There's so much more to the great outdoors

Scotland's awesome outdoors
Pic © Angus Clyne

We’re shocked by a new survey that has revealed that more than half of Britons have not tried an outdoor activity due to a "lack of opportunity", while a third claim to be “too scared” to try. The research was carried out on behalf of Go Outdoors and also found that Londoners are most likely not to want to leave the comfort of their homes for an outdoors adventure.

A closer look at particular outdoor activities shows that half of those asked in the poll have never been on a horse and around four in 10 have never swum in natural waters.

But as many health experts extol, getting outdoors is good for our physical and mental well-being so it seems a huge shame that so many people are missing out on a great outdoors adventure.

We reckon that lots of people are put off outdoors pursuits because they fear wet, mud and general discomfort. Of course, some outdoors activities do require participants to get a little wet but that’s usually while wearing a wetsuit and careering crazily down an awesome white water river or canyon. (What? You haven’t tried white water rafting or canyoning in Scotland yet? You don’t know what you’re missing!)

But there are also a host of other activities that are fun and outdoorsy yet not in the least bit OTT. Especially in Scotland.
• There’s cycling on a huge network of quiet roads and traffic-free cycle ways.
• Gorgeous walks along lochsides and river banks.
• Open canoeing in sheltered waters, both on picturesque lochs and at the coast.
• Archery sessions at places such a magnificently scenic Glencoe.
• Land Rover wildlife safaris.

And no-one said you need to sleep rough to enjoy an outdoors break. Not everyone likes camping so why not book your accommodation to suit your comfort desires? Plenty of B&Bs and hotels welcome walkers, cyclists and all kinds of outdoorsy-type folk. Even better still - and we would say this, eh? - is a campervan!

In a campervan you can overnight pretty much where you want. You can enjoy the best of the outdoors, including scenery and nature, but from the warmth and comfort of a heated van. Check out our fabbie hire campervans at Big Tree Campervans.

What are you waiting for? It’s time to up the statistics of this recent report.

Why not just stay in the UK instead?

Swap the potential threat of this....

... for a guaranteed above-expectations scenic holiday in Scotland.

Oh my! Yet more stikes at UK airports could be on the horizon as the union Unite decides later today whether to go on strike. Unite has more than 6,000 workers at all BAA-owned aiports, including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and strike action could well spell more flights' misery for UK holidaymakers.

We're not saying that the workers do not have good cause to strike (it's over pay and conditions) but it does mean that easy-going flying around the UK and overseas could be in jeopardy again.
This comes after the Icelandic ash hell - and other strikes at airports over the year.

But what we are saying is that many more Brits will no doubt be looking to avoid any airport/flights hassle and might well be more favourable towards a stay-in-the-UK holiday. At Big Tree Campervans we have definitely seen a huge increase in the staycationers and our bookings are doing extremely well. We offer to pick customers up at train stations, too, so you can arrive in Scotland by rail at your convenience.

The thing is, too, that so many of our customers our telling us how much they are enjoying their holidays in Scotland. In our opinion it is great to see the tide turning towards UK holidays as opposed to the decades of holidaymakers vanishing overseas.

British holidaymaking is great for our economy and much better for the environment. If you haven't discovered the merits of a Scottish holiday yet then you'll have no idea what you're missing. Why not book one of our gorgeously comfortable campervans and set off for a great adventure? We are sure you'll come back time and again.

Why worry about the weather this spring?

Spring snow? Sometimes it happens!

Okay so we’re all hoping for a warm spring and a toasty summer this year ­– but in reality our dreams aren’t always realised in Scotland. In a Big Tree Campervan holidaymakers do not need to worry about the weather, however.

All our hi-tech Toyota campervans have been kitted out to offer the best comfort for holidaymakers – and this includes top-end heaters. The high quality German Webasto Air-Top hot air blow heaters provide as much or as little heat as you require.

Holidaymakers can also stay warm whether they are on the move or overnighting. What makes our campervans even smarter is that they work directly from the carburetor, rather than taking all the power from the leisure battery. This is key to your happy holiday if you plan to stay put for more than a few days.

As one of our customers said: “In Scotland, even in spring or summer, you have to expect some colder weather. But we were amazed just how little this affected our holiday. When we felt a bit chilly outdoors we simply got in the van, turned up the heat and relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. This just wouldn’t happen on a camping holiday!”

To find out more about Big Tree Campervans why not give us a cal for a chat – or pop in to take a look around the vans. You’ll be surprised at the attention to detail, including the heating, layout, facilities and comfort.

Don't miss our flexible campervan deals

One of the great benefits of a campervan holiday is convenience. Campervans offer a great holidaying package as both the transport and accommodation are taken care of in one comfortable and flexible vehicle.

It’s no wonder then that campervan hire is becoming an increasingly popular choice for shorter or weekend breaks in Scotland. Holidaymakers can forget the hassle of having to put up a tent for a shorter period and, indeed, the higher price of booking into a hotel. There is no need to worry about the weather, either, and with only a few days in which to enjoy your holiday you’ll relish the lack of time wasting offered by your ready-for-action vehicle.

With a campervan, a weekend break is oh-so-simple. Just pick up the van as you head north or south, drive off, head to an overnight spot, eat and sleep – and then wake up the next morning to plan your next day and night of adventure.

Now Big tree Campervans is making your shorter break even easier to book. During May and June, holidaymakers can take advantage of a “no minimum seven-day hire period” with us. This means you can book a short break, or a 10-day break, during early summer. Choose the holiday that is most convenient for you.

With two long weekend Bank Holidays in May there is likely to be a high demand for our fabulous campervans so we are advising early booking. Now you can choose the campervan adventure that best suits you.

The rise and rise of campervan holidays

So. How to start our shiny new blog? Well, we reckon the continued strengthening of holidaying at home in the UK – and, as a result, the growth in bookings for leisure and travel-based companies – is a great place to begin. Of course it is!

The latest on the industry news front is that campervan breaks are on the increase, on-trend and budget-friendly. Many UK campervan hire companies have revealed a greater demand from holidaymakers. Reports show that bookings increased last year thanks in part to the “staycation” trend – and this year with a continued growth in the holiday-at-home market it’s predicted that campervan breaks will be hot news.

Photo courtesy of Angus Clyne

Already the first quarter of this year has seen an increase in campervan hire across Britain. A rise in the number of campervan rentals in March also marks an earlier start to the holiday season in 2010 and most hire companies. Many companies are reporting stronger bookings for Easter and summer 2010 than ever before. It’s apparent that people are people are keen to secure their campervan holiday sooner rather than later.

But perhaps this increased demand is not so surprising when you think about the benefits of campervanning. For many holidaymakers, and especially families, a campervan break is the ideal, budget-friendly choice especially in economically uncertain times.

Campervans also offer flexibility in terms of destinations and duration of holiday (from an overnight to many weeks at a time). In a campervan it’s possible to move to a new overnight spot every day, or set up camp for a longer period, and all according to desires and the weather.

Added to this campervanning has becoming an increasingly “cool” holiday choice. It’s enough to witness the greater number of campervans on our roads – but a peek at most campsites will show the large numbers of pitches now taken by campervans.

So if you’re thinking about booking an on-trend campervan holiday this year, our advice is to enquire early. In any case, many hire companies are offering a range of great deals and incentives. Where will your campervan adventure take you next?