‘I’m living in a van in Scotland for a month – here’s how I spend my money’
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I work fully-remotely doing freelance search engine optimisation (SEO). I am based in Bristol but I have a small, self-converted van that I can use for extended trips away.
I’ve only recently gone freelance and fully remote, so I decided to seize the freedom and base myself in Scotland for a month. Most of my van trips tend to revolve around hiking, running and camping. What I look for in a holiday is for it to be cheap and primarily spent outdoors.
The van is old – I bought it for ￡3,000 from a dealer who got it straight from Royal Mail. It came covered in postage stickers on the inside, and I still find elastic bands in every crevice.
I gutted the van, made a vague attempt at insulating it and built a bed into it. Safe to say, it’s very rough and ready, but suits me and is perfect for short trips away.
Inside the van I have a Jetboil, which is a compact highly efficient stove that I primarily use to boil water. It’s not a cheap piece of kit (￡80), but something that I get a huge amount of use out of and I can easily put it in my backpack if I’m going camping.
I also have a classic camping stove (￡25 from Halfords) for cooking slightly more exciting meals.
Despite being freelance, my work is largely five days a week, Monday to Friday. So while in Scotland I worked in the van or in cafes. I took a week off to explore the Cairngorms National Park.
I live in the van most of the time and just book hostels when I need to shower and do laundry.
Vital Statistics
Age: 28
Salary: ￡45,000
Van: ￡3,000
Fuel: ￡60 a week
Accommodation: ￡50 (during the week in question)
Day 1
I wake up in the van on the Isle of Skye. I’d been based on the island working, but I am now heading to the Cairngorms for a week of running and hiking.
I boiled some water and had instant porridge and a hot chocolate for breakfast, while admiring the view out to sea.
As I’m leaving Skye today, I swing by Uig Pottery and buy a beautiful handmade mug, which is painted to resemble the landscape (￡22). I’m not a huge souvenir buyer typically on trips, but if I come across something unique then it is nice to have something to remember the holiday.
I filled the van up with diesel (￡60) which should see me through the week in the Cairngorms, before a four-hour drive over to Aviemore.
The journey flew by as I was listening to the Lord of the Rings audiobooks, read by Andy Serkis – which I highly recommend.
I parked just down the road from Aviemore, by Loch Morlich, which has a stunning view across the water to the Cairngorm mountains. I boiled water for a classic bit of dehydrated camping food for dinner, then I sat by the lake until it went dark before deciding to cosy up in the van for the night.
Total: ￡82
Day 2
I start the day with breakfast by the lake. Luckily, I have come to the Cairngorms in a week where the weather is largely forecast to be dry.
The holiday hasn’t quite begun in earnest as I need to do a few hours of work, so I drive to Aviemore to find a café. I sit down in Ryvoan Café to jump on a call and do a few hours of work, before I order eggs benedict and a lemonade for lunch (￡14.90).
Work is done, and the holiday can truly begin. It’s time to head out into the forest, but first I stop at Tesco to stock up on supplies for the next few days (￡24.39).
I drive back out of the town and park up in the same free car park by Loch Morlich. From there I head out into Glenmore forest for a nice long trail run.
I follow a relatively flat track which takes me past Ryvoan Bothy and into Abernethy National Nature Reserve. I’m not following a map or trying to get anywhere, just enjoying being out in this stunning woodland. I’m out for three hours and don’t meet a soul.
As I get back to the van it is just starting to get dark, so I opt for a very quick dinner of couscous, mixed with canned tuna and sundried tomatoes. Then I get warm with my book and a hot chocolate for another night by the lake.
Total: ￡39.29
Day 3
The pitter-patter of rain on the van roof wakes me up, so I’m in no rush to get up.
After sleeping in, I sit inside the van with the doors open for breakfast. This way, I can watch the ducks go about their morning bathing rituals.
My legs are a bit stiff from yesterday’s run (note to self: must start stretching) and I’ve got a couple of big loops planned in the coming days, so I take a look at the map and decide to go for a leisurely stroll around Loch Garten.
I stop by The Barn at Rothiemurchus to browse their shop which is filled with local goods. Lots of Scottish gins, handmade ceramics and amusing cards. Also an excellent selection of books, if you enjoy reading about trees (as I do).
I manage not to buy anything but then the cake counter in the café catches my eye on the way out. One millionaire shortbread (￡3.75) later and I’m back en route.
It’s a lovely afternoon ramble around Loch Garten. A bit wet and drizzly but certainly not enough to dampen the spirits.
Then it’s time for my big project of the day – attempting to make a pizza, in a van, on a camping stove. My Tesco shop at the beginning of the week included a pizza dough kit that just requires you to add water. I was inspired by some fellow campers I’d seen who made one on a camping stove.
