Scotland campervan trip from central belt - where to go?

[ScotHill]

Hiring a van for four days from Glasgow, limit is 600 miles before we need to start paying an extra 32p per mile but will be travelling with a 7 year old so not looking to be on the road for hours and hours anyway. Probably stay on a site first night then off-road/laybys, we'll have a toilet on board.

Somewhere near the coast for beaches, even rocky shoals would be great; maybe some hills that might have snow on them in February; maybe near towns that might have stuff to do on rainy days (swimming, tennis). Will have bikes so 10-15 mile cycles on cycle routes/quiet roads.

What options? Instinct is always to head north but would look at south west if there's enough of interest down there. Would have loved Aviemore-way but a lot of the outdoor activity stuff is 8+ and while he's huge for a 7 year old and only four months short I'd be worried we're not covered by their insurance if we fake his age.

[troika]

I’d head to the Kintyre peninsula, could go via Arran if you really wanted to keep the mileage down.

[ScotHill]

troika said:

I’d head to the Kintyre peninsula, could go via Arran if you really wanted to keep the mileage down.

Yeah I'd considered that, or at least over to whichever peninsula Otter Ferry is on. Arran is probably not far enough and I'm really really really trying to avoid ferries after having been burned last year, but the ferries around Bute seem fairly reliable. Some friends love the Tayvallich area and could swing round past Oban too.

I would love to take him through Glen Coe but that's going to be the busiest area during the school holidays (across the UK too, not just Scotland).

[cptsideways]

Have a look at the 5 ferries route around the secret coast, plenty of cycling routes, some flatter than others. Add Skipness, Ardfern, Tayvalich and the Crinan Canal camper spots. Not a huge amount of driving and plenty of stunning places.

[ScotHill]

cptsideways said:

Have a look at the 5 ferries route around the secret coast, plenty of cycling routes, some flatter than others. Add Skipness, Ardfern, Tayvalich and the Crinan Canal camper spots. Not a huge amount of driving and plenty of stunning places.

Yeah I've done a bit of that before, I'd probably skip Arran but could do something like this and head up to Oban, i don't want to be totally in the wilds, and it would head through Glen Coe which is awesome without hitting Fort William:

https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Glasgow/Tayvallich...