The big one: France to the Scottish Highlands in a car-camping Tesla. Eurotunnel under the Channel, three overnight charging stops down the length of Britain, driving on the left, and then genuinely legal wild camping under some of the most dramatic mountains in Europe.
Glencoe is the Highlands everyone pictures: a steep-sided glen carved by ice, the A82 threading beneath the jagged ridge of the Three Sisters and the pyramid of Buachaille Etive Mòr, waterfalls dropping straight into the road-side verges. It's also a real historical site — the Massacre of Glencoe happened here on 13 February 1692, when soldiers of the Earl of Argyll's regiment, billeted with the MacDonald clan for nearly two weeks under the laws of hospitality, turned on their hosts at dawn on government orders, killing around 38 people (more died later of exposure fleeing into the snow). The story is genuinely part of why the glen feels heavy even on a sunny day, and the visitor centre covers it seriously, not as tourist dressing.
This is also the first UK trip in the series, so it comes with a full layer of Channel-crossing and left-hand-drive logistics on top of the usual Tesla road-trip planning — see below.
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (Calais-Coquelles → Folkestone, ~35 minutes on the train, car stays loaded): dynamic pricing means a quiet weekday booked weeks ahead can be as low as ~£69 (~€80) one-way, but the realistic range for a normal booking is £100–250 (~€115–290) one-way depending on date, time and how far ahead you book — mid-week and off-peak departures are consistently cheaper than weekend/summer slots.
Alternative — DFDS or P&O ferry (Calais → Dover, ~1.5 hours at sea): both operators price from around £76–100 (~€88–115) for a car one-way in a quiet slot, rising to £150–175 (~€175–200) at busy times. The ferry is slower door-to-door once you add boarding time, but it's a genuinely comparable price and lets you stretch your legs on deck instead of sitting in the car.
Straightforward A16 run north. Top up at a Supercharger near Calais before boarding the Shuttle or ferry — UK charging infrastructure is good but you don't want to arrive on the wrong side of the Channel low on charge. Overnight near the port (free aire or a cheap campsite) and cross early the next morning to have a full day for the drive south of Scotland.
First hours on the left-hand side, working up the M20/M25/M1 corridor. At ≈250–280 km, this stretch is within the realistic 330–370 km range on a single charge — pick one real, well-established Tesla Supercharger site (Maidstone or South Mimms) for a comfortable top-up, and treat Leicester Forest East or Woolley Edge as an optional second stop rather than a requirement. Either way it's easy charging — the challenge is just getting used to UK motorway driving, not range. Overnight bivouac in the car near a services or a Highway/Premier Inn car park, or a cheap campsite.
Tebay services sits in a genuinely pretty fell-side spot and is a popular charging stop for exactly this route. Cross into Scotland around Gretna — the "Welcome to Scotland" sign is a good excuse for a photo stop.
Charge fully in Glasgow — it's the last reliable fast-charging city before the glen. From there the A82 hugs Loch Lomond, climbs over Rannoch Moor, and drops into Glencoe past the Buachaille — one of the great approach drives in Britain. There's also a Tesla Supercharger in Fort William (Camanachd Crescent, 6 stalls, 24/7), 30–40 minutes past Glencoe, useful as a top-up before or after your stay in the glen.
Lost Valley / Coire Gabhail: a 2–3 hour there-and-back climb through a narrow gorge below the Three Sisters into a hidden hanging valley — historically where the MacDonalds hid rustled cattle. Free, no permit, moderate scrambling near the start. Glencoe Lochan: an easy, flat forest loop around a small loch near Glencoe village, good for a rest day or a bike ride. Glencoe Visitor Centre (National Trust for Scotland): entry to the exhibition is free; the car park fee is £4 (waived for NTS members) and covers conservation work in the glen. It gives the massacre history properly, not glossed over. Three Sisters viewpoint and the A82 lay-bys below Aonach Dubh are the classic photo stops — early morning or just after rain, when the mist sits in the corries, is when the glen looks the way it does in every photo of it.
Same charging stops in reverse, or vary the English leg slightly to break up the drive. Budget the same 3–4 days back that it took to get up.
Glencoe itself is not affected by the Loch Lomond & Trossachs seasonal camping byelaws. Those byelaws (March–September, permit required, ~£4.50/night in designated Camping Management Zones) apply specifically inside the Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park, which is a different council/park authority area. Glencoe sits within Highland Council's area (Lochaber), outside that National Park, so the ordinary Access Code applies in full — no permit, no zones, no seasonal restriction.
Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide — no roof rack, no range hit. Glencoe Lochan's forest loop is an easy, scenic ride, and the West Highland Way passes right through Glen Coe village if you want a longer out-and-back on gravel track. Road cycling on the A82 itself is fast-moving and narrow in places — fine for confident riders, but the Lochan loop is the relaxed option.
Ben Nevis Distillery, Fort William (one of Scotland's oldest licensed distilleries, founded 1825): the Executive Tour is £30 (~€35) per person, includes a guided tour and a tasting of two whiskies, book 24h ahead. Alternatively, treat yourself to dinner at the Clachaig Inn in Glencoe — a genuine Highland institution, real ales, hearty Scottish pub food (haggis, stovies, sticky toffee pudding), and a climbers'/hillwalkers' atmosphere that's been going for generations. Expect a main course in the £14–20 (~€16–23) range.
| Category | Cost (£) | Cost (€, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, one-way (or ferry alternative ~£76–175) | £100–250 | €115–290 |
| Eurotunnel/ferry return | £100–250 | €115–290 |
| Tolls France (A16) + UK (none, motorways free) | ≈£10–15 | €12–17 |
| Charging (France + UK Superchargers, ~5–6 stops) | ≈£50–80 | €58–93 |
| Lodging (mostly free wild camping, 1–2 nights Red Squirrel) | ≈£15–60 | €17–70 |
| Glencoe Visitor Centre car park | £4/day | €4.60/day |
| Ben Nevis Distillery tour | £30 | €35 |
| Pub meal, Clachaig Inn | £14–20 | €16–23 |
| Food (mostly self-cooked) | ≈£60–80 | €70–93 |
| Total | £365–450 | €420–520 |
Prices researched July 2026: Eurotunnel/DFDS/P&O dynamic fares vary by date and booking window; treat these as realistic planning ranges, not fixed quotes — always check live pricing before booking.