Castles, Moats and Motorhomes: Catherine Bunn on 19 Years of Growing a Business on Her Own Terms

In this episode of Scale HER Up, I'm joined by Catherine Bunn, Managing Director of Highland Campervans and Director of Camper Lux Limited — a motorhome dealership on the outskirts of Inverness that Catherine built from scratch, starting with two campervans, a baby in a car seat, and a conservatory extension she never actually built.

Catherine has been running Highland Campervans for nearly 20 years. She started the business after leaving the Royal Air Force, grew it organically while raising two sons, built a team of over 20, and is now preparing for the next major phase of growth. This is one of those conversations packed with genuinely useful business thinking — from a real business owner who's figured things out the hard way.

We cover:

- How Highland Campervans started — and the creative way Catherine funded the first two vans when the bank said no

- Growing organically and reinvesting profits rather than over-financing

- Building a team from part-time working mums to 22+ staff

- Working with her husband — what works, what didn't, and how they made it sustainable

- Being a 4am worker and why she flexes her hours around her energy

- The burnout turning point — and the simple tool that helped her treat herself like an employee

- Work hard, play hard: ultra running, sea kayaking and Munros

- The castles, moats and cores business model — and why the customer is the crown jewel

- The beachhead strategy for business growth — and why doing everything was holding them back

- What's next: a brand new workshop and the next phase of growth

- Camper Lux Limited and the Motorhome Depot franchise explained

**Quote of the episode:** *"Treat yourself the same way you treat your staff."* — Catherine Bunn

If you're a business owner who's been putting everyone else first, growing steadily and wondering when it's your turn to focus — this episode is for you.