Discussion
GetCarter said:
It's all about when you drive though. I went for a drive and to my fave beach the other day. Was out for three hours. Saw one car. but I did the journey between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. If I had done same between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m at this time of year I would have seen 100+
Beach was empty too
Here?Beach was empty too
Olivera said:
From a recent highlands trip:
Not very difficult to guess the location
Not very difficult to guess the location
- Skye. - On the right: Sgùrr nan Gillean.
On the left: Marsco.
Behind, and to the left of, Marsco in the distance Blà Bheinn (aka Blaven).
Zed 44 said:
My experience is that if you are on a tour and staying in a hotel or b&b, it's impossible to get out that early without missing breakfast.
So the unreasonable solution is to miss breakfast.
Completly agree with you there. It's a PITA. When I stay in London the hotels start breakfast at 5 am, but in rural areas they tend to start at 8. Spending half my life being a photographer, the best light is generally the two hours after dawn. It's not just the Highlands though, Lake District, Cotswolds... wherever you go, country/rural hotels all seem to do it. When I have an early filght from Inverness there are hotels that start early... but they are crap hotels.So the unreasonable solution is to miss breakfast.
What we tend to do is get up early, go for a drive, dog walk, photo shoot, then return at about 9 am for breakfast and check out.
Thing is - I can understand why rural hotels do it... when we do eat at 8 the room is usually empty as people seem to want to sleep in, and eat as late a poss. (Missing the best bit of the day).
ETA... before breakfast yesterday
Edited by GetCarter on Monday 11th August 10:02
GetCarter said:
Completly agree with you there. It's a PITA. When I stay in London the hotels start breakfast at 5 am, but in rural areas they tend to start at 8. Spending half my life being a photographer, the best light is generally the two hours after dawn. It's not just the Highlands though, Lake District, Cotswolds... wherever you go, country/rural hotels all seem to do it. When I have an early filght from Inverness there are hotels that start early... but they are crap hotels.
What we tend to do is get up early, go for a drive, dog walk, photo shoot, then return at about 9 am for breakfast and check out.
Thing is - I can understand why rural hotels do it... when we do eat at 8 the room is usually empty as people seem to want to sleep in, and eat as late a poss. (Missing the best bit of the day).
We find this all over Europe What we tend to do is get up early, go for a drive, dog walk, photo shoot, then return at about 9 am for breakfast and check out.
Thing is - I can understand why rural hotels do it... when we do eat at 8 the room is usually empty as people seem to want to sleep in, and eat as late a poss. (Missing the best bit of the day).
Pisses me off as you lose 2-3 hours of the day exactly when you are trying to make the most of them
Zed 44 said:
I wonder if it's possible to book room only with a pack-up the night before. Then you could grab breakfast around 10am and watch all the caravans roll by. 
One thing we hardly ever see any more here is caravans. Shed load of motor caravans, but I think I've seen one or two towed caravans all summer. Thank God. Still... two months time they'll all be gone. Get the place back to normal. It's only 3 month of the year we get tourist traffic. 9 months of empty road bliss. GetCarter said:
Zed 44 said:
I wonder if it's possible to book room only with a pack-up the night before. Then you could grab breakfast around 10am and watch all the caravans roll by.
One thing we hardly ever see any more here is caravans. Shed load of motor caravans, but I think I've seen one or two towed caravans all summer. Thank God. Still... two months time they'll all be gone. Get the place back to normal. It's only 3 month of the year we get tourist traffic. 9 months of empty road bliss. I was also disappointed with the paucity of roads this time. We seem to find ourselves back on roads that we had previously travelled on. Plus, like the rest of Britain, the state of most of the roads was terrible. Occasionally, you would get European funded ones that lasted for a mile or so and then back to what we all know and hate. Unlike Spain or France where there are just too many to choose from and the state of them is wonderful.
And finally, I can't agree that the road between Kinlochewe and Achnasheen is one to try. I almost fell asleep yesterday. Perhaps, if I could have legally done 150mph, the occasional bend might have kept me awake.
On the other hand the A890 had some great corners just before it went into a single track leading to Locharron.
Sorry to be negative. It's probably just me. It's only my second trip up here.
Let me know where I've gone wrong for the next time.
Zed 44 said:
We passed at least 3 between Strathcarron and Falkirk not to mention numerous motorhomes. One of the caravans had held us and a lorry and about 12 other vehicles up for miles and then nearly caused me to have an accident when he suddenly without warning decided to pull off causing the lorry to swerve just as I was about to overtake it. Thank god for Brembos.
