5 British Novels set in 5 British Camping Destinations

Rugged & remote coastal adventure in “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf

Set in the rugged and remote Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920, “To the Lighthouse” by Virginia Woolf, is a modernist masterpiece exploring deep-seeded ideas on perception and memory, as well as exploring complex human relationships. The conceptual premise combined with the stunning setting of the Isle of Skye combines to create a thought-provoking, sometimes emotional masterpiece, as recognized by “The Modern Library” who voted “To the Lighthouse” the 15th best work written this century. Journey to the rugged corner of Scotland, just like the Ramsay family, and use your roadsurfer camper, utilizing the Isle of Sykes’ long summer days, to explore the picturesque North Atlantic coastline, windswept mountains, and Mesolithic history. While on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, you can overnight at the conveniently located Kinloch Campsite. Here you can easily access the most stunning hiking trails, beaches, historical monuments, and the harbour.

To end your Isle of Skye Camper adventure you can journey to the Neist Point Lighthouse, either by boat or on foot, just as the characters in “To the Lighthouse” end their internal and external adventure.

Pick up your roadsurfer camper at our Edinburgh station (opening end of May), then slowly make your way north through Aberdeen, Inverness & Cairngorms National Park for the scenic route to the Isle of Skye.

Cliché England with ”Wuthering Heights” by Emily Brontë

This English classic, which explores intricate and complicated social and family structures of mid-19th Century England, as well as themes surrounding the destructiveness of never developing love and the futility of revenge, is set in The West Yorkshire Moors. There are a couple of pivotal locations east of Manchester, which are all stunningly secluded and beautiful. The inspiration for Emily Brontë’s main location in the book, Thrushcross Grange, is Top Withins, where you find an abundance of Hiking and Mountain Bike trails, as well as a broad selection of “Wuthering Heights” themed tourist attractions. Some highlights definitely worth hiking, biking, or driving to are Bronte Waterfall, Ponden Kirk (aka. Fairy Cave), Hardcastle Crags & the Healey Stone Circle. The entire West Yorkshire Moors region is an intricate web of streams, rivers, and lakes juxtaposed with gently rolling, lush green hills famous for its endless supply of Heather. The area has been classified as a National Park since 1949.

The Ponden Mill, Holme Valley Camping & Hooton Lodge Farm are 3 great camping grounds that all allow roadsurfer sized motorhomes to overnight and all provide the perfect base to explore the highlights of “Wuthering Heights”. Pick up your Camper from our London station (opening end of May), then make your way northwest through Oxford, Birmingham, the Snowdonia National Park, and Liverpool before arriving at The West Yorkshire Moors. Step back in time and experience the classic English countryside the way we all envisage it in our minds.

City Camping holiday with ”Oliver Twist” by Charles Dickens

This classic is one of the first social protest fiction novels of its kind, and one of Dickens’s most famous works. The book tells the story of an orphan, called Oliver Twist, who is sold as an undertakers apprentice. Eventually, Oliver gets involved in a life of pickpocketing and crime. The book discusses issues of poverty and social injustice and uses clear symbolism throughout. Predominantly set in London, Dickens clearly describes many locations still visible today, almost 200 years later.

There are 93 actual locations specifically mentioned in the book that you can visit while exploring London with your roadsurfer camper. These include Herbal Hill, the former police court in Hatton Garden, and Bethnal Green. You can also take a dedicated “Oliver Twist” tour with Dickens London Tours.

Exploring the classic side of London is a great way to start or end your UK roadsurfer adventure. Reading Oliver Twist prior to your visit to modern London will open your eyes to how much humanity has developed in the last 200 years, while clearly showing you where we came from.

A murder mystery with “Sherlock Holmes: Hound of the Baskervilles” by Sir Arthur Conan

The third and arguably the best, of what would become Sir Arthur Conans most famous book series, Sherlock Holmes, is a story of mystery, murder, and diabolical hounds, all set in Dartmoor on the southern peninsula of England. The book follows Sherlock Holmes and his trusted sidekick Dr. Watson as they solve the mystery of the murder of Sir Charles Baskerville, who was found dead with an expression of horror still on his face and giant paw prints leaving the murder scene. The setting, Dartmoor, is an ecological treasure with rolling, boulder topped hills that are intertwined with an array of waterways. The entire national park is also bordered on 3 of its 4 sides by the ocean. A selection of important locations both for the book, and the park, are Hound Tor, an ancient outcrop of boulders that remain from a medieval village, the Baskerville Hall & the Holy Trinity Church on the edge of the park.

When looking for a place to rest, the River Dart Camp Ground is the ideal location for those looking for slightly more action, and Dartmoor Caravan Park for those looking to set up camp right in the heart of the park. To make your way to Dartmoor we recommend picking up your camper in London, then making your way down the southern coast through Brighton, Southampton, and Bournemouth. After your time in Dartmoor, you can continue south to explore the picturesque coastline around St. Ives & Newquay where you find golden sand beaches, great surf, and a relaxed beach vibe.

Childhood adventure in “Swallows and Amazons” by Arthur Ransome

“Swallows and Amazon” is a wholehearted adventure tale that follows the Walker and Blackett children as they spend their summer holidays sailing, hunting, fishing, and exploring the Lake District during their summer holidays. Eventually, the two families team up to start a campaign against their uncle referred to as Captain Flint.

The book is entirely set in the lake district, which is a UNESCO Heritage site, famous for its combination of lakes, mountains, and forests. Locations of interest for the book are places like Peel Island, Windermere & Oxenholme station. When you are not retracing the steps of the “Swallows and Amazon” clan, you can explore extremely impressive locations like Tarn Hows Dam, Grasmere Village, and Hardknott Fort. With endless hiking and mountain bike trails combined with numerous lakes and rivers to satisfy all your water activity needs, you don’t need to spend time anywhere else during your UK roadsurfer camping adventure.

The best places to stay in the Lake District are Cove Park & the Quiet Site, both are set near Lake Ullswater and have not only stunning lake views but are also perfectly located to explore the entire district. As the Lake District is right between Edinburgh and London, you can choose either station as your preferred pick-up location, then take your roadsurfer campervan on a relaxed road trip through the UK countryside.

Literature not only tells stories of people, but also places, and solidifying a connection between an authors’ interpretation of a location to your own interpretation of that same location gives you deep insights into how the author felt during the writing process.

Explore these literary locations