The Best Campsite

On our way back from Skye, we decided to stay the night at a campsite which Izzie found in Kinlochleven. A village situated just outside of Glencoe on the edge of Loch Leven. The campsite looked nice on the website but on arrival, we thought we’d turned up at the wrong place. It was absolutely stunning! If you’re interested in visiting yourself, the campsite is called Caolasnacon Caravan & Camping Park.

As we drove into the campsite, I thought I noticed a Red Deer stag resting by the loch. Once pitched up I went to investigate with my camera and found what I saw to be true. You might be puzzled by my surprise but at this point, we’d spent a week in the Scottish highlands and only managed to catch a glimpse of a couple of stags galloping in the distance at Glencoe. So to find one sat on our campsite was amazing.

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I found this even more unusual though as it was rutting season at the time we visited Scotland. While we were moseying around the campsite, the mating calls of stags could be heard loudly throughout the valley, and this chap didn’t seem to be partaking. Our lonesome friend was an old Deer and a local resident to the campsite, who had retired from the mating scene apparently (according to some of the human residents there). Our camping neighbours told us that they even woke up to him outside their window that morning.

I mentioned in a previous story from our Scotland Road Trip series that we’d arrived in the peak of Autumn. We were blessed with yet another phenomenal sunset that evening at the campsite which turned the tree lined valley into an orange spectacle. It was a mild day so we opened up the back doors of the van which revealed a priceless lakeside view, right from the comfort of the bed. Talk about a lakeside view.

After running around trying to get as many shots of the place as I could, we enjoyed a nice meal in the van and reflected on some of the incredible things we’d seen during our time in Scotland. It’s amazing what you can see in just a week. Next time we’ll definitely be taking our time to soak it in a bit more.

One Last Stop

The following morning before heading home, we thought we’d visit one last place for sunrise. Although there was no signs of sun, we were however greeted with some incredibly moody conditions. Perfect for my style of photography and well suited to the landscape of Glen Etive.

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Glen Etive is a glen (valley) a few minutes down the road from Glencoe. A similar landscape but with a whole host of different views from the usual mountains and moorland to lochs and waterfalls. A 12-mile single track road winds its way through Glen Etive, with plenty of stops along the way to admire the phenomenal views, and possibly the odd Deer. There isn’t any shops or facilities for miles here. However, the road does eventually come to a dead end at Loch Etive so you won’t be lost for too long.

Bond, James Bond

Some parts of Glen Etive may be familiar to James Bond fans. Thousands of visitors travel from afar every year to recreate the famous scene in Skyfall on the road where Bond (Daniel Craig) tells 'M' (Judi Dench) that this is where he comes from. The Glen Etive estate was once owned by the family of James Bond's creator, Ian Flemming.

(Skyfall (2012): EON Productions)

We took our final photos at Glen Etive and hit the road to head back home, enjoying every moment of driving back through the Highlands. Our Scotland trip was an incredible experience and made even more so by doing it in a camper van. I’m sure we’ll be back up there as soon as possible to experience the endless views and historic landmarks that this phenomenal part of the world has to offer.

Until then, Scotland.