Highlands

[GetCarter]

I'll try and organise better weather next time

[dazren]

Just a note to those planning trips to do the north coast road. The Esso in Thurso which has done super unleaded for many years has been replaced in the last twelve months by a supermarket carpark. There is still super unleaded in Thurso though, at the Shell/Gleanor petrol station on the A9 next to the river crossing in the centre of town. Ullapool is still good for super unleaded at the Shell/Gleanor.

[dazren]

GetCarter said:

I'll try and organise better weather next time

Wednesday last week. Dornoch - JOG - Thurso - Tongue - Durness - Ullapool - Gairloch - Achnasheen - Skye. 382 miles in a mix of sunshine and cloud. Couldn't have planned it better.

[GetCarter]

dazren said:

GetCarter said:

I'll try and organise better weather next time

Wednesday last week. Dornoch - JOG - Thurso - Tongue - Durness - Ullapool - Gairloch - Achnasheen - Skye. 382 miles in a mix of sunshine and cloud. Couldn't have planned it better.

Always special dispensation for Daz

[dazren]

Thanks. Same again next year please!

[Singh911]

I am organising a 5 day trip in the Highlands on 20 April. Could i get a heads up about how narrow some of the roads are please? I will be taking either my 911 or M5 - preferably the M5 as i've just bought it and need to gel with it in a way that only a road trip can make possible. I wonder whether some of the smaller roads won't be suitable for it.
For example, we are wanting to go from Glasgow via Inverary, across to Lochigliphead, up to Oban and then to Tyndrum.
The next section is planned through Glencoe up to Fort Augustus. When we get across to Dornie and up around to Kishorn there is a decision as to whether to follow the A896 up to Shieldaig up to Achnasheen - or alternatively go to Applecross and Fearnmore. These roads look narrow up and over the Pass of the Cattle. Will these be unsuitable for the M5?
The plan after there is to go up to Durness and Tongue, then head soutAh to Lairg.
We are not sure what route to follow South after Lairg and are open to suggestions - eventually need to head back to London.
I would welcome thoughts on how do-able this is for 5 days and how suitable some of the roads are for the M5.
I have come up with two must do roads having read all the material - these being the A87 from Invergarry to Dornie and second the A836 from Tongue to Lairg. Are there any other must do roads?
Thanks in advance.

[blazito]

Singh911 said:

Will these be unsuitable for the M5?

Yes. I passed several delivery vans on those roads and even a massive log truck (that was actually on Bealach Na Ba! )

[GetCarter]

No problem with the M5 on any of the roads. I live up here and have owned an RS6 and a couple of BM 5's. You should definitely do the Applecross loop (clockwise best).

...and as mentioned... this passed me this morning

[Singh911]

Excellent - i assume there are good passing points!

Are there any other must do roads? Also would be grateful for any points to really good routes south from Lairg?

cheers

[GetCarter]

Singh911 said:

Excellent - i assume there are good passing points!

Are there any other must do roads? Also would be grateful for any points to really good routes south from Lairg?

cheers

You can't go wrong if you stick to the west coast up to Durness. Can't help with Lairg.

Passing points are fine and numerous, but you are doing it at a good time of year. Not much traffic. Most lorries and trades are done by 8 30 a.m. and don't emerge until 3 p.m.

[Depthhoar]

GetCarter said:

No problem with the M5 on any of the roads. I live up here and have owned an RS6 and a couple of BM 5's. You should definitely do the Applecross loop (clockwise best).

...and as mentioned... this passed me this morning

Teuchter here too.

Those forestry wagons (that one in the photo is a monster!) don't take any prisoners on my winter daily commute on the A86. The road gets narrow, without passing places, east of Creag Meagaidh (Kinlochlaggan) and those boys don't always seem to understand what sharing the road with other users means. Many, many squeaky bum moments!

The roads further north do vary a lot: some without passing places really out to have them, others are excellent and wide. A lot of EU money has gone into road infrastructure in some, but not all, areas of the N of Scotland. Just keep a weather eye out for forestry and massive refrigerated fish wagons bearing down on you when you've got little room to manoeuvre other than the soft shoulder!

[Zed 44]

Singh911 said:

I am organising a 5 day trip in the Highlands on 20 April. Could i get a heads up about how narrow some of the roads are please? I will be taking either my 911 or M5 - preferably the M5 as i've just bought it and need to gel with it in a way that only a road trip can make possible. I wonder whether some of the smaller roads won't be suitable for it.
For example, we are wanting to go from Glasgow via Inverary, across to Lochigliphead, up to Oban and then to Tyndrum.
The next section is planned through Glencoe up to Fort Augustus. When we get across to Dornie and up around to Kishorn there is a decision as to whether to follow the A896 up to Shieldaig up to Achnasheen - or alternatively go to Applecross and Fearnmore. These roads look narrow up and over the Pass of the Cattle. Will these be unsuitable for the M5?
The plan after there is to go up to Durness and Tongue, then head soutAh to Lairg.
We are not sure what route to follow South after Lairg and are open to suggestions - eventually need to head back to London.
I would welcome thoughts on how do-able this is for 5 days and how suitable some of the roads are for the M5.
I have come up with two must do roads having read all the material - these being the A87 from Invergarry to Dornie and second the A836 from Tongue to Lairg. Are there any other must do roads?
Thanks in advance.

How about this for the ideal car for Scottish roads??

http://www.ficr.com.au/images/cars/ficr_small_seda...

