There’s a very simple rule of thumb for finding the most stunning scenery in the UK - you either go to the bottom or go to the top. Having grown up in a family of displaced Cornishmen, I’ve always argued that if the weather is right (big if, sure), then there aren’t many places more spectacular than the rollercoaster clifftops of the north coast of Cornwall. That being said, I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that the west coast of Scotland might just run them close…

I’ve had a trip to the Highlands on my travel hit-list for years, but have always been a bit put off by the prospect of planning the itinerary. Driving holidays often promise a week of freedom - the open road, full of possibility - but when you’re working to a very rigid plan involving long distances and pre-booked B&Bs that lock their doors at 9pm sharp, that freedom can feel like a bit of an illusion. Unless of course… you can sleep in your vehicle.

Enter Wingbeat Escapes, a travel company offering you the chance to go off-grid in truly luxurious fashion thanks to their fleet of extremely ritzy campervans. If you’ve never really fancied the idea of bedding down in the back of a van, prepare to have your expectations exploded, because Wingbeat’s vehicles are on another level of comfort. 

We’re talking parquet flooring, a hot shower, genuinely toasty central heating and a double bed that was arguably more comfortable than my memory foam mattress at home. There’s a galley kitchen with gas hobs, a snug little dining table to eat at, a chemical toilet (not that luxurious, but hey, very useful)… believe me when I say it couldn’t be much more cosy.

Better than all that, however, is the flexibility your mobile home offers you. Thanks to Scotland’s Right To Roam laws, most of the countryside is free for anybody to access, and so long as you’re fairly sensible (i.e. don’t set up shop immediately in front of somebody’s lakeside cottage), you can settle down for the night wherever you can find a van-spaced spot to park in. Choose carefully and you could end up with your very own sweeping vista, with only the sheep and the stars for company.

There are multiple ways to start your journey - if you’re coming to Scotland by car, you can drive straight to Wingbeat HQ in a scenic part of the Southern Uplands that’s within striking distance of both Edinburgh and Glasgow. Not having a car of our own, we decided to take the train from London to Edinburgh (opt for Lumo if you can - the cheapest and quickest option from King’s Cross, with one-way tickets starting at a bargain £35.90 per person), and pick up the van the following day.

Wingbeat offer a drop-off and collection service to Edinburgh for a fee, so if you’re vehicle-free, this is definitely the most painless way to do things. If you’re looking for an overnight base, W Edinburgh has now opened just around the corner from Waverley station, and it’s an absolute stunner, with views over the Castle, Arthur’s Seat and the hills beyond. Rooms are as plush and well-equipped as you’d expect, and there’s even a Sushisamba perched on one of the upper floors (again, the views are absurdly good) so you can fully indulge before heading off for a few days in the wild.

We did exactly that, picking up the van from a shopping centre on the outskirts of town before hitting the road and heading north. Taking a seven-metre-long van straight out onto the motorway might seem daunting, but it’s actually a more intuitive way of getting to grips with the vehicle than trying to navigate your way out of the city centre, and it’s surprising how quickly you attune to driving something the size of a small bus. Better still, it only takes an hour or so before the scenery starts to change and the driving becomes steadily more cinematic.

That’s literally the case when you pass through Glen Etive, best known as the site of James Bond’s ancestral home in Skyfall, whose towering hillsides loom up from either side of the tarmac. Head from there to the beautifully sleepy town of Port Appin, where you’ll find stunning views of the neighbouring isle of Lismore as well as one of the region’s best restaurants in the form of the Pierhouse Hotel. As you’d expect, seafood is the main draw here, much of it coming straight from the surrounding lochs, alongside deer hunted on an island you can see from the dining room. They also serve hand-cut chips as good as any I’ve eaten in my entire life. I do not say that lightly, so whatever else you put on your agenda, a table here is a must.

We spent the night at Creagan Station Tourers, a nearby campsite overlooking the water, before making our way up to Skye the following morning. This is when the majesty of Western Scotland really hits you square in the face. Pretty much anywhere you stay on Skye is going to be achingly beautiful, and there are any number of wild camping spots to aim for (park4night is a great way of finding these) if you want to break free from the more organised sites. We headed to Torrin, parking up on the edge of Loch Slapin where we basically had the place to ourselves, bar a few curious cows who came nosing past to see what we were up to. It’s just about the dreamiest spot imaginable, with an easily-scaled hillside offering striking views across the loch, and wild swimming for those hardy enough to brave the water at Torrin pools. 

When we woke the next morning, ours was the only van anywhere in sight, and it’s that kind of solitude that makes this such an appealing way of exploring the region. If you find somewhere you like, you can stay there for the whole trip. If it suddenly becomes crowded, no problem - just drive another ten minutes down the road and you’re in peace and quiet once more.

On our final day, we picked up a pair of lobster rolls from The Shellfish Shack in Harrapool (hard recommend), and pulled over in a rest spot on the edge of the excellently-named Loch Lochy to eat them. If we didn’t have to get the van back to Edinburgh, we could easily have spent the night there, enjoying the view, watching the wildlife come and go. It’s the constant temptation to scrap the itinerary which sums up why this kind of getaway is so great. When the van is as comfortable as this one, and even a layby on the side of a motorway is this gorgeous, you know you can’t go far wrong.

Wingbeat Escapes campervan rental costs £210 a night, with a 10% concession available for stays of six nights or more. Pick up and drop-off from Edinburgh costs an additional £150. Find out more and book your trip here.

Rooms at W Edinburgh start from £299 per night - find out more about the hotel’s Hogmanay celebrations here.

Lumo runs trains from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley starting at £35.90 one way. Book fee-free, without credit card charges here.