I've got a VW campervan and my best trips have been in autumn/ winter.
Nothing nicer than being tucked up in the van at night, wind howling, rain lashing and I'm in bed in fleece pj's, socks, woolley hat and a brew, lovely!
Waking up in the morning, opening the door and breathing fresh air.
Make sure to take waterproofs and plenty of layers.

I live on a Scottish island and am heading down to Perthshire for a week in October. Scotland in October can be glorious, with the leaves turning every shade of red, orange or yellow, or it can be wild and gloriously stormy. Chances are you'll have a bit of both, and also a marvellous time. Enjoy

We go away in our camper van for New Year. Yorkshire though not Scotland.

Hiring a camper is really pricy, for the fee you could definitely get a cheap bnb or a private room in a hostel. There are so many add on fees to the advertised price.

Im from the highlands… there is a good chance that October will be really really shit. The west in particular gets exceptionally windy and wet. I’m pretty hardy and I’ve bailed my last two west highlands walking trips (both in September so earlier in the year) as the weather was so bad both time
I’m in the east highlands with family at the moment and it’s pretty cold, I’d be miserable if we were sleeping in a van (we have one so I’m well aware of when it gets cold). The east will get better weather but it’s not quite as pretty.
Id honestly take the kids for a long weekend in Edinburgh instead.

Sorry just seen your in Edinburgh. Honestly I’d go south to Northumberland…

I would jump at the chance... but then I've camped in Scotland at New Year when it was -17 one night. Campervan sounds like luxury. But honestly, it doesn't take much to make a campervan cosy... presumably it will have an oven, so even if you get cold and wet you'll be able to warm up and dry out while you cook a hot meal.

Also, we quite often go on caravan holidays in October and although the weather isn't warm, it's certainly never been that cold. The trees are absolutely stunning.

Have been in October before and planning to go this October as well. Will be fine

I got pregnant in a campervan in South Lanarkshire one October.
Just sayin- be careful out there.

Spent every October half term for years near Aviemore in a family holiday cottage, weather invariably cool but dry, sometimes warm in the sun for a bit, lovely for forest walks and bike rides, I have countless photos to prove it! Stay East and your chance of rain is much reduced, Cairngorms is a good base and you've got the Moray Coast nearby for beach time .

Depends what you want to do and where you are going but lot of attractions and even cafes, restaurants and camp sites will be closed as its the end of the main tourist season and the locals themselves will want to go on holiday
( to somewhere warm and sunny). But if all you want to do is walk beaches or mountains with your waterproofs and boots on you will be fine.

We did this a few years ago. We were a bit too ambitious in planning how far we could go and so spent a bit more time travelling than we’d have liked but the weather/season wasn’t a problem at all. We had some lovely cold, clear but sunny days. There were the most beautiful clear starry skies at night too. We went as far as Fort William. It was perfectly warm and cosy in the van too.

We’re probably going to be in Scotland this October half term too. Not in a motor home but still. Not anticipating Artic conditions despite what other posters have said!