We’re approaching the 670m (2,200 ft) Cairnwell Pass along the UK’s highest public road. The little Fiat-based Roadscout 540 camper – about the smallest available with a fixed bed, shower and loo – purrs sweetly as we climb higher.

Though it’s mid-July, the weather alternates between sun and rain. It’s been like that all week as we’ve circumnavigated the Cairngorms. And it’s been joyous. Suddenly, a giant raptor swoops across the road ahead, chased by a flock of harrying gulls. Wow! Our first golden eagle!

Let’s hire a camper

Until recently, the campervan craze had passed us by. Sure, people we knew raved about them and we’d seen the ads with pop-top VWs and surf-boards atop idyllic dunes. But we hadn’t caught the recent Covid-driven van life wave. Eventually, however, curiosity aroused, we decided to hire a camper. Highland Campervans near Inverness were recommended, so we’d booked one early in 2023, ready for summer.

After a thorough handover, we set off in the well-equipped Roadscout and headed inland for our first night near Craigellachie – via pretty Nairn on the Moray Firth. Then it was back to the coast, sipping van-made morning coffee on Buckie’s seafront before reaching Macduff for more sea air.

Next day, after stopping at a cute roadside ‘cake shed’ run on an honesty system in the middle of nowhere, we rolled into Braemar in the Cairngorms’ heart. There, dodging showers, we walked the famous Queen’s Drive – Victoria’s – above the town. Later, lunch at cosy Farquharson’s made a delicious change from our two-pot gas stove meals.

Cairnwell Pass, and our eagle, were stunning. Two days later, we descended to Pitlochry and followed the A9 north to Newtonmore’s Invernahavon Caravan Park. We enjoyed all our sites, but this was our favourite. It was perfect for walking to the legend-imbued Centre of Scotland Stone, climbing Cruban Beag’s heather-swathed slopes and wandering along the tranquil Spey.

So much fun

Too soon, our van life adventure ended after a last night outside Inverness and we returned the van. Over a week and 300 miles, we’d tried and tested everything we could on the vehicle – and been initiated into the joys of emptying cassette loos! Best of all, after a wet week together in the van, we were still talking – mainly about how much fun we’d had!

If you fancy trying camper life, the Highlands are hard to beat, but we’d recommend booking soon. And if you see an eagle, it’ll surely be the icing on the Cairngorms van life cake!