Discussion
GetCarter said:
Yes. You get good views of the Hebrides on that road, and get to go up and down both sides of the Bealach. Couple of nice beaches too, if you have time. It will only add 30 mins to the journey.
...and you get a bunch of views like this:
[pic]http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/24-7-2013.jpg[pic]
[pic]http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/BoxingMorning.jpg[pic]
[pic]http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/BigSand.jpg[pic]
Stunning, thanks....and you get a bunch of views like this:
[pic]http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/24-7-2013.jpg[pic]
[pic]http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/BoxingMorning.jpg[pic]
[pic]http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/BigSand.jpg[pic]
Craikeybaby said:
If you don't mind adding a bit of extra driving on day 1, I'd suggest taking the A93 at Perth, over Glenshee towards Braemar, then taking the A939 over the Lecht towards Grantown on Spey, then carrying on to Inverness. Those roads are much more interesting than the A9.
Will be doing that on the last day, first day is working out pretty long as it is.Janesy B said:
These are the routes I have planned out for the week. I expect the more experienced here will have some useful input and it would be greatly appreciated.
Day 1 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/SX8VbQwsf2Q2 - Stockton to Inverness via A68/A9.
Day 2 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/SXgzbDYTsbn - Inverness to Durness via A9/A99 (not much choice on that one).
Day 3 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/gdZQ9RqVYeQ2 - Durness to Gairloch via Kylesku.
Day 4 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/wZj8dLZVTxu - Gariloch to Skye, worth taking the long way round or the A896 and going up/back down the Applecross pass?
Day 5 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/XoesWpbeLBz - Skye to Cairngorms, geniunely no idea what's best. Worth going down towards Fort William and looping back up?
Day 6 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/aGapBwD2Vo82 - Cairngorms to Edinburgh, Old Military Road.
OK, here's my 2p. Day 1 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/SX8VbQwsf2Q2 - Stockton to Inverness via A68/A9.
Day 2 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/SXgzbDYTsbn - Inverness to Durness via A9/A99 (not much choice on that one).
Day 3 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/gdZQ9RqVYeQ2 - Durness to Gairloch via Kylesku.
Day 4 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/wZj8dLZVTxu - Gariloch to Skye, worth taking the long way round or the A896 and going up/back down the Applecross pass?
Day 5 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/XoesWpbeLBz - Skye to Cairngorms, geniunely no idea what's best. Worth going down towards Fort William and looping back up?
Day 6 Route - https://goo.gl/maps/aGapBwD2Vo82 - Cairngorms to Edinburgh, Old Military Road.
Day 1. Take a break from the A9 traffic and average speed cameras and try this between Kingussie and Slochd - https://goo.gl/maps/ULSPqkSZ5oo
Day 2. JoG is just a tourist trap with nothing to recommend it. Forget it (unless it's on your 'to do' bucket list) and stay on the A9 to Thurso.
If you must visit Wick for some reason there are three routes from there to Thurso avoiding JoG: A882/A9, B874/A9, B876/A836.
Day 3. After Kylesku take the B869 to Lochinver then via Inverkirkaig: slow and twisty compared to the direct route but much prettier - https://goo.gl/maps/JF1YfKbYgyy
Day 4. What GC said.
Day 5. I can't think of a single reason which would persuade me to go to Fort William. By far the best way to/from Skye is the Glenelg ferry.
It may seem expensive and its capacity is limited. However the short crossing means a quick turnaround so any waiting time isn't a big deal.
As for the cost, I don't begrudge it as the ferry is owned and run by the local community. It's also one of a kind and needs supporting.
The pay off is the Bealach Ratagan, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM37JprOvtA and the spectacular view over Loch Duich to the Five Sisters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXHqC4qoKIU
The A82 along Loch Ness is nothing special imo and using it forces you to go via Inverness. Far better to go via Fort Augustus.
Then take the B862/B851 and the single track road via Glen Kyllachy to Findhorn Bridge - https://goo.gl/maps/Dqv1wM9K1Gr
Day 6. I go this way rather than the final stretch of the A93 and A85 through Perth - https://goo.gl/maps/3LkYDSkKWCE2
Red Devil said:
Day 6. I go this way rather than the final stretch of the A93 and A85 through Perth - https://goo.gl/maps/3LkYDSkKWCE2
Just mind the raised zebra crossing in Stanley, it's high enough to take lumps out of a splitter.Edited by ianrb on Saturday 13th August 16:08
Red Devil said:
My car is lower than stock by 30mm plus it has an aftemarket splitter which doesn't help. I presume the crossing you refer to is this one.
I drove over it back in April this year without any issues whatsoever. Some of the ones near where I live are far more unforgiving.
I don't really like to talk about the size of my splitter, but...I drove over it back in April this year without any issues whatsoever. Some of the ones near where I live are far more unforgiving.
