Highlands

[mikey k]

The last couple of days have been great!

Grampians (260 miles)
B9090 to B9007
A938/9
Lin of Dee near Braemar
Lunch @ Braemar in the Bothy
Pitlochry to Dalwhinnie
A86 to Spean Bridge
East of Loch Ness B862 & 851

NE Highlands (299 miles)
B9176 North for views
A836 from Lairg
B873/871 to Melvich
Dunnet Head
Thirle Door and the Stacks of Duncansby
Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
Old Wick Castle
Golspie fish supper on beach

Off to Get Carters stomping ground tomorrow

[GetCarter]

mikey k said:

The last couple of days have been great!

Off to Get Carters stomping ground tomorrow

Assuming you're in the McLaren, Look out for Gordon Murray. He's here at the moment - driving a Berlingo (!)

[mikey k]

Yep in the McLaren
Currently warming up in the Bealach Cafe
I'm sure I overtook him earlier

[Blown2CV]

s70rmp said:

Blown2CV said:

diesel cars can get away perfectly OK without premium diesel though. It's not the same sort of thing as with unleaded.

yes yes they can but I prefer to use Shell Nitro after years of using other diesel as I found my cars perform better with it, but that's my choice to feed the car it

my point was that it's a preference, not a necessity, so you're not stuck as such.

[andym1603]

Blown2CV said:

s70rmp said:

Blown2CV said:

diesel cars can get away perfectly OK without premium diesel though. It's not the same sort of thing as with unleaded.

yes yes they can but I prefer to use Shell Nitro after years of using other diesel as I found my cars perform better with it, but that's my choice to feed the car it

my point was that it's a preference, not a necessity, so you're not stuck as such.

Without derailing the thread and causing an argument, I am coming to the end of a tank of Shell Nitro diesel and have managed to get near 150 miles more than on normal diesel.

[Blown2CV]

andym1603 said:

Blown2CV said:

s70rmp said:

Blown2CV said:

diesel cars can get away perfectly OK without premium diesel though. It's not the same sort of thing as with unleaded.

yes yes they can but I prefer to use Shell Nitro after years of using other diesel as I found my cars perform better with it, but that's my choice to feed the car it

my point was that it's a preference, not a necessity, so you're not stuck as such.

Without derailing the thread and causing an argument, I am coming to the end of a tank of Shell Nitro diesel and have managed to get near 150 miles more than on normal diesel.

No argument to be had as I am not wrong, you just seem to think I am saying something other than I am. Whilst your economy story will be a great yarn to tell the grandchildren, i'll say it again - if you find yourself in a part of the highlands where Shell V-Power Diesel Nitro Extreeem PLUS XL is not available, your car will be able to run on normal diesel just fine, and you won't be forced to commit hara kiri, or walk, shamed, out into the snow and die of exposure. You might be aghast to hear that it will even run on tractor diesel or chip fat. I am not saying it's a better choice, merely that you will get home just fine, if a little perturbed at the reduced economy. I'd just be happy I'd had the chance to do a highland road trip, if it was me, and that would be making me pretty happy regardless.

[mikey k]

Back on topic!

The Highlands today

DSC01208 by Mikey K 650S, on Flickr

[Patrick Bateman]

All the way to the Bealach na Ba and visibility is at arms length. Nae luck.

[GetCarter]

Patrick Bateman said:

All the way to the Bealach na Ba and visibility is at arms length. Nae luck.

Was that you I saw in the black M5 in Shieldaig at about 10:20 this morning?

[Patrick Bateman]

I was in the Torridon café enjoying some cake for breakfast at that point, would have been driving through there at about 11 though.

[GetCarter]

Patrick Bateman said:

I was in the Torridon café enjoying some cake for breakfast at that point, would have been driving through there at about 11 though.

I was at Jo's cafe myself. I was in the white RR dog kennel - with the dogs barking (at you, I have to add). My Mrs was counting the money earned for RSPB two tables away from where you sat?

Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 5th April 19:15

[Patrick Bateman]

I had a feeling that may have been you! I heard your friend shout your name but that's all I had to go on and wasn't quite up to introducing myself as 'that guy from the internet' if it was a complete randomer.

Your friend had spoken to me further up the road before that, the exhaust had caught his attention...

[DangerDoom]

Planning to head up next week and will be following much of the advice from this thread (thanks in particular to GetCarter).

Will be waking up in Fort William on Tuesday morning and driving up the west coast to Tongue (https://goo.gl/maps/ovgpBBQ3FPG2). Is this possible in one day of driving or do I need to stop somewhere and break it up? Providing the weather isn't rubbish I'll probably be super pumped and will be out by 7am.

[GetCarter]

If you don't stop (or hang around) that's about 7.5 hours drive. Taking it easy and stopping for lunch and it's about 11 hours.

These times are relevant for next week.... not August when there will be lots more traffic!

[GetCarter]

Patrick Bateman said:

Your friend had spoken to me further up the road before that, the exhaust had caught his attention...

He used to drive a Maserati (but then he accidentally parked it in the sea).

[DangerDoom]

GetCarter said:

If you don't stop (or hang around) that's about 7.5 hours drive. Taking it easy and stopping for lunch and it's about 11 hours.

These times are relevant for next week.... not August when there will be lots more traffic!

Thanks GetCarter. I'll be pushing on. Will make a good stop for breakfast and for lunch. How's your read on the weather for next week? Looks cloudy and a bit wet but seems reasonable.

[GetCarter]

DangerDoom said:

Thanks GetCarter. I'll be pushing on. Will make a good stop for breakfast and for lunch. How's your read on the weather for next week? Looks cloudy and a bit wet but seems reasonable.

This is about the best weather forecasting service. If you plumb in Fort William, Ullapool etc.. This is here. (Looking pretty good) http://xcweather.co.uk/forecast/shieldaig

[andy_s]

Looking forward to 8 days in the highlands next month... http://www.capewrathultra.com

[coppice]

DangerDoom said:

GetCarter said:

If you don't stop (or hang around) that's about 7.5 hours drive. Taking it easy and stopping for lunch and it's about 11 hours.

These times are relevant for next week.... not August when there will be lots more traffic!

Thanks GetCarter. I'll be pushing on. Will make a good stop for breakfast and for lunch. How's your read on the weather for next week? Looks cloudy and a bit wet but seems reasonable.

I think to get the most out of your journey I'd plan to stop somewhere like Lochinver/Scourie/Inchnadamph; it is a long and hugely enjoyable trip from Fort William up the West coast and if you are doing Bealach, Torridon etc you do need to savour the scenery. I normally do an overnight stop at Invergarry (E of Ft. W) and in a Seven I am well pooped by the time I get N of Ullapool(wet/sunburned/both/ tired arms from constant steering and gearchanging etc ).Up to you of course but I 'd also want to savour the lovely run to Durness/Eriboll/Tongue refreshed and not already overloaded from hundreds of miles of best views and drive in UK .

[Patrick Bateman]

Making stops along the way splits the journey up nicely.