ALWAYS dreamt of doing a road trip around New Zealand but can’t face the 24-hour flight or justify the £1,500 airfare? The Scottish Highlands might just be the answer. Yes, really. Having explored both, I can say they are unbelievably alike.
Both offer rugged mountains, charming villages and winding single-track roads that continue for miles. Although, the northern coast of Scotland is also home to one of the top 50 beaches in the world, hundreds of fairytale castles and, the icing on the cake, Britain’s ultimate road trip — the North Coast 500. I boarded the Caledonian Sleeper from London to Glasgow to kick off my adventure in style, curling up in my bunk bed filled with childlike wonder.
READ MORE ON STAYCATIONS It was a rocky night with little sleep, but a novelty to be able to leave on a Friday evening and wake up on Saturday in a new country. On arrival to Glasgow, Frida — a 2022 Mercedes Sprinter and my home for the next ten days — awaited me. Decked out with dimmable lights, heating and even an airfryer, it was more luxurious than many Airbnbs I’ve stayed in, which meant I could travel in complete comfort.
We’d barely made a dent in our journey when my boyfriend asked: “Are we in Greece?”, stepping on to the glistening white sand at Achmelvich near Lochinver. Most read in Best of British The water was the most astonishing blue in the sunshine, reminding us of the bays along the Abel Tasman in New Zealand or the azure shores of Platis Gialos in Mykono.