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.

5 campervan hotspots for family mountain biking

Glentress, near Peebles, is rated one of the

best mountain biking centres in the world

Campervans offer a great form of transport and accommodation, especially if you're looking for an active family holiday in Scotland. Here we continue our series of blogs that reveal some of the best Scottish places to go in a campervan. This blog is for mountain biking families and couples looking for easier mountain biking trails.

Scotland has a wealth of great mountain biking for all abilities. Indeed, the nation is voted as one of the world's leading mountain biking destinations. From children and novices through to experts and adrenaline-junkies there are mountain bike centres, skills areas, cross country routes and remote trails a plenty.

Anyone hiring a Big Tree Campervan can also take advantage of our sturdy bike racks. We can supply bike racks for two to four bikes for an additional cost of only £20. The racks are tow-bar mounted and make easy work of carrying all your bikes.

So where will you be heading with your mountain bikes this summer? Here we bring you five great mountain biking hotspots for families in Scotland – and suggestions for great places for parking your campervan overnight.

Five great campervan spots for mountain biking families

1) Laggan Wolftrax, Laggan, near Kingussie and Spean Bridge, Scottish Highlands

What's here?: A superb network of great trails. The fab green (easy) route offers lots of fun for children and novice bikers and at 4.8km long it can be ridden repeatedly... until you tire! The red (intermediate) route is 15km in total and well worth the pedal power. For families with adrenaline junkies there is the bonkers black route that will offer a huge challenge on natural rock. There is also a good cafe on site.

Top campervan spots: The wonderful folk who run the Wolftrax centre have been known to let the occasional campervan (rather than big motorhomes) use the car park for a quick one-nighter, especially if you buy some of their lovely soup in the cafe.

Alternatively, the minor road up the Upper Spey past Laggan and Crathes is tempting. There are a couple of good wild camping spots up this road, but care needs to be taken with regards to field access. Please remember that if in doubt always ask permission and it's vital that you treat wild camp spots with sensitivity and high regard.

There are two good campsites in nearby Newtonmore. Spey Bridge Caravan site which is lovely and quaintly old-fashioned, and the lovely Invernahavon Caravan Site, which has great views and is ideal for letting the kids run around and burn off energy.

2) Rothiemurchus, near Aviemore, Scottish Highlands

What's here?: Miles of wonderful off-road cycling roads that weave a scenic network across the beautiful estate. There's even a bike map including three fantastic family routes that can be purchased from bike shop Bothy Bikes at Rothiemurchus. If you've not brought your bikes then why not hire from Bothy Bikes?

Top campervan spots:· It's possible to very, very discreetly wild camp in the lower car park up at the Coire Cas ski area. But if you are asked not to do so then please respect this wish. Wild campervanning is wonderful where appropriate but we are keen that campervan overnighters do not get a bad name.

A great alternative is the Forest Holidays Site at Glenmore on Loch Morlich. You'll need to book ahead though for the best pitches, which are at the "bottom end" of the site on the small road. The site is located next to a beautiful sandy beach and has lovely views.

Rothiemurchus Camping & Caravan Park is also a good bet and is located closer to the vibrant outdoors town of Aviemore. You will need to book ahead for this gorgeous site, too, as it's become really popular since it was featured in the Cool Camping Guide: Scotland.

3) Glentress, near Peebles, Scottish Borders

What's here?: This is the Mecca of mountain biking centres in Scotland, the UK, Europe and arguably the world. You could spend days at this centre and never tire of the trails and parks on offer. There is even a dedicated children's skills area and an orange-graded skills park for more adventurous riders. The centre has green, blue, red and black-graded routes to suit all levels of ability. And the cakes at the cafe are legendary. Bike hire and a bike shop are also on site.

Top campervan spots: There are a few wild camping spots along the B709, north from Innerleithen towards the Moorfoot Hills. These are mostly by the side of the road, but it’s a very quiet road and a very tranquil glen. There is a wonderful bubbling burn running alongside the road.

For good campsites try Tweedside Caravan Park in Innerleithen, or Crossburn Caravan Site in Peebles, as well as Rosetta Caravan and Camping Park, also in Peebles.

4) Learnie Redrock, near Rosemarkie, Black Isle, Scottish Highlands

What's here?: There are lots of blue routes to keep families and less experienced riders happy. A short black trail and an orange-graded bike park keeps more experienced cyclists busy, too.

Bike hire is available at Square Wheels, in nearby Strathpeffer.

Top campervan spots: Wild camping is difficult on the Black Isle, and we’ve not really come across any spots to recommend but this doesn't mean there aren't any out there. You'll just need to hunt for yourself. Always ask permission to stay overnight if in doubt and please respect your environment.

The "proper" campsites in this area are well worth visiting though.There's a great campsite at Rosemarkie Bay. The Rosemarkie Camping and Caravan Site is a small but delightful site with great views out over the Moray Forth and across to Fort George. We'd also recommend a stroll along the shore to a Crofters Bistro where you'll find good food and great service.

