A family holidaying in the Scottish Highlands had a lucky escape after their motorhome was wrecked by a “freak gust of wind”, which blew it down a bank while they were inside it, during Storm Kathleen last month.
The family of four were exploring the NC500 in a motorhome rented from Luna Motorhome Hire when they were caught in high winds near the shores of Loch Shieldaig on 7th April. The strong gust tipped the Roller Team Zefiro 675 from its parking spot, sending it down the slope where it stopped just short of the water.
Emergency services attended the scene in the Wester Ross region of the Highlands where, luckily, the family and their two dogs sustained no major injuries. One family member suffered bad bruising, while another required an eye exam.
The North Coast 500 is a popular attraction for ‘van owners in a country which offers plenty of beautiful sights to take in, with the best motorhome sites in Scotland providing the ideal base for exploring.
Peter Schmidt, owner of the Northamptonshire-based rental service, reported that the family were parked up in a lay-by having lunch and waiting for the wind to die down before setting off again. “They think the van rolled over a couple of times,” said Peter, “we can’t be sure but the roof was peeling away and when they got out they saw the van had fallen apart around them.” Luckily, the family and their two dogs sustained no major injuries from the accident, and emergency services attended the scene
After receiving a call from the family, Peter said he wasn’t too worried initially. “They rang me up and said “your van’s been written off”…sometimes people’s versions of written off are different to mine but they sent the photos through and I realised it was.” After making sure everyone was unhurt and taken care of, he said his thoughts turned to the impact on Luna.
Although the insurance company has been “sympathetic”, he is worried about how it will affect the business long term: “our insurance bill is already so high,” he explained, “I’m just worried it will increase even more next year.”
“We’ve been lucky enough to purchase another van for the other bookings this season, but we’ve had to fork out £45,000 for the replacement. The insurance company has been mindful of getting it sorted as quickly as possible but we’re still waiting to hear. They’ve just recovered the van from Scotland, so we’ll see.”
Luna hires out a fleet of fully-stocked ‘vans, from campervans to 6 berths motorhomes, for touring around the UK & Europe.
If you’re after a way to get your ‘van looking its best for your first tour of the year, check out our 16 tips to help you achieve a sparkling motorhome.
Images courtesy of Peter Schmit/Luna Motorhome Hire
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