West Coast and Skye Campsites: A Motorhome Guide

The west coast is the other half of motorhoming in Scotland: shorter hops than the NC500, more ferries, and a lot of sites where you wake up looking at the water. This is the honest list of campsites that work for a four-berth motorhome heading up the west, through Argyll and Lochaber to the road to Skye and onto the island itself. It pairs with our Isle of Skye motorhome guide, which covers what to do once you're there. The route starts at the Glasgow depot, where the motorhome lives.

From the Glasgow depot into Argyll

Argyll is the gentle start: the A82 up Loch Lomond, then west into the sea lochs. Oban Camping and Caravanning Club Site sits in the old walled garden of Barcaldine House, about 13 miles north of Oban, with 16-amp hook-up pitches and free hot showers; it's a Club site, so your Atlas hire gets you the member rate. Further north, Invercoe at Glencoe village is a level site on the shore of Loch Leven with grass and hardstanding pitches, hook-up, a shop, laundrette and a drying room for when the glen lives up to its reputation. Both are worth booking ahead in summer, and Invercoe's reception keeps normal hours, so aim to arrive before evening.

Lochaber and Fort William

Fort William is the hub, and the two best sites sit either side of it. Glen Nevis Caravan and Camping Park is the big one, spread over 30 acres at the foot of Ben Nevis with fully serviced and partially serviced pitches and a motorhome service point, a short walk from the glen and the hill path. Linnhe Lochside, about five miles out at Corpach on the Road to the Isles, is the quieter choice, a tidy four-star park right on the loch with hook-up pitches and a service point, and the kind of view that makes you slow down. Either makes a good base for a couple of nights before you push west.

The two roads to Skye

There are two ways over, and both have a campsite worth the stop. The main road is the A87 through Glen Shiel, where Morvich, a Caravan and Motorhome Club site on National Trust land under the Five Sisters of Kintail, is the natural last night before the bridge; hook-up pitches, big hills, and the member rate with your hire. The other way is the Road to the Isles, the A830 out to Arisaig, where Camusdarach sits above silver-sand beaches with views to Eigg, Rum and Skye and 18 hardstanding pitches with hook-up. From Mallaig, just up the road, the CalMac ferry crosses to Armadale on Skye; check the CalMac timetables and book ahead in summer.

On Skye

The Skye campsites worth knowing run from the Cuillin to the north. Sligachan is right on the A87 at the foot of the mountains, hardstanding pitches with some hook-up and a hotel and bar next door, and easy to roll into late straight off the main road. Portree's site at Torvaig, a mile north of town, has 40 hardstanding hook-up pitches with Cuillin views, is dog-friendly, and is usually big enough to find a space at short notice. Over on the west side, Kinloch at Dunvegan is a friendly family-run site on the loch shore with hook-ups, free hot showers and laundry, five minutes' walk from the village.

When are midges worst on the west coast?

Roughly June to early September, and worst at dawn and dusk in still, damp weather. The west coast is their heartland, and a lot of these lochside and woodland sites sit right in it. None of it is a reason to stay home; it's a reason to pack midge repellent and a head net, pick a breezier pitch when there's a choice, and keep the door screens shut at dusk. A stiff breeze or a sunny afternoon clears them off, and by September they're mostly done. May and September are the sweet spot if you'd rather dodge both the midges and the peak-season queues.

Good to know

• Ferries. Skye is reached by the bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh, free and no booking. The Mallaig to Armadale ferry is the scenic alternative, worth booking in summer. The wee Glenelg turntable ferry is seasonal and better suited to the compact end of the fleet than a large motorhome.
• Club membership. Your Atlas hire includes both Club memberships, so Club sites like Oban and Morvich come at the member rate.
• Late arrivals. Sligachan and the Portree site at Torvaig are the easiest to roll into late; book the smaller sites and aim to arrive before their reception closes.
• Dogs. Most sites here welcome them, Kinloch and Portree included. Bring your own bowls and bedding; the whole fleet takes dogs for a single per-hire cleaning fee. There's more in our pet-friendly travel guide.

Pick a couple of nights you can't be flexible about, book those, and leave the island days a little open. The west rewards not rushing.

City guides nearby

For where to stop and what to see in the cities on or near this route, see our city guides: Fort William, Glasgow.