Discussion
Red Devil said:
The drawback with Wales is it's much closer to major population centres in England. Easier access: more traffic.
It's why I'll always prefer the Highlands, despite the extra time and cost of getting there from south of the Thames.
The latest drawback is the 20mph speed limit! It's why I'll always prefer the Highlands, despite the extra time and cost of getting there from south of the Thames.
I did a great road trip in Wales in 2021 but the 2 I did in Scotland this year were every bit as good and for now most built-up areas still have a 30 limit!
Mr Tidy said:
Red Devil said:
The drawback with Wales is it's much closer to major population centres in England. Easier access: more traffic.
It's why I'll always prefer the Highlands, despite the extra time and cost of getting there from south of the Thames.
The latest drawback is the 20mph speed limit! It's why I'll always prefer the Highlands, despite the extra time and cost of getting there from south of the Thames.
I did a great road trip in Wales in 2021 but the 2 I did in Scotland this year were every bit as good and for now most built-up areas still have a 30 limit!
If you need to drive from Cardiff Bay to Merthyr, for example, then the 20mph will have a big impact on your journey, but if you are driving from, for argument’s sake, the Herefordshire border to Eryri via A44, B4518, A470 (look it up if you’re interested) then it’s not going to make a huge difference to the journey. In reality, on most of the rural B roads through villages it is incredibly difficult to do more than 25mph through the villages due to narrow roads, parked cars, tight bends etc.
From experience B4343 Ysbyty Ystwyth / Pont-rhyd-y-groes was 30, now 20 in heart of villages but if you did 30mph through there when it was 30mph limit then I’d say you’d have been a bit of a kn*b.
And I’ve yet to find many people out here in the rural west/central that do 20 on the dot. Taking into account the discretion and intolerance in the speedo accuracy most do 25, some just blatantly ignore it altogether!
Of course I do 20 in every limit
Ffordd Ar Gau said:
Red Devil said:
The drawback with Wales is it's much closer to major population centres in England.
Shouldn’t say this being a ‘Sais’ originally… (now an adopted Welshman I hope!) 
but the one annoyance is the Sais (English) tourist, particularly caravaners, and those who cannot drive on narrow lanes and the mountain roads, or dawdle presumably looking at the views, nice as they are. But we do need the tourists here financially!!Thanks, for confirming that. I’d have expected the OP to have experienced more traffic on the Bealach na Ba given how well known it’s become with the NC500 popularity
I am looking forward to doing the Highlands and Islands and hoping to avoid many of the most popular NC500 routes for that reason. I love Wales but honestly, there are far more ‘special’ roads in the Highlands as far as I can tell having yet to visit!
I have seen very few caravans in.the Highlands. It's nearly all campervans. However the ignorance of/disregard for single track road etiquette can sometimes be just as bad as you mention.
The upside is that a lot of the single track roads are liberally equipped with passing places at regular intervals which makes things rather lees of a hindrance.
mjlloyd500 said:
Been up there in the winter period and it's absolutely stunning on a nice sunny day
True. Even on an average day, it is bloody fantastic. Some of my best days out have been in weather best described as 'atmospheric' and 'less than optimal'.
The biggest challenge in winter is (understandably) half the tourist services shut for a couple of months over the winter.
I’ve just had a wonderful day in the hills up northwest. Canisp and Ben Stack. Roads near empty and fine until heading back to Ullapool in the dark (deer).
Obligatory pic of that bridge
And a couple of pics from the hill tops:
Suilven from Canisp
And from the top of Ben Stack at sunset looking east (I think Ben Loyal in the distance)
Obligatory pic of that bridge
And a couple of pics from the hill tops:
Suilven from Canisp
And from the top of Ben Stack at sunset looking east (I think Ben Loyal in the distance)
holes. 
so it’s nice to see the snowy scenes
GetCarter said:
Just FYI
Glen Torridon is closed today as the snow plough is on its side blocking the road.
Not the highlands but many years ago I drove over the Pennies for work everyday. I had a Sierra 4x4. One day around 7am I came across a breached snow plough blocking the road. I gave the driver a lift to the nearest phone box. I was really pissed off as I had then had to find a route around the road he had blocked Glen Torridon is closed today as the snow plough is on its side blocking the road.
leggly said:
I ended up having to take the Gritter home as the Volvo just wouldn’t make it. This is the NC500 at Strathy 
Did you hear what happened to the driver in Torridon? I assume he was ok (?), as the bloke that found him was laughing as he told me about it!Trying to clear a passing place and wheels went into the peat bog I believe.
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