Highlands

[torqueofthedevil]

This belongs in the Shepherd's Pie & Piston

[Mezzanine]

Mr Roper said:

GetCarter said:

The A896 was busy this morning:

Very clean sheep.

Mr. Carter individually hand washed each one before his photo shoot you know.

[Red Devil]

He is clearly trying to fleece us.

[quiraing]

Wouldn't like to be confronted by this lot whilst coming round a corner in a Lamborghini.

Might be ok in a Dodge Ram.

Edited by quiraing on Monday 7th January 14:18

[11110111]

must have been fun trying to mooo've them out of the way

[Shaw Tarse]

11110111 said:

must have been fun trying to mooo've them out of the way

Nah, he could use his horn.

[mv6]

They must come from the "Bealach Na Baaaaaaaaaa"!

[EcosseBMW]

Red Devil said:

Did that one too. Struie Hill.


Given a choice, stay away from the A9 as long as you can.

Heres my pictures...I was a local once! Love this road!











I'm planning my next trip home, so I can drive this and the roads and enjoy the ''scenery'' again ;-)

My favorite road is beyond Ullapool, forgot its name, but its so barren and empty...its automotive freedom to explore and with next to no cars, you are in heaven! Living in South Englandshire makes you really appreciate everything and every trip you make!

[Red Devil]

EcosseBMW said:

My favorite road is beyond Ullapool, forgot its name, but its so barren and empty...its automotive freedom to explore and with next to no cars, you are in heaven!

Not that many to choose from
A835/A837 Ullapool to Lochinver
B869 Lochinver to Unapool via Clachtoll
A835/A837/A894/A838 Ullapool to Durness & Tongue
A836 Tongue to Lairg via Altnaharra
A837/A836 Ledmore Junction to Lairg
A838/A836 Laxford Bridge to Lairg

EcosseBMW said:

Living in South Englandshire makes you really appreciate everything and every trip you make!

I'll be back up there again in April.

[torqueofthedevil]

I know this thread is titled 'highlands' but are all the roads being suggested actually in the highlands or just any Scottish mountainous regions? Is it considerably better driving right up there?

I only have 2 or 3 nights after leaving Edinbourgh but was planning a route of basically glen Coe, fort William, a82 up to Inverness, back through caingorms to edinbough.

However want to drive the best roads and also a bit wary of cairngorms because don't want to get caught out on snowy roads (going mid February) and either car I take is shocking on snow.

[GetCarter]

torqueofthedevil said:

I know this thread is titled 'highlands' but are all the roads being suggested actually in the highlands or just any Scottish mountainous regions? Is it considerably better driving right up there?

Couple of things.



Firstly, +/- 95% of the population of the Highlands live and work in the East, so the west is pretty empty. There are no 'rush hours' north of Fort William in the west.

Secondly, It's as much WHEN you come as where you drive. Come in August and drive Sunday lunchtime and the roads in the north west will be quite busy (2 or 3 cars a minute). Do the same drive early on a Sunday morning in early March and you may only see one car an hour.

There are some great roads in the east, but the fast empty ones are in the west. When you get to Fort William, don't head towards Inverness, stay on the west coast and head north - Locarron, Appecross, Torridon, Gairloch, Ullapool - and if you have time Durness - that's where you'll find these roads http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm


ETA... very rough map of where IMHO the best roads in the UK are to be found:



(FYI More people live in Inverness than the entire area highlighted above - apart from Fort William the biggest towns are Portree & Ullapool, populations between 1000 and 2000)

Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 8th January 09:04

[Hooli]

Horten229 said:

Hooli said:

Horten229 said:

As for deer, yes they do find tarmac very attractive on winter nights. A Christmas drive to Aultbea along the A832 (before upgrade) was more like something out of a George A Romero movie as the daft buggers either lay in the road or lurched into your path. And remember they're like bikers: if you have a close call with one, be sure that his mate(s) will be following right behind (speaking as an Isle of Man resident, and in no way a bike hater )

As a biker...


...zig zagging through a herd of deer on the A82 at sub 20mph because they wouldn't move out the way is odd & those antlers look huge from a few feet away.