[Depthhoar]

Zed 44 said:

How about this for the ideal car for Scottish roads??

http://www.ficr.com.au/images/cars/ficr_small_seda...

Not big enough for Scottish deer.


This is the set up you need:

[Depthhoar]

Singh911 said:

I am organising a 5 day trip in the Highlands on 20 April. Could i get a heads up about how narrow some of the roads are please? I will be taking either my 911 or M5 - preferably the M5 as i've just bought it and need to gel with it in a way that only a road trip can make possible. I wonder whether some of the smaller roads won't be suitable for it.
For example, we are wanting to go from Glasgow via Inverary, across to Lochigliphead, up to Oban and then to Tyndrum.
The next section is planned through Glencoe up to Fort Augustus. When we get across to Dornie and up around to Kishorn there is a decision as to whether to follow the A896 up to Shieldaig up to Achnasheen - or alternatively go to Applecross and Fearnmore. These roads look narrow up and over the Pass of the Cattle. Will these be unsuitable for the M5?
The plan after there is to go up to Durness and Tongue, then head soutAh to Lairg.
We are not sure what route to follow South after Lairg and are open to suggestions - eventually need to head back to London.
I would welcome thoughts on how do-able this is for 5 days and how suitable some of the roads are for the M5.
I have come up with two must do roads having read all the material - these being the A87 from Invergarry to Dornie and second the A836 from Tongue to Lairg. Are there any other must do roads?
Thanks in advance.

Minor detour off the A82 near Glencoe for the 'Scotsburgring' (B863), the loop around Loch Leven, is a must. It dips and dives in an entertaining way with short and long radius curves in with the mix. M5 not the best weapon for that route but not at all bad!

From Lairg south you're probably best just heading directly for Inverness (Shell super-unleaded pitstop nr the main hospital) then to Nairn for the A939 to Grantown-on-Spey and on towards Ballater & Braemar, skirting the Cairngorms. Then it's the A93 bisecting the southern Cairngorms to Blairgowrie and finally Perth. Braemar is lovely and nearby is the beautiful Linn of Dee.

Bear in mind that the A939/A93 takes you past two ski centres (The Lecht & Glen Shee) on roads that can be closed by snow but which should be OK by late April (it's snowing like hell and as I type this and I'm not more than 35 miles from The Lecht) so worth checking beforehand.

Hope this helps!

[Zed 44]

Depthhoar said:

Not big enough for Scottish deer.


This is the set up you need:

Maybe, but I was just thinking something smaller, softly sprung and with bull bars for the sheep really.

[clunkbox]

Singh911 said:

Excellent - i assume there are good passing points!

Are there any other must do roads? Also would be grateful for any points to really good routes south from Lairg?

cheers

Coming South from Lairg to Inverness, take the B9716 to Alness just after Ardgay. The road splits off the the right by an old yellow AA box. Once you get near the top of the hill, stop to look back at the view, it's worth it. Great road, surface isn't amazing though.

Plenty of good passing places, and if you meet someone canny going the other way you can usually time it right so neither of you have to stop.

[Omaruk]

This is great - Henry Catchpole takes an Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 to Scotland. His mission? To explore one of its most spectacular routes: The Old Military Road

http://youtu.be/xkAT82-R0S8

Edited by Omaruk on Wednesday 1st April 00:05

[coppice]

Don't underestimate the ballistic pace some of the locals drive at either. Last year whilst driving North from Lairg a gamekeeper's Land Rover Defender pulled over for me when I caught him in my Seven. I set off at a brisk pace on an open road and the Defender diminished to a dot behind me. I stopped to let somebody pass from the North- Defender within 100m. Long story short, by the time I got to Altnaharra the Defender was a minute behind me and I was going very quickly indeed - when I could see where I was going . So 400bhp per tonne and about 80bhp per tonne ended up almost in a score draw. And the BT vans are all driven by wannabe Hamiltons in Q3 mode too

[Craikeybaby]

Omaruk said:

This is great - Henry Catchpole takes an Aston Martin V8 Vantage N430 to Scotland. His mission? To explore one of its most spectacular routes: The Old Military Road

http://youtu.be/xkAT82-R0S8

Edited by Omaruk on Wednesday 1st April 00:05

I saw that the other night, really enjoyed it and it has got me excited for my trip up there in a few weeks.

[s2kjock]

Singh911 said:

I have come up with two must do roads having read all the material - these being the A87 from Invergarry to Dornie

I used to drive this road a lot, but have not been up it since the Autumn last year, since when AIUI there have been permanent 50mph restrictions put in place from Invergarry West to the top of the hill, and again from Cluanie Lodge to Shiel Bridge or part thereof I think.

As new limits are generally paid attention to by the Polis and roads policing having been diverted off the A9 following the success of the A9 average speed cameras there must be an increased risk of being done on this stretch - the problem is that speeds a "good bit higher" than 50 are easily achievable on this road unless traffic is heavy (rare out of summer daytime tourist season) so if you are caught, the penalties will be painful.

Re narrower Highland roads in general a wide car per se is not a problem, but coupled with poor rearward visibility for the inevitable single track road reversing and low seating position they can be a pain.

My S2000 was in many ways better to drive on these roads than my Evora as the higher seating position meant I could see further ahead over crests/around low corners (why the Defender mentioned above was so close to the Seven!) - the Honda also has much better rear visibility, especially with the roof down (obligatory unless the storm blowing has been given a name).

Your M5 will be plenty fun.