Scotland by Campervan: Lost Place Hartwood Hospital
Our first trip by motorhome through Scotland starts anything but relaxed. Traffic jams on the way, problems checking in at Calais, and finally a ferry that leaves without us – that’s certainly not how we imagined the start.
But somehow, we still make it to Great Britain and eventually to Scotland. There, a very special Lost Place awaits us: Hartwood Hospital. The extensive hospital complex, the former psychiatric hospital, and a nearly forgotten cemetery leave a lasting impression on us.
Later, we continue to the Scottish coast to Dunnottar Castle and finally to Aberdeen, where our first proper day in Scotland ends with dolphins and foxes.
📍 Table of Contents:
- Our motorhome trip to Scotland begins
- Chaos at check-in and the missed ferry
- Still made it onto the ferry - finally heading to Scotland
- Our first morning in Scotland
- Lost Place Hartwood Hospital
- The former psychiatric hospital of Hartwood
- The almost forgotten cemetery of Hartwood
- Breakfast in the motorhome and onward to the coast
- Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven
- Aberdeen: Pitch by the sea, dolphins, and foxes
- Our conclusion: A bumpy start to a special Scotland trip
Our motorhome trip to Scotland begins
On May 28, 2025, it finally begins. Our first motorhome trip to Scotland.
Our destination for this day is Calais, because from there we want to cross to Great Britain by ferry the next morning.
But the journey itself demands a lot of patience from us.
In Germany, we keep getting stuck in traffic jams. No matter which route we take – we don't make much progress. And we really want to reach Calais that same evening.
As soon as we leave Germany behind, things get significantly better. We pass through the Netherlands without major problems.
However, near Antwerp, the next traffic jam awaits us. About 45 minutes of delay are added.
Nevertheless, we reach the port of Calais around 11 p.m.
Early morning at the DFDS terminal in Calais – this is where the chaos surrounding our booking and the missed ferry began.
There isn't much time left for sleep. We stay right at the harbor, set the alarm for 4 a.m., and try to get at least a few more hours of rest.
Our Scandinavia Highlights as Video 🎬
Chaos at check-in and the missed ferry
At four o'clock, the alarm rings.
We get up two hours before the planned departure. That had always been enough for our previous ferry trips.
This time it would be different.
Before we drive to check-in, we take a few more shots. Then the chaos begins.
Our booking number is suddenly not found in the system.
We are sent to the office. There, we first have to wait because the system is to be restarted. Fortunately, our booking is eventually found, and we can continue to Lane 1117.
The French customs check goes smoothly.
But before British passport control, the next wait begins.
We stand there for about one and a half hours.
When we finally get through, we are about half an hour late.
Our ferry is gone.
At this moment, we are simply annoyed. We had gotten up early, planned enough time, and still the ship left without us.
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Still made it onto the ferry – finally heading to Scotland
The responsible office isn't scheduled to open until nine o'clock.
So, all we can do for now is wait.
After about an hour, someone suddenly appears and signals us to follow him.
Then everything happens quite quickly.
With considerable speed, we drive behind him through the harbor area.
And indeed:
We are allowed to be the last ones to board another ship.
What luck.
As soon as we are on the ferry, the stress of the morning slowly dissipates.
But we haven't quite made it yet.
After the crossing, we continue north, and again we keep getting stuck in traffic.
The journey takes much longer than hoped.
Arrived on board – even the smartwatch immediately greets us with the Telekom welcome message for internet use on the ship.
Finally, around noon, we reach Dover
After all the chaos in the harbor, we are finally underway – the crossing to Great Britain lies ahead of us.
We are finally in Scotland.
Our first morning in Scotland
The next morning, the world looks completely different again.
After the long journey day, the actual part of our trip finally begins.
However, our first destination is not a typical Scottish landmark.
We are driving to Hartwood Hospital.
Even on the approach, we realize that a very special place awaits us there.
An expansive site, abandoned buildings, and an atmosphere that is hard to describe.
For us, Hartwood is the first major highlight of this Scotland trip.
Lost Place Hartwood Hospital
The Hartwood Hospital is an impressive Lost Place.
From the outside, one can already see how large the former hospital complex must have been.
Between trees and tall vegetation stand the abandoned buildings. Facades are damaged, roofs are partly heavily dilapidated, and everywhere one can see how nature is slowly reclaiming the area.
The site itself is secured.
Therefore, we do not enter the buildings or the restricted area.
From the air, it becomes truly visible how large and abandoned the Hartwood Hospital complex is.
Kirsten, instead, tries to capture as many details as possible from the outside with a telephoto lens.
Additionally, aerial shots are taken.
Especially from this perspective, it becomes truly visible how expansive Hartwood is.