I was also disappointed with the paucity of roads this time. We seem to find ourselves back on roads that we had previously travelled on. Plus, like the rest of Britain, the state of most of the roads was terrible. Occasionally, you would get European funded ones that lasted for a mile or so and then back to what we all know and hate. Unlike Spain or France where there are just too many to choose from and the state of them is wonderful.
And finally, I can't agree that the road between Kinlochewe and Achnasheen is one to try. I almost fell asleep yesterday. Perhaps, if I could have legally done 150mph, the occasional bend might have kept me awake.
On the other hand the A890 had some great corners just before it went into a single track leading to Locharron.
Sorry to be negative. It's probably just me. It's only my second trip up here.
Let me know where I've gone wrong for the next time.
I never drive to Falkirk, so couldn't possibly comment.I was also disappointed with the paucity of roads this time. We seem to find ourselves back on roads that we had previously travelled on. Plus, like the rest of Britain, the state of most of the roads was terrible. Occasionally, you would get European funded ones that lasted for a mile or so and then back to what we all know and hate. Unlike Spain or France where there are just too many to choose from and the state of them is wonderful.
And finally, I can't agree that the road between Kinlochewe and Achnasheen is one to try. I almost fell asleep yesterday. Perhaps, if I could have legally done 150mph, the occasional bend might have kept me awake.
On the other hand the A890 had some great corners just before it went into a single track leading to Locharron.
Sorry to be negative. It's probably just me. It's only my second trip up here.
Let me know where I've gone wrong for the next time.
If you don't like the roads here, that's your decision. I'm not here to defend them. Most agree they are the best in the UK... they might be wrong, they might be right. I love the roads in Spain and some of them in France, but prefer Norway and Sweden TBH. However, I don't live there, I live here, and drive about 18000 miles a year in the NW Highlands, and they suit me as they are largely empty (when driven at the right time, if you are behind a caravan, you are driving at the wrong time - probably the wrong month). This is a thread about Highland roads, so I try and help those who want to get the best from them.
If you can fall asleep when driving up here, then I'd definitely avoid the place in future. For my sake as well as yours.
I hear Norfolk is nice.
ETA (I've never driven Glen Docherty at the NSL, so can't imagine what it would be like. Slow, probably).
Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 12th August 07:04
Lancs Dave said:
Good thanks Mikey :-) You?
I'm back up there for a week in September in the M3.
Travelling more slowly these days. Especially on that road :-(
Yea busyI'm back up there for a week in September in the M3.
Travelling more slowly these days. Especially on that road :-(
Contemplating a week in Scotland in one of the roadsters in September (depending on which one gets sorted first
)
image by mikey k V8VR, on FlickrLancs Dave said:
I'm back up there for a week in September in the M3.
Funny you should say that. I might be as well. Which one?ISTR you used to have a red Z4 roadster. Kylesku Bridge car park, April 2009.
In convoy with an orange Lambo, a silver S2000, and a red 1 series.
Lancs Dave said:
Travelling more slowly these days. Especially on that road :-(
As in warp factor 6 instead of 9, Mr Sulu...? 
Edited by Red Devil on Tuesday 12th August 20:36
GetCarter said:
I hear Norfolk is nice.
ETA (I've never driven Glen Docherty at the NSL, so can't imagine what it would be like. Slow, probably).
I don't see where I said Norfolk was nice for roads. That's why I came up to Scotland.ETA (I've never driven Glen Docherty at the NSL, so can't imagine what it would be like. Slow, probably).
Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 12th August 07:04
There were a few nice roads which I enjoyed. I prefer twisty roads that you can push on but stay withing the national speed limit.
However, if you like to brag about breaking the national speed limit, you might want to have a look at this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Fools and their money are soon parted, if they don't manage to kill someone else first.
Zed 44 said:
GetCarter said:
I hear Norfolk is nice.
ETA (I've never driven Glen Docherty at the NSL, so can't imagine what it would be like. Slow, probably).
I don't see where I said Norfolk was nice for roads. That's why I came up to Scotland.ETA (I've never driven Glen Docherty at the NSL, so can't imagine what it would be like. Slow, probably).
Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 12th August 07:04
There were a few nice roads which I enjoyed. I prefer twisty roads that you can push on but stay withing the national speed limit.
However, if you like to brag about breaking the national speed limit, you might want to have a look at this.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Fools and their money are soon parted, if they don't manage to kill someone else first.
You carry on driving at the NSL down there and we'll drive to the conditions up here
Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 13th August 13:38
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