Dad and son have fun on their campervan trip

James Jopling is dad to six-year-old Ethan. He was looking for a boys' road trip and came across Big Tree Campervans. Here he tells us about his few days of campervanning in Scotland in October.

James says: "I decided that I needed some proper male bonding with my son. So what better than a campervan trip to provide it? The thing is, my ‘outside’ holiday experiences had previously been limited to a disastrous Cub Scout camping trip aged nine so I’ve been a B&B fan ever since. But surely a campervan trip would fit the bill: Part outdoors adventure, part indoors luxury.

"Having searched on-line Big Tree Campervans stuck out as they were flexible about how long I could have a van. A full week for one untrained adult and an unruly child seemed a bit too much!

"Big Tree Campervans also made campervanning sound like fun! In response to my first email Simon was full of suggestions about where to go and where to stay on our trip.

"Following his advice I left our plans open till the day itself - which was the right thing to do as we avoided continual rain in the west and chose strong wind in the north instead.

"Following (another) good steer from Simon, we stayed the first two nights at a great site on the banks of Loch Morlich, Aviemore.

"Having never camped or ‘vanned’ before there were a few early lessons to learn:

"1) Don’t put pyjamas at the bottom of suitcases below many things you’ll never need anyway.

"2) Everything has a place – best put it back there when it’s in your hand and washed.

"3) The pieces of home-made flapjack and garden-laid eggs we got from Big Tree were very welcome.

"My first morning was highlighted by a red squirrel sighting. My last evening, by a large stag in the middle of the road. In between, the van gave us the great option of lunch wherever we fancied. As my son only eats marmalade sandwiches for lunch this worked perfectly.

"I quickly learned that whilst the autumnal splendour of the Highlands was particularly captivating, it rarely rivalled the iPod and Star Wars for my son while we were driving. But once outside, we experienced everything from the snow on the Cairngorms (thanks to the funicular railway), to the biggest tree in the world (according to my son) at the Hermitage in Dunkeld.

"Campervans are also great at making you slow down from the normal pace of life. Trips to the toilet at night become exciting torch-lit explorations. Trifles can be eaten luxuriously in bed and retrieved out of the fridge from the bed.

"Ahead of next time (and I’m pretty sure there will be one) I’ll work on manoeuvrability in smaller spaces!

"But what will stay with me more importantly are the special moments in each of the special days that I shared with my son. Neither of us will forget them."

Big Tree Campervans in the press

We're very excited by an article about us in this week's Perthshire Advertiser. Sponsor Takes Up Climbing Challenge The in-paper article also had a splendid picture alongside. We're delighted to be involved as sponsor of the Scottish Tooling Series. Climbing is a major part of our lives here at Big Tree Campervans and so is Scotland's great outdoors.

If you'd like to find out more about great outdoors places to visit in our hire vans, or even something as simple as the best campsites which are open year-round and are close to the best winter climbing areas, then please do get in touch.

Looking forward to next round of national climbing series

Anna Wells competes in the Scottish Tooling Series

We've been loving the action and atmosphere so far at this year's Scottish Tooling Series. As sponsors of the series and major prize givers we're also enjoying being an integral part of the national climbing competition.

At last weekend's round two, at Glenmore Lodge, near Aviemore, we watched in awe as some of the top climbers worked their magic on the indoor climbing walls. Defending female champion Anna Wells was also in good form.

The 20-year-old Aberdeen student won the series in 2009 and is bidding to retain her title. Anna, a mathematics undergraduate, will compete again in the third round of the nail-biting STS at Transition Extreme in Aberdeen this Saturday.

Anna, who has been climbing since she was eight, said: “I like the challenge of this indoor competition. It’s very difficult and requires a lot of mental focus and physical power. And I am still learning a lot but I would love to be the winner again this year.”

The 2010 STS comprises a series of five competitions across Scotland. Saturday is the third round in the series, and the final will be held at EICA Ratho, near Edinburgh, on November 27.

The competition has attracted climbing pros such as Kev Shields and Scott Muir.

Junior stars include Stevie Addison and Jonathan Field, who are both members of the British Junior Climbing Team.

The STS, now in its third year, tests climbers’ skills as they scale indoor climbing walls using ice axes and winter climbing boots, instead of bare hands and rock shoes.

Dry tooling is a discipline of climbing rock that is more often utilised outdoors on rock.

It has developed because there are times when climbers need to move from ice, where axes and crampons are most useful, to sections of rock face. On the rock they must be proficient at finding the right nooks, crannies and holds to make secure moves while still using the axes and crampons. And like so many winter sports, the discipline has been turned into a competition.