5) Loch Ard, near Aberfoyle, Stirlingshire.

What's here?: A new entrant in this year's VisitScotland Mountain Bike Guide is Loch Ard (pick these up in local TICs). There are five routes, ranging from 2 miles to 10 miles. They are not officially graded by the Forestry Commission but they are all perfect for families, even those with young children. There are games to play en route, too, to keep your little ones happy.

Top campervan spots: There are a couple of good roadside wild camping spots along the B829 towards Loch Katrine. But please respect your surroundings and other people.

We'd recommend that you head to the fantastic Cobleland Caravan & Camping Site in Gartmore, near Aberfoyle. It's a superb site located by the river and has great facilities. Don't forget your Avon Skin So Soft, however, as the midges can be fierce here in the summer months. Big Tree Campervans can sell you this magical midge-beating moisturiser!

So have you chosen where you'll be campervanning and mountain biking this sumer?

The taste of Scotland in a campervan

Two happy Big Tree Campervan customers are Alexi and Nick. They enjoyed a fabulous trip on the west coast of Scotland. They are both keen anglers – and even keener foodies!

One taste of Scotland highlight on their Big Tree Campervan holiday was a stop-off at Kishorn Seafood Bar at Strathcarron in Wester Ross. You can see from their photograph of the seafood bar that they couldn't believe their luck. If you're looking for a fab place to dine on Scottish seafood then the Kishorn is to be recommended.

After much deliberation Alexi and Nick also chose some tasty seafood to take back to the campervan for their supper. They cooked up this delicious-looking plate of squat lobsters – and then presumably chased this down with a nice glass or two of port (see the bottle in the background!).

And who can blame them? Cooking in a Big Tree Campervan is a great choice, especially if you enjoy dining alfresco. You can choose to use the efficient double gas stove inside the van or cook on a gas BBQ outside the van (available for hire).

The Big Tree Campervans also come complete with a good range of high quality cooking utensils. It’s a home-from-home touch and we want customers to enjoy cooking in our campervans so we have kitted them out with quality cook’s knives, proper-sized pans, mashers, bashers and all the utensils you’d expect in your home drawers and cupboards.

You can see that our customers Alexi and Nick put all the cooking kit to good use – and enjoyed a magnificent, locally sourced feast in their Big Tree Campervan.

Has this whet your appetite for a campervan holiday in Scotland this summer?

Happy campervanning family

Baby Jack in a Big Tree Campervan

Of course, we're confident that most customers will fall in love with our roomy, high quality Toyota campervans but it' so lovely to find out exactly why people enjoy their Big Tree Campervan breaks in Scotland.

It's feedback like this from Richard, Marie and baby Jack that makes running a campervan hire business so rewarding.

They said: "We had a great long weekend in our Big Tree Campervan. The campervan was was amazing – so well equipped and well-designed."

Their highlights included:

* Filling up with LPG for £30

* The amazing coastline of Wester Ross and Sutherland

* The stunning mountains

* That lovely feeling when the bed is made and you’re watching the sun go down and the stars come out (you can’t see through the walls of a tent)

* Watching an owl out hunting - the camper van seemed to act as a sort of hide;

* The lovely bag of goodies in the champagne hamper.

* The feeling that the main concern of Big tree Campervans was for us to have a great time.

What will you be doing on your next Scottish holiday?

The cheaper way to enjoy your campervan holiday

Suddenly there's another very good reason to hire one of our Toyota campervans - cheaper fuel. Two of our vehicles are equipped to run on LPG Autogas, which means you can enjoy your great Big Tree Campervan adventure at half the price. With the cost of LPG now an average 64.6p, as compared to the highest ever price of £120.30 per gallon for unleaded petrol, it's easy to see how the fuel savings mount up.

There are other advantages to LPG, too. One thing, it's greener. LPG Autogas offers 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to equivalent petrol run engines, and 10% compared to diesel vehicles. LPG is also a cleaner fuel and offers approximately 20 times lower Nitrogen Oxide emissions than unleaded petrol or diesel. Our environment doesn't like Nitrogen Oxide, by the way.

Drivers find that they get slightly more miles to the gallon when using LPG as compared to ordinary petrol, which means you pay much less to drive even further.

And if you thought that LPG wasn't readily available fuel then you'll be surprised to find out that it's now widespread in Scotland. We can even provide you with a list of the places where you can buy the fuel during your campervan holiday. Filling up is a straightforward procedure, too. Rather like filling up with petrol except you find yourself paying out 50% of the cost when you reach the check-out.

Now your only concern is how to better spend the money you've saved on fuel. Might we suggest a few bottles of celebratory Champagne (to drink after you're parked up for the night)? Or an extra night's campervan hire? Or why not simply leave the unused cash in your bank account for your next, aherm, cheaper campervan holiday?

And just so you know: if you want to switch back to petrol then our two campervans have the advantage of being converted to run on both LPG and petrol. So where do you plan to head for your cheaper campervan holiday? To find out more check out Big Tree Campervans at Bankfoot, near Perth, Scotland

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?