I prepare myself a nice little pizza topped with mozzarella, sun dried tomatoes and salami. I pop it on the stove in a frying pan with a lid on and cross my fingers.
About five minutes later, I have a perfectly cooked freshly made pizza, nice crispy base and all! That’s one to add to the van cookbook.
The Loch Garten car park was quiet and even had a little blackboard sign assuring me that campervans were welcome as long as there weren’t too many. Seeing as I was the only one, I parked up there for the night.
Total: ￡3.75
Day 4
With the legs suitably rested, I made plans for a long trail run up into the Cairngorm mountains.
After a breakfast of porridge, I make myself some cheese sandwiches for lunch as I will be out for most of the day. I stuff them into my running vest along with some Squares bars and a bag of Haribos, for extra sugar.
The run is epic. I head up to the Lairig Ghru, one of the best known mountain passes in Scotland.
Leaving behind the sunny woods, I soon find myself on snowy trails surrounded by mountains. This is what I came to Scotland for.
Back at the van after a day spent out in the hills, I decide that it is definitely time I had a shower.
After a quick Google, I book two nights in Ballater Hostel in the east of the Cairngorms National Park (￡50 for two nights). I grab a Tikka Masala ready-meal and a beer from the Co-op by the hostel (￡6.10) and manage some polite conversation with my fellow hostel guests before collapsing into bed.
Total: ￡56.10
Day 5
Over breakfast in the hostel (I am still working through the porridge supplies purchased at the beginning of the week), I get chatting to a fellow guest who is a conservationist and filmmaker.
He has just finished a film called The Bough Breaks, which is about conservation and rewilding in Scotland. I buy a ticket for his film screening which is taking place that evening down the road in Braemar (￡5).
I’ve planned another day out in the hills and plotted a 30km loop in Glenfeshie that has a mix of mountain, moorland, and forest. With more cheese sandwiches and the rest of yesterday’s Tangfastics, I head out.
About five hours into my hike, I am debating how to navigate a large river crossing when I notice three middle-aged guys with bikes on the other side.
They shout over to say they’ve just crossed and it goes just over knee height so I should be fine, but they’ll stay to make sure I get across. I thank them when I make it to their side of the river, and they are then very interested in how I’ve come to be in such a remote area on foot.
I show them my route on my phone and one replies with: “Can you read a map? You need old-school mountain skills to be out here on your own.” I assure him that I have adequate mountain skills.
I have a quick dinner at the hostel, with ingredients purchased from Co-op (￡7.05). The film screening is brilliant and also a great opportunity to meet some locals and fellow hikers.
Total: ￡12.05
Day 6
As I’m on holiday, I treat myself to pastries from the local bakery for breakfast (￡6.42).
The plan for the day is a hike in the hills around Balmoral estate, but first I drive back to Braemar. I wander around for an hour or so and pop into a small shop that sells local Scottish goods.
The apt thing to take back to England from a long stint in Scotland would be whisky but I can’t stand the stuff, so leave with a bottle of gin made in the Highlands (￡38.99).
Then on to Balmoral, where overnight parking is an eye watering ￡10. They say that the Royal Family brings the UK so much money from tourism… Well I am now, begrudgingly, one of those tourists.
I pack a large hiking backpack as I am staying out in a bothy overnight. The hike around Lochnagar is magnificent and I get to the bothy around 5pm.
Bothies are simple shelters found in wild and remote places. They are open, free to use and provide shelter to those who need them. Some are very basic, but this one had a wood burning stove, table and chairs and wooden bunks on which you can lay out roll mats and sleeping bags.
I am joined shortly after by three Scottish guys. We get the fire going and play card games into the early hours.
Total: ￡55.41
Day 7
I slept soundly in the bothy and wake with the daylight. I walk down to the river to get water for the stove for breakfast.
You guessed it… hot chocolate and porridge.
After six beautiful days in Scotland where the weather has largely stayed dry, it has finally broken. A low mist covers the surrounding hill tops and the rain is setting in for the day. I don my waterproofs and hike the 6km back to the van.
I’m driving down to Edinburgh to where my sister lives as I’ll be based at her flat for the next few days.
I grab a Coke from Co-op (￡1.05) to boost my energy levels. The drive is smooth and uneventful and I get to Edinburgh by late afternoon.
That evening we head to the pub next door for a pub quiz. I get a round (￡16) for my sister and her housemates as a thank you for having me to stay.
The pub quiz is good fun and we win the enthusiasm prize, which is a packet of Jammie Dodgers.
My sister cooks everyone a delicious dinner and we share the Jammie Dodgers as dessert. I head to bed feeling rested, despite an activity-packed week. Back to work tomorrow.
Total spend: ￡17.05
Weekly Total: ￡265.65
As told to Madeleine Ross.