The most random of notes,
If you stop here - https://goo.gl/maps/keeQkuhXJCD2 - Day 6, just after the Lecht ski center, nice viewpoint, hold onto you car door firmly when opening it.. I've seen 3 car doors being bent backwards by the wind in that one spot, not the best on day 6!
If you stop here - https://goo.gl/maps/keeQkuhXJCD2 - Day 6, just after the Lecht ski center, nice viewpoint, hold onto you car door firmly when opening it.. I've seen 3 car doors being bent backwards by the wind in that one spot, not the best on day 6!
What he said! - A93. in the bottom pic I have been going down the long 12% hill, and saw a car going up, all dressed up in new car zebra stripes, towing a trailer with one of those plastic boxes of water (1000 liter) the car stopped, then sat there doing at least 2 hill starts before driving all the way up.
Those stripes are really good at hiding the actual shape of the car.
Those stripes are really good at hiding the actual shape of the car.
Peanut Gallery said:
If you stop here - https://goo.gl/maps/keeQkuhXJCD2 - Day 6, just after the Lecht ski center, nice viewpoint, hold onto you car door firmly when opening it.. I've seen 3 car doors being bent backwards by the wind in that one spot, not the best on day 6!
I prefer the one further north - https://goo.gl/maps/ZdAnik9diqz - as it's a better viewpointA brilliant sunny day with little more than a gentle breeze given the altitude so quite a bit of heat haze. In April!
Toy cars.
GetCarter said:
Quick blat before any cars turned up this morning:
I've heard of getting air over the bumps but that's well OTT! 
GetCarter said:
Janesy B said:
Stunning.
Ta. (I am of course, biased - as that's the road I live on).Just heard we are arriving when he Applecross raft race is kicking off - should be a laugh.
Those planning to visit Applecross might find this useful - http://www.applecross.uk.com/inn/about-us/events-c...Red Devil said:
Not to mention those in the vid who do the same when a car comes towards them on its own side of the road. 
They do this because they know overtaking is dangerous, I know this too because I once heard Jeremy Vine say as much on his lunchtime show ..... Red Devil said:
Blue Lotus MLM on the M6. 
So true, but Reg looked like he could have been in lane 1 rather than lane 2 on occasions (though clearly we couldn't see what was in lane 1 so we'll give him TBOTD) Red Devil said:
White SUV moving across the dashed centre line on the right hander with a car coming the other way @ 7:35. 
Not content with that the driver drifts toward the verge then over corrects and veers back onto the centre whites just as Reg begins his overtake.
Texting, dozing off, or drunk?
Have you tried texting whilst driving ? Not content with that the driver drifts toward the verge then over corrects and veers back onto the centre whites just as Reg begins his overtake.
Texting, dozing off, or drunk?
It's bloody difficult, added to which I imagine it was a bloke driving, and everyone knows we can't multi task. Now I've no wish to take this excellent thread off topic even further by making it into a driving standards thread, but.....
Reg's video :
Overtake at 3.44 had my sphincter twitching. Parked cars and/or camper vans on both sides of the overtaking zone, those on the right obscured by bushes/trees, those on the left had individuals "hanging around" at the back of two of the vehicles. The whole scenario looked like the perfect storm in the making with what could have been a mixture of kids, dogs (or even adults) running out into the road after an errant dog/child, never mind a camper reversing off the parking area on the RHS.
Had Reg waited an additional 5 seconds, the overtake would've been waaaay safer.
Overtake at 6.42. As the second car is passed, there's a driveway on the right, could've been fully sighted to the OP, but may not have been (I suspect it was wasn't) There were other options : just pass the one car and slot back in behind the second, or wait until the left kink in the road and the driveway had been passed and then proceed with the overtake.
Overtake at 8.49. Driveways on both LHS and on RHS. Both definitely unsighted. Another possible perfect storm in the making.
And yes, it is very easy finding fault in other individuals driving when you have the luxury of being able to pause, rewind, pause, freeze frame their videos .... and in all honesty, most of the overtakes were neater/less offensive than mine
(screaming past other road users at 8k rpm in a bright red example of Stuttgart's finest doesn't endear you to other road users in my experience) 
Lot's of roads I recognised there Reg, I'm envious ! !
Spitfire2 said:
We will be at Applecross campsite for a couple of nights this weekend and might make a bit of noise passing your way at least once. We'll have Capri, MG Midget or 2, TR7 V8 and hopefully an Alfa GTV (rear drive 80s one) but that one is looking shaky.
Just heard we are arriving when he Applecross raft race is kicking off - should be a laugh.
We passed each other at 10:05 between Shieldaig and Torridon. I gave you a wave! (Was in white RR).Just heard we are arriving when he Applecross raft race is kicking off - should be a laugh.
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