On Saturday Aberdeen spectators can watch the thrilling contest as climbers bid to complete a range of tough routes on the indoor walls without falling or weighting the rope.

As well as bidding for a podium position in one of three age categories for both male and female climbers, Big Tree Campervans have put up a host of great prizes. We are giving away a three-day hire of a Big Tree Campervan to the overall male and female winners in age categories 16-40 and 40+. For juniors there’s a climbing rope prize.

After Aberdeen, the series heads to the Ice factor, near Kinlochleven on November 13. Come and say Hi to us at any of the events. We'll be delighted to chat and to show you around one of our fab campervans.

Nail-biting climbing competition off to a thrilling start

The Scottish Tooling Series, sponsored by Big Tree Campervans, got off to a great start on Saturday (October 9) as the first round took place in the Glasgow Climbing Centre. More than 40 climbers and a host of spectators were thrilled by the range of competition routes set by Pete Hill.

For more experienced climbers the unique routes offered plenty of challenges, while for those who are newer to the sport of dry tooling there were routes that offered great progress and inspiration.


The six-hour contest was supported by DJs, music and the great staff at GCC. Neil Silver, the STS organiser, said: "There was a great turn out from locals and those who had driven a great distance to compete. Everyone had a brilliant time in a great competitive atmosphere. This really sets the bar high for other comps in the series."


Big Tree Campervans is delighted to be the headline sponsor for the prestigious Scottish Tooling Series, which takes place through this month and next. We are offering a number of great prizes including great campervan holidays for the final winners in each adult category.

Dry tooling is a sport that has come in from the outdoors. On rock faces in winter climbers are required to use axes and crampons to negotiate ice. On occasions they will also need to traverse areas of rock that have little ice. The art of dry tooling is learning how to move on rock with your axes. Like may outdoor disciplines the sport has moved indoors as well and the Scottish Tooling Series is where climbers can compete in relative safety and on routes that have been designed to challenge.

The results of the first round can be found on the STS website

We're looking forward to the next round at Glemore Lodge on October 23.

Fantastic Big Tree Campervan Prizes

Big Tree Campervans are delighted to be supporting 'Scottish Tooling Series 2010' - the prestigious climbing competition which combines the thrill of indoor climbing with the excitement of winter climbing with ice axes. The dates of the 5 events have been confirmed as 9th Oct (Glasgow Climbing Centre), Oct 23rd (Glenmore Lodge nr Aviemore), 30th Oct (Transition Extreme in Aberdeen), Nov 13th (The Ice Factor

in Kinlochleven), and the Grand Final on Nov 27th at the EICA in Ratho, Edinburgh.

We're aiming to get to all the events, and we'll have one of our Big Tree Campervans on show at at least three of them. We'll let you know which events these will be in the next week or so. There's loads more information about the competition on the STS Website, including a fab profile of Big Tree Campervans!

Excitingly, we've also worked closely with the guys at STS and have just announced the fantastic prizes which Big Tree Campervans will be giving away to the lucky winners. Below is an extract from the STS website.....

Big Tree Campervans give away four fabulous holiday prizes

Winter Tactics:

“The early Starts required for the normal winter day mean that convenience takes precedence over comfortable accommodation, although for longer trips the latter is also necessary. To maximise use of daylight, it is best to stay as close to the point of departure from the road!”

From Scottish Winter Climbs (SMC)

Our series winners will not have to worry about pitching the tent or how to make the front seat of the car a bit more comfortable when parked at Torlundy for the night! The Scottish Tooling Series 2010 is delighted to be able to offer a host of fantastic series prizes thanks to major sponsor Big Tree Campervans. The leading Scottish campervan hire company, based in Perthshire, is generously offering first place series prizes for all three age groups, and for both men’s and women’s categories.

For the top placed man and woman in each of the age categories 16-40 and 40+, Big Tree Campervans is giving away a three-day hire of a Big Tree Campervan. All four winners will be able to take advantage of the opportunity for a fabulous holiday in a modern and spacious campervan.

The Big Tree Campervans sleep two to four people and offer a wide range of modern luxuries, includingcentral heating, a fridge, a two-burner stove and home-from-home pans, crockery and cutlery.

Each hire prize includes unlimited mileage, full insurance for one driver, all cooking/crockery/kitchen equipment and a Welcome Pack of tea, coffee, milk, oil and eggs from the Big Tree hens.

