Get an exclusive Surfshark deal! Enter promo code RUTHAISLING for an extra 3 months free at https://surfshark.deals/RUTHAISLING
Let’s travel together to Scotland’s highest village. To many people’s surprise, Scotland’s highest village is NOT located in the Scottish Highlands. Located in southern Scotland in an area called Dumfries and Galloway, this part of Scotland is often overlooked as visitors make their way to more well-known places like Edinburgh or the Isle of Skye.
There are many things to do in Dumfries and Galloway in the Scottish lowlands, it’s home to the Southern Upland Way and the towns of Wanlockhead and Leadhills, Scotlands highest and second highest villages. I hope this travel guide video will inspire you pay south west Scotland a visit sometime.
Buy a reliable campervan with my FREE comprehensive checklist:
▶ Download now: https://bit.ly/campervan-checklist
ABOUT ME:
I’m Ruth and I just bought a campervan to travel my home country of Scotland. I moved overseas after university in 2011 and I’ve hardly seen anything or been anywhere in my home country Scotland and I’ve never even visited places like the Scottish Highlands, the Isle of Skye or the NC500.
I am a huge fan of campervan travel and alternative living and while living in Japan, my partner and I converted both a van and a bus into campervans. We explored Japan extensively, sharing our adventures on our two Japanese language YouTube channels. I’ve spent over 600 nights living in vans, it’s my favourite way to travel due to the incredible freedom, adventure and the affordability.
My campervan is a 2001 Toyota Hiace high roof van. It was originally used by the Royal Mail and then purchased by the previous owner and self-converted into a DIY campervan. Although the van is already converted, in order for it to be an off-grid living van, it requires some campervan DIY, especially when it comes to electrics and plumbing.
On this channel, I’ll be sharing more about this van, any DIY I do, and most importantly sharing my road trip adventures as I finally get to travel my beautiful home country of…. SCOTLAND!
FOLLOW ME:
▶ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/ruthaisling
▶ FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ruthaisling
▶ TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@ruthaisling
35 Comments
Thank you for sharing your wonderful adventures with us. Stay safe and take care.
My mother was a 'Doonhamer' so I recognise parts of your video from childhood excursions in the 50s and 60s. Curious to know how you intend to heat your van when it gets colder. Love the videos.
Ruth, I have mixed views on you extoling the virtues of D&G. I can slip across the border from the over crowded Lake District and have a day on the hills of D&G and meet no one all day. On the other hand if I were the tourist office in D&G I would be delighted in getting people to the area. However I think it will be some time before the Devil's Bowling green is over ran by visitors.
A drive to Tomintoul would make an interesting video and it fairly high too 1164 ft.
In Texas, we call them “cattle guards.” We also have large areas where there are no fences and the cattle roam. Most areas, however, are fenced.
Many Thanks,,, I was Born in Leadhills in 1941. I have lived in Dumfries now for 79 years .. My Grandfather worked in the mines and also on the railway .. all vegetables are polluted by lead as Lead smelting was done outside for well over 200 years. no one was told about it until 1960's when a survey was done it showed lead pollution 116% above maximum level ..
Enjoy your videos hope this doesn't mean the beginning of the end of your channel, since you've been to the highest village, I guess the only way to go is down 😂
Fascinating ❤. Often driven past the area but never visited. I must change that!! Thanks 🙏
I come from Australia & because there’s a huge amount where there is either no or minimal population some of the farms/stations are thousands of kilometres in or hundreds of thousands kilometres in size & a way to keep the animals in are via 4:29 cattle grids.
Great video Ruth, the scenery down there is fantastic, I was in Moffat at the weekend then up to St.Mary's loch. Thanks for the comprehensive content, I must get down there for a wee trip on the train.
Beavertown make some great beers 😎
I can't believe it's the same time.
July 30th jp
Thanks for highlighting this often overlooked area! I spend a lot of time working in south west Scotland and my time there has inspired me to try walking the SUW – when I can get enough time off!