It is one of those places where you automatically linger a little longer.
Not just because of the decay.
One inevitably wonders what happened behind these walls over all these years.
Our Highlights as Video 🎬
The former psychiatric hospital of Hartwood
The expansive Hartwood complex also included a psychiatric facility.
When you look at the abandoned buildings today, you first see a Lost Place.
But this place was once much more than that.
People lived, worked, and were treated here for many years.
Precisely this thought changes the impact of the site.
Another view of Hartwood Hospital – especially the striking clock tower shows how impressive and extensive the abandoned complex is.
The empty windows, long building wings, and decaying walls are not simply an exciting photo backdrop.
They belong to a place that was an important part of many people's lives.
That makes Hartwood both fascinating and oppressive for us.
We stay outside and observe the grounds from a safe distance.
The longer we are there, the more we realize that behind this Lost Place are many personal stories.
And shortly thereafter, we get a small glimpse into a completely different side of Hartwood.
The almost forgotten cemetery of Hartwood
During our visit, an elderly man approaches us.
He wants to show us something.
We follow him through the tall grass.
Eventually, we reach an old cemetery that belongs to the grounds.
Between grass and vegetation, we discover simple grave markers.
The man tells us something about people buried there.
In that moment, our perspective on Hartwood changes once again.
The Lost Place suddenly becomes a place with real life stories.
We stand there for quite some time.
Silent.
Thoughtful.
And also a little sad.
We had not expected this encounter at all.
Precisely for this reason, it is one of those moments of this trip that will probably stay in our memory for a particularly long time.
Sometimes it's not the grand sights, but such unplanned encounters, that make a journey special.
Breakfast in the motorhome and onward to the coast
After the visit to Hartwood, we first need a break.
Back at the motorhome, we have breakfast.
Our Omnia oven also comes into play here.
After this intense morning, it's good to relax for a bit.
Afterwards, we pack everything up again and head towards the coast.
This completely changes the mood of the day.
From the gloomy lost place, we now head to one of the most famous castle ruins on the Scottish coast.
Our next destination is Dunnottar Castle.
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Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven
We drive on to Stonehaven.
There, Dunnottar Castle is spectacularly situated on a rocky headland above the sea.
Dunnottar Castle near Stonehaven is spectacularly situated on a rocky headland directly above the sea.
Even the view from the outside is impressive.
However, when we arrive, the castle is already closed.
Therefore, a visit is no longer possible for us.
Nevertheless, we do not regret the stop.
Its location above the sea and the Scottish coastal landscape make Dunnottar Castle a special place even from the outside.
After the abandoned Hartwood Hospital, this part of the day feels almost like a complete change of scenery.
Now we are suddenly right in the Scotland that many immediately envision:
rugged coast, old walls and the sea directly below.
We enjoy the view, take our shots and then continue towards Aberdeen.
Aberdeen: pitch by the sea, dolphins and foxes
In the evening we reach Aberdeen.
There we find a pitch right by the sea.
After the long journey and the many impressions of this day, this is exactly the right place to slowly wind down.
But Scotland has another surprise in store for us.
Kirsten suddenly spots three dolphins in the bay with her camera.
We hadn't expected that at all.
And as if that weren't enough, we later receive more animal visitors.
Two foxes appear near our motorhome.
After the chaotic start to our journey, this is a wonderful end to our first proper day in Scotland.
We sit by the sea and reflect on the past hours.
The traffic jams and the missed ferry suddenly feel quite distant now.
Our Scotland journey continues
Our journey through Scotland is far from over. In the next part, we'll continue with new places, experiences, and impressions from our motorhome trip.
➡️ To the next travelogue:
https://wickieontour.com/blogs/schottland/schottland-roadtrip-teil-2-seehunde-highland-kalber-das-marchenschloss-eilean-donan-castle
➡️ All our Scotland travel reports:
https://wickieontour.com/blogs/schottland
Discover more adventures
Our Conclusion: A Rocky Start to a Special Scottish Journey
Our first trip by motorhome through Scotland definitely started differently than we had planned.
Traffic jams, check-in problems, and a missed ferry could hardly have made the start more chaotic.
But in the end, we make it to Scotland.
And even our first real travel day shows us how diverse this country is.
The Hartwood Hospital is the most formative experience of this episode for us. Not only because of the abandoned hospital complex and former psychiatric institution, but especially because of the unexpected encounter in the old cemetery.
With Dunnottar Castle we then experience the rugged Scottish coast, before our day near Aberdeen ends with dolphins and foxes.
What a start.
Chaotic, thoughtful, surprising, and ultimately just beautiful.
Our Scottish journey has only just begun.
Scotland by motorhome: Lost Place Hartwood Hospital
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