Highlands

[TheConsultant]

I'm not sure if this is technically the Highlands or not, but in May we're heading up from north-east England to the south shore of Loch Awe for a few days (heading up on the bank holiday, Mon 6th May, so hoping that the bulk of the traffic will be southbound in the opposite direction at the end of the long weekend!).

It's a family trip that includes our nine-month old, however I'm looking forward to the drive and getting back onto some of Scotland's A-roads after too long away.

Was wondering though what the recommended / easiest / most scenic route would be? Any particular things to avoid from the options below?

Up the M74, around Glasgow, up the A82 along Loch Lomond and then up the A83?



Or stay on the A82 a bit longer up to Tyndrum and then join the A85?



Or go to Stirling up the M80 and then the A84?



Or go up the east coast, up the A1 and around Edinburgh and then onto Stirling and the A84?

[some bloke]

You could head to Gourock and get the ferry over to Hunters Quay, then to Inverary, Ardfern Oban etc, or back west to Tyndrum and on to Lochawe.
You get the novelty of a boat trip which most kids like.

[Tye Green]

IMO the best road of all those in your pics is the one from Inveraray to Cladich as the others tend to have traffic. the best Scottish roads are further north.

you don't say where abouts in north east England you are starting from but for that journey I'd say you'd be better off enjoying the roads around Kielder / north Pennines or Yorkshire dales depending upon your start point.

if you were more precise about the general start point it would be easier

[matchmaker]

The A84/85 in summer can be a nightmare with holiday traffic. North of Callander there are few places to overtake the string of motorhomes. It is also the main HGV route to Oban. Once you get past Lix Toll at Killin there are plenty of nice straight stretches where you used to be able to get past the dawdlers. Not any more - they've put in average speed cameras.

[dxg]

matchmaker said:

The A84/85 in summer can be a nightmare with holiday traffic. North of Callander there are few places to overtake the string of motorhomes. It is also the main HGV route to Oban. Once you get past Lix Toll at Killin there are plenty of nice straight stretches where you used to be able to get past the dawdlers. Not any more - they've put in average speed cameras.

Get a speedometer app for your phone that monitors average speed.

Have fun between the cameras.

Park up for a while, take some photos, admire the view, whatever.

Start moving again when your average drops to a suitable level.

[sjabrown]

Inveraray to Dalmally (or Cladich) is a superb stretch of road. I've done it numerous times and it's thankfully still free from average speed cameras.

[TheConsultant]

Thanks all! We're coming from Newcastle, so Dales and Pennines aren't going to feature on our route. It'll either be A69 to Carlisle and up the M74, or A1 up to Edinburgh. The A68 isn't relaxing to drive with the family onboard and there's not much scenery for them either.

Yeah I'd heard about the average speed cameras on the A85 after Lochearnhead. They're on the A69 too, it's like having the driving equivalent of a frontal lobotomy, everyone is just zombified and trundling along, follow-my-leader style. Although it's nice knowing that the chances of someone doing a lunatic suicidal blind overtake and coming straight at you is much reduced, god it's mind-numbing to drive.

Wondering how much of a problem the HGVs will be on the A84/A85 route, I've no shortage of horses to get past platoons of them on the well-sighted bits, but it's not a pleasant journey for the family being pinned into their seats under full throttle! But I've read that the A82 up the side of Loch Lomond is not exactly a pleasurable road to drive either?

[some bloke]

A84/85 can be a bit hit or miss with traffic - I have been stuck behind lorries until I am ready to cry (same with 40mph dawdlers) but I went on that stretch 3 weeks back and barely saw a car between Tyndrum and Oban on a Saturday morning. It can be difficult finding places to pass on those roads so patience is the key. I have just pulled over for photos or a coffee to let the road clear.

[matchmaker]

sjabrown said:

Inveraray to Dalmally (or Cladich) is a superb stretch of road. I've done it numerous times and it's thankfully still free from average speed cameras.

It's a great road. It also gives access to the south Loch Awe road which is I think where the OP was headed for. The A82 up Loch Lomond isn't bad as far as Tarbet. North of that it isn't great. I think the worst bit at Pulpit Rock was sorted some time ago.

Edited by matchmaker on Thursday 18th April 13:10

[Tye Green]

here, sir is your route!

bit of a drive if there's kids on board but great roads all the way except the inevitable motorway section past Glasgow.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Ponteland/Bellin...

[Drive Blind]

remember the A83 is regularly closed at the rest and be thankful.

Motorway signs as far away as glasgow airport usually advertise this though, so should be plenty of warning if this is the case.