ワンロック行くまでの道のり、樹木が育たない不思議な景色と🐑羊まるで絵はがき、絶対行く価値ありますね✨動画配信満喫しました👏👏👏👍
めっちゃ美しい景色ですね～。
I think we are following you around Ruth! We were at Muckleflugga recently, as were you, and next week we go to Dumfries and Galloway for 8 days, so will pay a visit to Scotlands highest village. Great minds think alike, eh? 😂😂
My mum had some friends who moved to Leadhills in the 90's to open up a cafe.. a good number of weekends were spent up there & in Wanlockhead.
It looks beautiful. Scotland is such an amazing country to visit. I've been several times and have enjoyed it every time.
スコットランドの素晴らしい景色をありがとうございます!
わたしの住むイタリアも夏になると放牧されたヒツジやウシが道を歩いたりしますが、こういうgridは見たことないです。なるほど、これならヒツジもウシも通れませんね。😁
We have cattle grids in Western Canada, where they are signposted as 'Texas gates'. I wonder what they are called in Texas? 'Canada gates' perhaps? 🇨🇦
Everytime you said, “Scotland’s Highest village” I took a shot. Thanks.
Do you guys have Walmart, Starbucks or any other of America's huge business chains? Just curious?
We have "white castles" does that count? heehee jk that's a fast food restaurant. lol
北海道に似ているｗ
I am Japanese. but I have been Glasgow and Edinburgh.. quite many times.. やはり綺麗ですね〜ハイランド地方
Apparently it’s Scotland’s highest village. You should have mentioned it. 😉
こんにちは！
ルース！料理🍳も出さないと！
Cattle grids exist in Sweden (called "färist") but I can't recall ever driving over one on a public road. Hiking trails and bike paths have them though and maybe some farmers have them on their private roads/tractor trails.
✨🎶😄 🐑🏰🏰🐑 😃🎶✨
You should be working for a major company like the Discovery channel. You make very informative interesting documentaries. This was great. Why didn't you video yourself petting the sheep? They won't hurt you. It would have been nice. thanks again. 🥰🥰
Hi Ruth, we have been watching quite a few of your YouTube videos lately and all of them are thoroughly enjoyable. You commented if anyone has undertaken the Southern Upland Way walk! A friend and I completed it in two stages, breaking it in Moffat. We didn't camp and walked from Portpatrick from accommodation to accommodation. I am more than happy to share the experience of the planning etc and everything else about the adventure. He hardly met anyone else on the walk (less than 10 people) and have still not met anyone else that has done it!! following this walk we did the Speyside way (including Tomintoul and Dufftown spurs) and Offer's Dyke. I am as I type this planning the Pennine way walk for this September/October.
Also the highest golf course in Scotland!
Amazing! This area of Scotland, around Wanlockhead & Leadhills, is one of the most lush, green & beautiful areas of Scotland I have ever seen.The landscape there reminds me a bit of Ireland! It is truly lovely! It also has a very interesting history there! Fascinating! Also, it was so cute seeing sheep just walking down the middle of the road in the Village as well! LOL.Only in Scotland!! The Village of Leadhills, with its cute wee train, is also lovely! The old Cemetery is very intriguing, especially containing the grave of John Taylor, living to the age of 137 years! Wow! I have never heard of anyone living to that ripe old age! He sure must have eaten a lot of porridge! LOL. Incredible! Lastly, the wee Pub at Wanlockhead was so charming & the food looked really delicious there! Aye lassie! Thank you for sharing another delightful Scottish adventure!
Hi ruth ….from cumbria mate an i on motorcycles did route you took may 2022….without doubt my favourite shetland we did skaw most northerly east👌👌 at the time they had started to do the foundations for the new spaceport..we island hopped to orkney then scrabster thanking we had mostly good weather… we actually stayed in BRAE…but the chippy was closed…😣atb dave 👍👍
Soz ruth my comment for shetland came up on this vid 😂….ps wanlock is one of our favourite motorcycle runs being fairly local…cheers dave