Scottish roads

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Discussion

rinso

Original Poster:

13 posts

155 months

Wednesday 11th January 2012
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any recommendations for roads up north?? Bealach na Ba, is one I have been told thats good, and I know its fun goin up to John o Groats and along the top, but if there are any hidden gems out there, feel free to let me in on the secret! have a week booked in Feb this year...

Hooli

32,278 posts

199 months

Wednesday 11th January 2012
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Near the summer Isles is good as is all the west & north west coast.

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Red Smartie

41 posts

194 months

Saturday 14th January 2012
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http://www.streetfire.net/video/topgears-greatest-...


You cant do any worse than the trip over to applecross but its a bit difficult to get to atmo
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-highlands-is...

We have done this in the now defunct seven as well as the golf.
Our route tends to be go up the pass and round the peninsula
Word of warning fill up with fuel when ever you can as the supply is scarce once you leave the road to skye

Oh and low slung cars require 10 times more care as there is loads of blind rises and mad locals in four x fours
We came a cropper with this despite living up here and doing a zillon miles on thes tracks

B.J.W

5,782 posts

214 months

Saturday 14th January 2012
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Did Carlisle to Hawick the other day - nasty in the dark (when I did it last year) but what a cracking road during the day (in the dry).

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Sunday 29th January 2012
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Just returned from 120 mile Tesco trip and didn't happen upon a single car on my side of the road (the middle).

Bliss:


Allyc85

7,225 posts

185 months

Sunday 29th January 2012
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Mean while in east Devon I dont get above 40mph on two trips to Sidmouth, I hate driving here so much!

ChrisBMW

328 posts

147 months

Sunday 29th January 2012
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GetCarter said:
Just returned from 120 mile Tesco trip and didn't happen upon a single car on my side of the road (the middle).

Bliss:

Epic looking road, which road is that Carter.

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Sunday 29th January 2012
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ChrisBMW said:
GetCarter said:
Just returned from 120 mile Tesco trip and didn't happen upon a single car on my side of the road (the middle).

Bliss:

Epic looking road, which road is that Carter.
It's Glen Docharty... between Achnasheen & Kinlochewe in Wester Ross.

Allyc85

7,225 posts

185 months

Sunday 29th January 2012
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ChrisBMW

328 posts

147 months

Monday 30th January 2012
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GetCarter said:
It's Glen Docharty... between Achnasheen & Kinlochewe in Wester Ross.
Cheers Carter, heading for a week long road trip up around here in June. Can't wait.

alfa pint

3,856 posts

210 months

Monday 30th January 2012
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rinso said:
any recommendations for roads up north?? Bealach na Ba, is one I have been told thats good, and I know its fun goin up to John o Groats and along the top, but if there are any hidden gems out there, feel free to let me in on the secret! have a week booked in Feb this year...
I'll let those who live further north than me fill you in on the ones up there.

However, either on the way up or on the way back, don't overlook the borders region. There are some absolute classic A and B roads over there and with sparse traffic. The ayrshire side can be potholed to hell, but the borders region itself is epic. Check out the A6105 between Earlston and Duns (it's not quite so nice between Duns and Berwick), the B road between Greenlaw and Kelso, the Kelso-Jedburgh road, the B road over the moor between Duns and the A697, the A697 itself between Carfraemill and Morpeth, any of the roads around Wooler, Grantshouse and a few others I intend to keep to myself!

caziques

2,567 posts

167 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
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I used to drive between Nottingham and St Andrews every few months in the late seventies, M1 - M18 - A1 then the best bit. The A697 Morpeth to Carfraemill.

Passing the hotel at Carfraemill always brought back memories of staying there once with my parents, sisters and grandmother - probably in the late sixties. How time flies.

Don't forget the Crieff to Fort William route via Glencoe, spectacular.

MC Bodge

21,551 posts

174 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
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GetCarter said:
ChrisBMW said:
GetCarter said:
Just returned from 120 mile Tesco trip and didn't happen upon a single car on my side of the road (the middle).

Bliss:

Epic looking road, which road is that Carter.
It's Glen Docharty... between Achnasheen & Kinlochewe in Wester Ross.
I thought it was.... My memory of that stretch is obeying the 30 limit and being overtaken by a white Mondeo just before the NSL signs in the previous village. Then following said Mondeo at very reasonable rate of knots along that very (fantastic) road all the way to Gairloch. Later in the week I encountered a chap driving very hard in a modified(?) Morris Minor to Poolewe.

Edited by MC Bodge on Thursday 2nd February 15:11

NotDave

20,951 posts

156 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
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Trossach Trail is also worth a punt IMHO yes

DaveH23

3,230 posts

169 months

Thursday 2nd February 2012
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I have just got back from skiing up there and although the girlfriend took her car due to it being bigger I wish I had mine.

We stopped in a cottage and the satnav took us down the B970 from our cottage to mountain.

What an absolutey fantastic road. Have a look on google streetview.

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Friday 3rd February 2012
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Here's 'Finky' (as he's know here) trying to clear the Applecross road of snow (2 mins in after ads)

http://www.channel5.com/shows/winter-road-rescue/e...

PDT1

26 posts

148 months

Friday 3rd February 2012
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Can't recommend any particular roads for you, but have just driven upto the North East of Scotland twice, and would advise that anyone traveling through Scotland is very careful. The scamera vans were out in force, and the roadside cameras (GATSO's ?) were definitely working.

Obviously Mr Salmond needs to build a war chest for the upcoming referendum.

I didn't (fingers crossed) get flashed (no NIPs received, as yet !), but my parents travelled up at the same time as I did the second time, and my father got caught by a scamera van, apparently at 80 mph. This was on the m74.


GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Friday 3rd February 2012
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No cameras in the west north of Fort William. I've seen a camera van near Achnasheen twice in 15 years. Sounds infrequent, but those that know the road will understand why that could be a problem!

JM

3,170 posts

205 months

Friday 3rd February 2012
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PDT1 said:
Can't recommend any particular roads for you, but have just driven upto the North East of Scotland twice, and would advise that anyone traveling through Scotland is very careful. The scamera vans were out in force, and the roadside cameras (GATSO's ?) were definitely working.
Gatso's are all the way up the A90 between Dundee and Aberdeen.

There are a few Gatso's on the A9 between Stirling and Perth and then a couple more north of Perth, none north of Blair Athol north turn off.

There can be camera vans on various stretches of the A9, usually north of Drumochter Pass and up to Inverness, then again in areas around Inverness.
A96 East from Inverness often has speed traps on it.
And A9 up to around Tain. And possibly far north near Wick and Thurso.
Other than the occasional radar gun totting cop in a town or village I've never seen a speed camera/van anywhere else in the North-North West. Certainly not north of Fort William area on the west.

Though if you are 'on it' then watch out nearer the larger places like Ullapool, Gairloch, Kyle, Lairg etc in the summer as there is more likely to be a police presence around there.