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Red Devil
4,321 posts
78 months
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TheFive said: The route as plotted on the map is an out-and-back and omits Durness altogether! I assume it is supposed to be a circuit. If so, personally I think it works better clockwise - Ullapool -> Kylesku -> Scourie -> Durness -> Tongue -> Lairg -> Ledmore Junction -> Ullapool. TheFive said: One more question actually - Would it be worth extending the Ullapool -> Durness loop on to Thurso at all and then doubling back to Tongue? This adds 90 miles and 2hrs according to Google, but I guess this depends on how open/fast this section is... It's quick enough but a tad boring and featureless imo. You could 'drive' it on Google Maps and judge for yourself. 
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GetCarter
16,912 posts
149 months
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Red Devil said: It's quick enough but a tad boring and featureless imo. You could 'drive' it on Google Maps and judge for yourself. 
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SmilerFTM
246 posts
20 months
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TheFive said: Not sure how much time you have to play with on your way up but when you get to Barnard Castle don't go across the A66 head up the B6277 to Alston then the A689 up to near Carlisle. A much better way to cross the Penines Also at Gretna take the A75 then A76 up to Thornhill you can then do the A702 back to the motorway. Both routes will improve your long journey, just depends on add I say how much time you have to pay with
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plenty
1,928 posts
56 months
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TheFive said: Day 4
Ullapool to Edingburgh: 226miles, 5hr 29 mins Instead of the A9 from Inverness to Grantown, from Inverness take the B9006 Culloden Rd and then pick up the B9090/B9101 to join the A939 just south of Nairn. The B-roads take you past the Culloden Battlefield and the village of Cawdor (of Shakespeare's Macbeth fame) - and IMHO the A939 from Nairn to Grantown is the finest stretch of driving road in the UK.
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JM
1,805 posts
76 months
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Red Devil said: TheFive said: The route as plotted on the map is an out-and-back and omits Durness altogether! I assume it is supposed to be a circuit. If so, personally I think it works better clockwise - Ullapool -> Kylesku -> Scourie -> Durness -> Tongue -> Lairg -> Ledmore Junction -> Ullapool. Only problem is that a trip to Lochinver Larder/Pie Shop has been missed.
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TheFive
69 posts
83 months
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Thanks for the input guys. Yes the Durness run was supposed to be a loop, looks like the linky isn't working properly. I'll make some adjustments and post updated routes later, cheers.
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SmilerFTM
246 posts
20 months
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Setting off tomorrow and can't wait, despite the 70mph gusts and rain forecast for Friday. Tomorrow I'll be on the B6277 to Alston then the A689 to pretty much the border. From there I'll be heading up to to the Dalveen pass before heading towards the Trossachs for my first nights stay. First day should be decent enough but the routes for all the next five days should be tremendous, unfortunately my roof may spend more time up than down but at least it'll keep any day trippers away so the roads should be even emptier
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Token Jock
784 posts
109 months
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SmilerFTM said: Setting off tomorrow and can't wait, despite the 70mph gusts and rain forecast for Friday. Tomorrow I'll be on the B6277 to Alston then the A689 to pretty much the border. From there I'll be heading up to to the Dalveen pass before heading towards the Trossachs for my first nights stay. First day should be decent enough but the routes for all the next five days should be tremendous, unfortunately my roof may spend more time up than down but at least it'll keep any day trippers away so the roads should be even emptier Might see you on the roads  Three of us are heading North tomorrow morning with first stop in Oban and then travelling further north from Saturday onwards. I'll be in my Aston rather than the Caterham, seems a wise choice looking at the forecast 
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Lancs Dave
66 posts
59 months
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Well, a very wet day from Skye to Torridon today. Just had dinner at the hotel, excellent, as ever.