Touring the Highlands at this time of year on 2 wheels? That is dedication!!

Mind you, on the right road (plenty of choice) and in the right conditions (less common) the rewards will be much greater than for us mere car drivers. Any time I saw a biker in Wester Ross in winter I was reminded of the guy from Gumball rally

I can never watch this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjXBPr9oGCI&lis...

too many times.

This was a couple of years ago & more like summer, not got up there properly last year. I'll have to correct that.

[320touring]

GetCarter said:

Epicness

Its almost like I could have written it!

I'd love to be able to get a job that allowed me to work from home, and cover my fuel costs to spend several days a week driving about there.

[Mostro]

GetCarter said:

Couple of things.

Firstly, +/- 95% of the population of the Highlands live and work in the East, so the west is pretty empty. There are no 'rush hours' north of Fort William in the west.

Secondly, It's as much WHEN you come as where you drive. Come in August and drive Sunday lunchtime and the roads in the north west will be quite busy (2 or 3 cars a minute). Do the same drive early on a Sunday morning in early March and you may only see one car an hour.

Steve, in your opinion when is THE best time to come? I'm looking at a trip sometime between Apr & summer, but want the best chance of avoiding crappy spring weather, crappy may bank holiday traffic, crappy summer holiday traffic and crappy midges!

Are May BH weeks noticeably busier?

[GetCarter]

Mostro said:

Steve, in your opinion when is THE best time to come? I'm looking at a trip sometime between Apr & summer, but want the best chance of avoiding crappy spring weather, crappy may bank holiday traffic, crappy summer holiday traffic and crappy midges!

Are May BH weeks noticeably busier?

Yep BH always busier. Best time is between Easter and Whitsun (last BH in May). Longish days, no midges, sod all traffic, usually dry(ish) hotels and B&B have vacancies, ferries are not full in case you fancy the Hebrides. Easter is early this year so late April perfect.

[JM]

GetCarter said:

Mostro said:

Steve, in your opinion when is THE best time to come? I'm looking at a trip sometime between Apr & summer, but want the best chance of avoiding crappy spring weather, crappy may bank holiday traffic, crappy summer holiday traffic and crappy midges!

Are May BH weeks noticeably busier?

Yep BH always busier. Best time is between Easter and Whitsun (last BH in May). Longish days, no midges, sod all traffic, usually dry(ish) hotels and B&B have vacancies, ferries are not full in case you fancy the Hebrides. Easter is early this year so late April perfect.

I'd agree with Steve to some and but add that later May and into June will often find the best weather in the UK in the north and west.

It will depend where you go as to how busy it is at Bank holidays, I was working last Easter up in the far north and hotels were no problem and there was still very little traffic.

[Mostro]

JM said:

I'd agree with Steve to some and but add that later May and into June will often find the best weather in the UK in the north and west.

It will depend where you go as to how busy it is at Bank holidays, I was working last Easter up in the far north and hotels were no problem and there was still very little traffic.

Thanks - planning on going all the way to Durness throughout the area Steve has highlighted above, plus return through the Cairngorms. I can't do the second week in May, so excluding BH weeks that only leaves me late April (will it be dry enough?), the 3rd week in May (perfect?) or early June (holiday traffic starting?)

Cheers all

[GetCarter]

Last three years Late April / early May has been the best weather (we had 29C last year on the last day of April). June does start the season and the midges.... but the colours are best early June.

If you check out this page you'll get an idea of the weather patterns on the north west coast: http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/latesttorridon.h...

ETA.. The week with the Mayday BH is quite busy, avoid that!

Edited by GetCarter on Tuesday 8th January 17:19

[sjabrown]

Some point after Easter and before the scottish schools break for summer is best. And avoid the May bank holiday. If venturing near Ft William between 3rd and 11th May the Scottish Six Days Trials are on: good to watch but brings a lot of traffic to town.

I'm looking at doing some weekend work around Gairloch and maybe Durness in the summer just to give me an excuse to travel these roads!

[Mostro]

Sod it, I'll just go in April and again in June and see which is best

Thinking end of April and just pray that the weather doesn't conspire against us too much, especially if my new car plans come to fruition by then...