The first UK entry in the series: a genuine long-haul from Meudon-la-Forêt, crossing the Channel, driving on the left for the first time, and trading French wild-camping rules for Scotland's very different (and very specific) lochside camping byelaws.
Loch Lomond is Scotland's largest loch by surface area — 39km long, dotted with over 30 islands, ringed by the Highland Boundary Fault where the Lowlands abruptly become the Highlands. It's also refreshingly accessible: Ben Lomond (974m), the most southerly Munro in Scotland, is a genuine mountain summit reachable on a well-built path in a long day, free of charge. Conic Hill sits right on the Highland Boundary Fault line with one of the best loch panoramas in Scotland for a fraction of the effort. And the West Highland Way — Scotland's most famous long-distance trail, 154km from Milngavie to Fort William — spends its first proper wilderness day tracing the loch's eastern shore through Balmaha and Rowardennan, so you can walk a genuine section of it without committing to the whole route. Add the villages of Balloch and Luss and a loch cruise, and this justifies the drive.
Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (Calais-Coquelles → Folkestone) is the fastest crossing: cars drive onto the train and the crossing itself takes about 35 minutes, with roughly 1–1.5 hours total from motorway to motorway once check-in and loading are included. Pricing is fully dynamic — it moves constantly with date, time of day, and how far ahead you book. A short-stay off-peak car crossing can be found from around £60–90 one-way, while standard flexible fares booked closer to travel commonly run £120–200 one-way; book well in advance and travel outside weekend peaks to land at the low end.
The DFDS / P&O ferry (Dover → Calais) is the budget alternative: the sailing itself is about 90 minutes, though check-in adds time either side. Car + driver fares are similarly dynamic but tend to undercut the tunnel, with lead-in one-way fares from roughly £30–50 and typical bookings landing around £60–100 — worth checking both before booking, since whichever has a seasonal promotion on your dates often wins.
Calais to Loch Lomond (Balloch) is roughly 950–980 km via the A16/M20 through Kent, the M25/M1/M6 north through England, then the M74/M8 into Scotland — about 10.5–11 hours of driving before charging stops, which is too far for one day, but with the 97% SOH Model Y's realistic 330–370 km range it's genuinely just 2 charging stops total, not the 4 the old Standard Range car needed. The English leg from the tunnel into the Midlands (~250 km) sits comfortably inside a single charge, so treat Ashford or Maidstone as an optional top-up rather than a mandatory stop. The two stops that matter come on the long Scotland-bound push: one around Corley or Rugby on the M6 corridor (a sensible overnight point, roughly the English Midlands), and one after crossing into Scotland at Gretna Green (right at the border) or Bothwell/Hamilton near Glasgow before the final short hop to Loch Lomond. Confirm exact stall counts and live availability in the Tesla app or A Better Route Planner before you leave — the UK network keeps expanding.
Practically: check which side of a Camping Management Zone boundary your intended pitch falls on before you arrive (the park's online map marks them clearly), book a £3 permit if you're inside one, or simply drive a little further along quieter stretches of shoreline / into the Trossachs side where the byelaws don't apply. Paid fallback with no permit hassle: Cashel Campsite (Forestry and Land Scotland, on the loch's eastern shore) or a commercial site near Luss/Balloch, both around £20–25/night for a single tent pitch.
Drive to Calais, cross via Eurotunnel Le Shuttle (book ahead for the better fare), and get used to left-hand driving on the M20/M25 before pushing north. The Calais-to-Midlands leg is comfortably within a single charge, so an Ashford/Maidstone stop is a nice-to-have rather than a requirement; car-camp or cheap bivouac near the Midlands Supercharger corridor.
Long push north on the M6/M74/M8, crossing into Scotland around Gretna. Arrive at Balloch or Luss in the evening — check your Camping Management Zone status ahead of time and book a £3 permit if needed, or head to Cashel Campsite as a no-fuss fallback.
Morning in Balloch — Loch Lomond Shores for views and the visitor centre, then a loch cruise with Sweeney's Cruise Company from Balloch (or Cruise Loch Lomond from Luss/Tarbet, reaching the fjord-like northern end and its islands). Afternoon wandering Luss village, one of the loch's classic picture-postcard settlements.
Scotland's most southerly Munro at 974m, and one of the most accessible — a well-built path from the Rowardennan car park to the summit, with the whole loch and its islands laid out below on a clear day. Full boots-and-poles day; start early.
Conic Hill, right on the Highland Boundary Fault above Balmaha, gives an enormous loch panorama for a fraction of Ben Lomond's effort — a good recovery-day walk. Combine with a stretch of the West Highland Way itself between Balmaha and Rowardennan (or further to Inversnaid) to walk a real piece of Scotland's most famous long-distance trail without committing to all 154km.
Start the return drive south, charging at Bothwell/Hamilton, Gretna Green, and a second stop further into England; overnight car-camp near the same Midlands Supercharger corridor as Day 1.
Final push to the Channel, cross back through the tunnel (or ferry, if that's what you booked outbound), and drive home via Calais — remembering to switch back to driving on the right the moment you roll off in France.
The loch has good cycling on both shores — the National Cycle Network route around Loch Lomond and quieter roads through the Trossachs. Bike loaded inside per the Car Camping & Bike Guide, front wheel off, no range penalty. Useful on the rest days between the two big hikes, and for exploring Balloch/Luss without moving the car.
| Category | Cost (GBP) | Cost (EUR, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Eurotunnel Le Shuttle, round trip (dynamic pricing) | ≈ £140–300 | ≈ €165–350 |
| French tolls (Meudon–Calais, round trip) | — | ≈ €35–45 |
| Charging (France + UK Superchargers, round trip) | ≈ £110–160 | ≈ €150–220 |
| Camping permit (4 nights in Camping Management Zone @ £3/night) or campsite fallback | ≈ £12–100 | ≈ €15–115 |
| Loch cruise (1hr, Balloch or Luss) | ≈ £16–20 | ≈ €19–23 |
| Ben Lomond hike + Conic Hill / West Highland Way stretch | Free | Free |
| Treat meal: haggis, neeps & tatties | ≈ £14–18 | ≈ €16–21 |
| Food, self-cooked (7 days) | ≈ £60–80 | ≈ €70–95 |
| Total | ≈ £400–550 | ≈ €470–650 |