Applecross - to loop or not to loop
Discussion
Message for RDE (you don't accept e mails so hope you read this)
It's important to fill with fuel at either Lochcarron or Kinlochewe before you do the loop - the Applecross filling station (cough) often runs out - and even when it has fuel it's blimmin' expensive (125 per litre at the moment)
It's important to fill with fuel at either Lochcarron or Kinlochewe before you do the loop - the Applecross filling station (cough) often runs out - and even when it has fuel it's blimmin' expensive (125 per litre at the moment)
Edited by GetCarter on Friday 8th February 09:44
Thanks for the message - I didn't get it before I went but luckily I had enough common sense to realise that Applecross might be too remote to have fuel. It was chuffing pricey as you rightly say!
I drove the loop on Thursday and was absolutely stunned. What a superb way to spend time. I left Newark on the A1 at 0500 on Wednesday and had lunch in Fort William, then carrying on along the A82 and A87 to Dornie where we stayed the night. Thursday night was spent at Portree and Friday at Nairn. I drove 1360 miles and I have fallen absolutely in love with Scotland. I imagine it was a particularly quiet time of the year to visit, but it is just awesome (and I don't mean ahh-summ!! in the way that 'dudes' do).
Obviously the country, the scenery, the landscapes are achingly beautiful, but driving there was like driving in a wet dream. I didn't really drive fast, but I had a wail of a time because the roads are brilliant. Lorries and cars you came across would pull over to let you past, as they realised to catch up you must have been travelling faster than they. This was without any agression or discourteousness on my part. This has never happened to me in England. Ever. Then there were the signs, telling people to let other drivers past if need be, and the ones saying the 'Frustration causes accidents - allow overtaking' or 'Be a considerate driver'. It was like i'd been put in charge of the highways agency or something. Add all this to the fact that you could drive for large chunks of time without encountering another person, and I had clearly found a driving Elysium. When you reach the M74 heading north, it's almost as if someone flicks a switch and the traffic just falls away.
On Saturday we travelled back via the A9, which was a bit of a turd of a road. So wide and sweeping that it led you to want to go faster because you felt stationary, but so clogged with cars that this just led to irritation. The Cairngorms are pretty to say the least though. I still think that the most exciting road I have come across in my life so far, is the road from Glen Nevis Youth Hostel to the waterfall car park. Nothing has had kept me on my toes at 45 mph like that road. It has blind summits that threaten to get you airborne, where the first thing you see on the other side is grass, because the tarmac veers off in a different direction. It only provides about 10 minutes driving at most, but I highly recommend it.
The Puma did a surprisingly good job of munching up the miles - I did a four hour stint without getting out and didn't feel worse for it. I had visions of about 100 cars i'd also like to explore Scotland in as well.
I've rambled on a bit, but I think it's clear that I had a good time. Thanks for the advice, and I hope to be up again in the not too distant future
I drove the loop on Thursday and was absolutely stunned. What a superb way to spend time. I left Newark on the A1 at 0500 on Wednesday and had lunch in Fort William, then carrying on along the A82 and A87 to Dornie where we stayed the night. Thursday night was spent at Portree and Friday at Nairn. I drove 1360 miles and I have fallen absolutely in love with Scotland. I imagine it was a particularly quiet time of the year to visit, but it is just awesome (and I don't mean ahh-summ!! in the way that 'dudes' do).
Obviously the country, the scenery, the landscapes are achingly beautiful, but driving there was like driving in a wet dream. I didn't really drive fast, but I had a wail of a time because the roads are brilliant. Lorries and cars you came across would pull over to let you past, as they realised to catch up you must have been travelling faster than they. This was without any agression or discourteousness on my part. This has never happened to me in England. Ever. Then there were the signs, telling people to let other drivers past if need be, and the ones saying the 'Frustration causes accidents - allow overtaking' or 'Be a considerate driver'. It was like i'd been put in charge of the highways agency or something. Add all this to the fact that you could drive for large chunks of time without encountering another person, and I had clearly found a driving Elysium. When you reach the M74 heading north, it's almost as if someone flicks a switch and the traffic just falls away.
On Saturday we travelled back via the A9, which was a bit of a turd of a road. So wide and sweeping that it led you to want to go faster because you felt stationary, but so clogged with cars that this just led to irritation. The Cairngorms are pretty to say the least though. I still think that the most exciting road I have come across in my life so far, is the road from Glen Nevis Youth Hostel to the waterfall car park. Nothing has had kept me on my toes at 45 mph like that road. It has blind summits that threaten to get you airborne, where the first thing you see on the other side is grass, because the tarmac veers off in a different direction. It only provides about 10 minutes driving at most, but I highly recommend it.
The Puma did a surprisingly good job of munching up the miles - I did a four hour stint without getting out and didn't feel worse for it. I had visions of about 100 cars i'd also like to explore Scotland in as well.
I've rambled on a bit, but I think it's clear that I had a good time. Thanks for the advice, and I hope to be up again in the not too distant future
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