Life Through A Lens

David Honeyman has turned his van and a passion for the open road into an online community celebrating Scotland's wild places

- by DANIELLA THEIS

FOUR years ago, David Honeyman was living in Dundee and facing a big decision that would go on to change his life drastically.

Today, the content creator – known online as the Scottish Man In A Van and who has around 500,000 followers across social media platforms – lives in his van full time, travelling the length and breadth of Scotland.

It was only a few years ago, however, that his life looked very different.

“I had my son when I was quite young,” David explains. “We lived in Dundee. I was only 21 and I had aspirations to travel and go to Australia, New Zealand and all these places, but never got the opportunity to do that.”

Nineteen years on, David, who grew up in Cupar, faced a crossroads. His son was now grown and looking to move out and travel the world himself.

“During Covid, I started watching people on YouTube that do van life, and people that hike,” he says. “So that had been building up that whole time.

“I had some money in the bank, and I thought, ‘Right, am I going to get another flat, get a mortgage and go through all that again – or will I buy a van and go for it?’

“I thought, ‘Screw it’, and got a van,” he adds.

David has now been living in his van, called Skye, full time since 2022, travelling across Scotland, the United Kingdom and Europe.

Soon after first setting off, David began gaining more and more followers through his social media, allowing him to create content and sell merchandise, as well as running small group tours in Scotland to support his travels.