Campervans have long been the mainstay of the minimalist traveller – an exciting way to see the world on a tight budget.
But a Scottish start-up launched during lockdown has launched a fleet of luxury campervans – with WiFi, foam mattress beds and a mini kitchen with a gas cooker to make living out on the road that wee bit easier.
Staycation Scotland Campers, founded during the peak of the pandemic back in May 2020, has reported a 100% spike in sales from 2020 to 2021 – suggesting the staycation trend shows no signs of slowing.
Founder Julie Brown said: “I have enjoyed campervan holidays from a really young age with my family, and what started out as a passion project and a love for travelling in Scotland has now led to us having a very scalable and profitable business model.
"We launched our business purely on Instagram appealing to a millennial audience who wanted to combine travel with luxury and those Instagrammable details. That helped us create a substantial and massively engaged following in a relatively short period of time. By the end of summer 2021 we were booked for the next six months, and at this stage we knew we needed to expand our fleet.
"Our vans are all designed to the highest specifications and we have worked hard to elevate the guest experience by establishing brand partnerships with award winning Scottish brands including Garden Shed Gin and Dear Green coffee. For further standout, each van has its own bespoke interior and each is named after celebrities such as Celine Dion and Carrie Bradshaw."
Staycation Scotland Camper recently moved into a new 20,000 sq ft premises in Julie’s hometown of Clydebank, and they plan to help smaller campervan companies by leasing vans under the Staycation Scotland Campers umbrella.
The campervans sleep up to four with a pull-down double bed and also comes with a kitted out kitchen, Apple Car Play and a spacious living area.
Julie credits social media and the campervans' "Instagram appeal" with helping drive sales during lockdown.
She added: "I used to run a social media company so I had a good understanding of how to launch a brand on Instagram, working strategically with influencers and creating really visual content.
"Some of which have been featured in Vogue and Conde Nast. Our customers regularly share their breaks on their own social channels increasing our exposure and also allowing us to capture really high quality user generated content.
"Many of our customers are from Scotland but we also have a large proportion of repeat customers from London and surrounding areas, Instagram has allowed us to tap into other regions across the UK efficiently.”
For more information visit www.staycationscotlandcampers.com or follow them on Instagram at @staycationscotland.