[sdh2903]

Drive Blind said:

remember the A83 is regularly closed at the rest and be thankful.

Motorway signs as far away as glasgow airport usually advertise this though, so should be plenty of warning if this is the case.

Not so much this time of year and the work they've been doing forever is currently "complete" with both lanes open.

That route is my spare afternoon off loop, from home near Glasgow over to Inveraray, dalmally and then home the Loch lomond section being the worst bits.

[TheConsultant]

Tye Green said:

here, sir is your route!

bit of a drive if there's kids on board but great roads all the way except the inevitable motorway section past Glasgow.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Ponteland/Bellin...

Ha, I'd love to do that! Not so likely with a baby boy on board though - but maybe one day in the future

I think based on the balance of feedback above, that the A83 (Rest and be thankful) looks tempting. Just had a quick scoot around it on Streetview and it looks quite spectacular.

[Drive Blind]

try and fit in the A817 rollercoaster road too

[stevoknevo]

TheConsultant said:

Tye Green said:

here, sir is your route!

bit of a drive if there's kids on board but great roads all the way except the inevitable motorway section past Glasgow.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/dir/Ponteland/Bellin...

Ha, I'd love to do that! Not so likely with a baby boy on board though - but maybe one day in the future

I think based on the balance of feedback above, that the A83 (Rest and be thankful) looks tempting. Just had a quick scoot around it on Streetview and it looks quite spectacular.

That's the way I'd go from Glasgow to Cladich (I'm in Oban and have friends in Cladich) Any time I head to Glasgow I usually always go A85-A82 and the reverse but recently I've been going A85-A819-A83-A82 because the A82 is a massive PITA and a total slog at this time of year - unlike Mr sjabrown above, I'm not a big fan of the A819 Inveraray-Dalmally road, it's far from boring to drive but there's not much in the way of views/scenery for most of it as your basically in a glen, and much of it isn't in great condition currently especially the Inveraray end - I was down last month, 7c at both Dalmally and Inveraray but 1c with sleet and fairly deep slush on parts of the A819 - just go easy as there's a lot of very tight off camber bends that could catch you out.
The shortest way is the A82-A85 but the A82 is so tight up the Lomondside north of Arrochar that it's regularly buttock clenching with HGV/coaches/effwits who think the road is twice as wide as it is, however the A85 after Tyndrum is wide and flowing most of the way to Dalmally, great stretch of road if you get a clear run at it, and only a short drive to Cladich once you leave it - if you can then avoid going from Cladich to Ford, it's single track and a ball buster, however the A816 at the Ford end towards Oban is epic provided it's not skiting it down, which it often is!

[irc]

Drive Blind said:

remember the A83 is regularly closed at the rest and be thankful.

Motorway signs as far away as glasgow airport usually advertise this though, so should be plenty of warning if this is the case.

This. Plus if the signs say A83 open via OMR that means avoid. The OMR (old military road) is an old singletrack road 3 mile contraflow bypassing the landslides. Expect a wait of 20 minutes when you hit the lights.

[P675]

Bit of a broad question but is there a decent route from near Birmingham to Inverness which avoids the boring motorway part through England, on a bike so can get through traffic to some degree.

[stevoknevo]

irc said:

Drive Blind said:

remember the A83 is regularly closed at the rest and be thankful.

Motorway signs as far away as glasgow airport usually advertise this though, so should be plenty of warning if this is the case.

This. Plus if the signs say A83 open via OMR that means avoid. The OMR (old military road) is an old singletrack road 3 mile contraflow bypassing the landslides. Expect a wait of 20 minutes when you hit the lights.

That entirely depends whereabouts in Argyll you're going, if it's mid Argyll or Kintyre then the wait is far shorter than the length of the diversion

[Craikeybaby]

P675 said:

Bit of a broad question but is there a decent route from near Birmingham to Inverness which avoids the boring motorway part through England, on a bike so can get through traffic to some degree.

It depends on how much time you have got... Personally, I put up with the M1 or M6 slog up from Coventry and prioritise the more exciting bits further north.

[plenty]

Craikeybaby said:

P675 said:

Bit of a broad question but is there a decent route from near Birmingham to Inverness which avoids the boring motorway part through England, on a bike so can get through traffic to some degree.

It depends on how much time you have got... Personally, I put up with the M1 or M6 slog up from Coventry and prioritise the more exciting bits further north.

Yep - I go via the Yorkshire Dales, Pennines and Northumberland and Cairngorms but that's another 1-2 days. Albeit some of those bits are as good as the best bits further north.