East coast, it'll be dryer. Anywhere reasonably east of Shotts. The west coast can be grim in winter although early December might get you those glorious sunny freezin cold days which were always my favourite.
Glencoe yesterday ( not my picture) remember stopping at Loch Achtriochtan back in 2020 views were spectacular for the whole trip
Long time ago, went up the West, accross to Inverness and then down the East - very beautiful scenery - good road too as I remember - just right for the camper van
Did you do the North Coast 500? I did a similar route back in 2004/5 but a lot of it on the mountain single track roads, the times we came down out of the hills to the main roads they were exceptionally good, largely because we had had a lot of European money to help with the construction and or renovation of the roads.
We went up the East side then right across the top and then down the west side, would of liked to Isle of Arran or Isle of Mull, maybe soon
Arran is a great island I spent most 4 to 5 days a week of my summers in 1976, 77, 78 and 79 on the island living in a tent down near the beach at the south end of Lamlash, spent an inordinate amount of time in the Alderside pub in Lamlash playing pool. In winter it is very very wet dull and grey, the place is nice when the weather good, I wouldn't spend a lot of time in Brodick but Blackwaterfoot, Kildonan, Catacol, Lochranza as well as Lamlash were all places I liked to stop at, driving round the island was always an experience as well the mountain roads are amazing, I mostly toured on my motorcycle in 1976 before settling on Lamlash as a social hub after I sold the bike, used to get the boat over on a Thursday morning walk from Brodick peir to Lamlash with my rucksack on my back about 4 miles straight up and straight down saved me the cost of the bus, happy memories. The midgies are a nightmare though, spring to summer.
Yes, we weren't ready for the pesky midges - they don't appear on the postcards ! It's time the Royals gave the people of England the same rights the Scottish have to roam and camp like that - sounds amazing.
There was a clearing in the trees near an actual caravan and camping site field in Lamlash where I camped most often, the owner didn't like people camping in that tiny clearing which was outside his land and he tried to move us on sometimes, but yes we don't have trespass laws in Scotland.
On the midges front, I don't recall us having great difficulty with them, but i have heard many stories. Whilst we've been motorhoming we generally have a fan running when we eat, nice smelling flowers such as a lavender plant and in the evening the use of candles seemed to work. Many European motorhomers also use these methods to combat midgies
If you're near a stream or any still water they can be a freekin nightmare, I never experienced them when I lived in a village near Port Glasgow for ten years which was lucky but the further west you go and the more rural you get the worse they get, some of the worst I ever experienced were on Arran.
It has been my experience that Midges are more prevalent from the start of June until end September much like the flies in the home. The best holiday weather I experienced was in the month of May up in the north west, shortly after that, I was to have Solar fitted to my house and the best producing month most years is May with around 600kw and not June which is closer to 500kw and not what you would expect with the longer days, both months were on a par this year in our exceptional summer. Now I suggest to people if they ask about a trip to Scotland; go north west and May is the best month as it tends to have dry, clear sunny days and the hatching of the Midges is not in full swing at this time.