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TheFive
69 posts
83 months
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Gents,
Finally got down to some studying. I'll make a note of the route enhancements for the initial slog. Only problem is that if I only have the one day I really will be pushed for time as it looks like a 10 hour run assuming all goes well. Going by cardshark's times that sounds about right as Braintree is probably about 45 mins from me and the Glasgow to Fort William bit is another 2.5 hrs, more or less.
One possibility however is to leave the night before and do a stop over in Leeds as my folks are from there. This depends on my wing-man as he works shifts but if it's doable I'll stick on the cross country bits running up to Carlisle as well as the Scottsburgring.
Lochinver looks like it's worth a stop so thanks for that JM, I'll add it on!
Red Devil, the day three loop linky seems to work here so not sure why it's busted. Good news is that the route is exactly as you described.
Plenty's contribution has been added so I'll update the original linky - Thanks.
So, unless I've missed something it looks like I'm there. Driving google I'm getting an incling that this may just be the most ultimate driving route in the world, ever! I did the alps a couple of years ago with stelvio, furka, grimselpass, gross glockner and all that and although the scenery is stunning and the driving is good, you are still inconvenienced by tourists and plebs...
Smiler/Token/Lancs - Any pics? How is it in crepe weather - should I care? My theory is I've got a roof so I should be ok, no?
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SmilerFTM
246 posts
20 months
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Weather has been hit and miss so far, one second sunshine the next can't see very far because of the rain. I've been a bit unlucky with traffic at times and I've never seen so many cyclists. Had a few really good runs though, in particular the Dalveen pass, Dukes pass and the Leven loop. According to my brother there is no need to speed up every time I turn on my GoPro, I tried telling him I was going fast all the time and putting that on made no difference but he didn't believe me  . Hoping for a bit of dryness tomorrow to get the roof down for a while, no pics yet, will need to get home for that
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SmilerFTM
246 posts
20 months
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Red Devil
4,321 posts
78 months
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TheFive said: Lochinver looks like it's worth a stop so thanks for that JM, I'll add it on! See the pics in my post on page 2. The Moggie driver was doing an epic 4700 mile journey round the entire coast of Great Britain. TheFive said: Red Devil, the day three loop linky seems to work here so not sure why it's busted. Good news is that the route is exactly as you described. Maybe it's just my laptop doing weird stuff.  The beaches at Durness are excellent - pack your swimming trunks!
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Lancs Dave
66 posts
59 months
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Don't worry about the weather. As we travelled to torridon on Friday it was pretty bad with high winds and heavy rain. Some of the waterfalls coming off the mountains were really spectacular. Get yourself a new set of wiper blade before you set off and you'll be fine.
Unfortunately we ar heading south today but we've had another great week, whatever the weather.
Can also recommend the beaches just east of Durness. We were swimming there in April.
Dave
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Lancs Dave
66 posts
59 months
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Just passed a group of cars heading north as we came south across Ranoch Moor - R8, 911, E46 M3, DB9V, RS Focus. Just wondered if it's anyone from here?
Oh, and it's raining LOL :-)
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GetCarter
16,912 posts
149 months
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There is another bunch coming up to stay at the Torridon. Could well be them.
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SmilerFTM
246 posts
20 months
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Finally back home in Hartlepool 1460 miles after setting off. Superb six days and it's properly whet my appetite for a big 3500 mile+ journey into Europe next year. Some ridiculously good fun roads and spectacular scenery. Certainly won't forget that trip in a hurry. Well get some photos up later, right now I need a bath and some home cooking
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Lancs Dave
66 posts
59 months
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SmilerFTM
246 posts
20 months
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Not the best pictures admittedly but some from my trip over the last few days anyways Sunny at the bottom and zero visability once at the top, the Applecross was busy when I got there but an experience I won't forget in a hurry  The road from Lochinver to Clachtoll felt like I was on another planet  One or two others from various (mini) stops    
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GetCarter
16,912 posts
149 months
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The Bealach this morning:  Worth clicking on the one below to see the size of the telegraph poles. 
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