For the younger climbers, Big Tree Campervans is also offering two great prizes. The male and female winners in the under-16 age categories will each win a high-quality Beal Ice Line 8.1mm x 50m dry rope. The Beal Ice Line dry rope is claimed to be one of best all-round ropes for Scottish winter climbing.

Terms and conditions: The three-day campervan hire prize can be taken any time between December 1^st 2010 and March 31^st 2011. Why not choose to add extra days to the hire for a longer adventure?

The prizes are not transferable, unless the winner isn’t eligible to be covered by our insurance (insurance is for drivers aged 25 to 70, and who have held a full driving licence for more than two years), in which case it will be possible to discuss transferring the prize to a friend or family member.

All the campervan hire details are on the Big Tree Campervans website.

The STS judge’s decision is final.

Big Tree Campervans - Autumn Ideas

With the ‘nights drawing in’ and the weather thinking about turning that wee bit more autumnal, it’s time to enjoy what I think really is the best season of the year. Autumn, and especially late September and October are fantastic months for classic adventures in a Big Tree Campervan.

Scotland is at its most gorgeous at this time of year, with amazing autumn colours, loads of berries, mushrooms and other wild food around... fewer people, and fewer midges as well! Add to this the superbly powerful heaters in all the Big Tree Campervans so you have a cosy base to come back to after a day’s adventure... and you can see why campervan hire in Scotland is such a fantastic idea in the autumn.

So, with school half terms looming and the chance to get away for a few a days or even a week long break, I’ve listed the first 4 of my ‘Top 8’ favourite things to do in these amazing months....

‘Hunt For Red October’.

You’ll be able to track down the most amazing autumn tree colours all over Scotland. Our favourite spots are local to us right here in Highland Perthshire - the eastern end of Loch Tummel (where the photo on the left was taken), the beech woods around Dunkeld & Birnam, and the hillsides above Aberfeldy must be three of the best spots for glorious October autumn colours. There are also lots of great places to wild camp with your campervan as well as some cool Perthshire campsites – just ask if you want us to point you in the right direction!

Autumn Hill Walks.

The heather is at its best in September, and with crisp autumn days, you can have some truly memorable days out on the hill. This photo was taken on An Groban, just above Gairloch, and it was a big big autumn adventure getting to the summit. You'll always need to be properly equipped, and bear in mind that it can get a wee bit chilly on the tops in October, but whether it's a stroll in the woods at valley level, or a bigger day out on the tops, September and October are definitely my favourite months!

Wild Food. With the right knowledge, there is so much wild food this time of year, literally ‘ripe for the picking’. The blackberries this year are amazing, but my favourite is the huge variety of mushrooms which last well into late October and mid November. Yes, you need to be very careful what you pick, but armed with a good identification book (we use Peter Jordan’s ‘Field Guide to Edible Mushrooms’), it’s easy to get to know half a dozen tasty species which you’re confident about picking. The ones in this photo are Brown Birch Boletus, Orange Birch Boletus, and Orange Peel Fungus. Back to the campervan, out with the frying pan, in with a dab of butter, and hey presto... the ultimate Big Tree Campervans mushrooms on toast!

Wild Swimming. Believe it or not the sea and most of the rivers and burns are at their warmest in autumn. They’ve had all summer to warm up, and it’s fantastic time to take the plunge. Ok, if you want to you can (like our kids) wimp out a bit and use a wetsuit, but even without it’s possible to have some memorable autumn swims.

So, chose your favourite sandy beach (for us it’s Big Sand near Gairloch), or look back a blog we did back in June on great wild swimming spots. Even if it does feel a little chilly, you can always head back to your Big Tree Campervan and simply switch the powerful heater on, and within a few minutes you’ll be toasty warm.

In the next blog I’ll share my other 4 ideas for autumn adventures.....

Big Tree Campervans Sponsors "Scottish Tooling Series 2010"

At Big Tree Campervans we're passionate about creating exciting adventures, and passionate about Scotland. So we're delighted to have teamed up with the folks at STS, and are now proud to announce that Big Tree Campervans are the series sponsors for '"Scottish Tooling Series 2010" - a superb climbing competition combining the thrill of indoor climbing with the excitement of winter climbing with ice tools.

We'll have more info over the next few days and weeks about our sponsorship of this prestigious climbing competition, including the dates of the 5 events, the fab prizes we're offering, and much more..... but right now, we just couldn't wait to tell folk all about it!

You can see more details of the STS series, plus some fab photos of Big Tree Campervans on the STS website