Discussion
Article in The Times today about NC500 becoming a racetrack for supercars.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/highlan...
Says the police are using unmarked cars on the route due to the high number of complaints they're receiving.
I'm not saying convoys are good or bad but our group prefer to limit the numbers to 4 or 5 cars at max for these reasons. We also end up splitting up over the day as some of us will stop for a picture or something but we know where we're going and go at our own pace mostly.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of group drives/rides unless I know the people really well and trust their decision making when on the road. The last thing we need is somebody taking a hugely risky overtake, to try and keep up or show off, and drawing attention to us, or worse.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/highlan...
Says the police are using unmarked cars on the route due to the high number of complaints they're receiving.
I'm not saying convoys are good or bad but our group prefer to limit the numbers to 4 or 5 cars at max for these reasons. We also end up splitting up over the day as some of us will stop for a picture or something but we know where we're going and go at our own pace mostly.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of group drives/rides unless I know the people really well and trust their decision making when on the road. The last thing we need is somebody taking a hugely risky overtake, to try and keep up or show off, and drawing attention to us, or worse.
Get Carter right about the locals - fastest thing that overtook me the other week was a 51 plate Volvo V40 in Q3 mode. Rightly or wrongly ,though, a knackered old Volvo doesn't tend to raise hackles quite like a bevy of howling McLarens or F458s in the wrong place can . I would hate to see this last area of freedom be adversely affected by the selfish actions of a few - it's easy to be courteous and sensible and with so little traffic we tend to be rather 'on display'. A bit of discretion and a fabulous journey can be achieved without putting in jeopardy what many of us love to do.I have seen only too well what a minority of idiot bikers have done to some of my favourite roads at home so at the risk of being branded a Mumsnet spokesman let's be careful eh ?
jock mcsporran said:
Article in The Times today about NC500 becoming a racetrack for supercars.
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/highlan...
Says the police are using unmarked cars on the route due to the high number of complaints they're receiving.
I'm not saying convoys are good or bad but our group prefer to limit the numbers to 4 or 5 cars at max for these reasons. We also end up splitting up over the day as some of us will stop for a picture or something but we know where we're going and go at our own pace mostly.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of group drives/rides unless I know the people really well and trust their decision making when on the road. The last thing we need is somebody taking a hugely risky overtake, to try and keep up or show off, and drawing attention to us, or worse.
feckin hellhttp://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/scotland/highlan...
Says the police are using unmarked cars on the route due to the high number of complaints they're receiving.
I'm not saying convoys are good or bad but our group prefer to limit the numbers to 4 or 5 cars at max for these reasons. We also end up splitting up over the day as some of us will stop for a picture or something but we know where we're going and go at our own pace mostly.
Personally, I'm not a huge fan of group drives/rides unless I know the people really well and trust their decision making when on the road. The last thing we need is somebody taking a hugely risky overtake, to try and keep up or show off, and drawing attention to us, or worse.
driving in this country is night mare ... any open road and it gets locked down
Europe FTW
It hasn't been 'locked down' and thousands of miles of UK roads are still delightful to drive on. The tourist board confected NC 500 maybe a victim of its own success unless people behave. And remember that some of us have been doing that route for decades, and it has also been popular with lots of classic and vintage drivers without any apparent issue - until within a year (?) of the NC 500 initiative
mikey k said:
TBH the NC500 is marketing hype
There are MUCH better roads away from that route
The eastern leg (the A99/A9 from JoG to Inverness) is nothing special. However if you're going to venture north and west of a line drawn between Inverness and Kyle of Lochalsh you will find it a tad difficult to avoid at least part of the NC500 at some point. There is no direct connection between the subjective quality of the roads and the publicity initiative being attached to them.
I reckon there's going to be a lot more of these popping up along the route.
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Mock-cop-...
I've read a few folk say the road from JoG to Inverness isn't as good as the west side and I wouldn't disagree with that but it's only because of the improvements that have been done over the past 30 years. The majority of the population lives on the East side so that's where the investment went. It used to be a terrible road which caused a lot of very bad accidents and produced some amazing survival stories in winter. Now it's a great flowing road but you need to be going illegally fast for it to be really enjoyable. I know which version the locals prefer!
The solution is to stop along the way and check out some of the bonnie villages and towns en-route.
cheers.
http://www.johnogroat-journal.co.uk/News/Mock-cop-...
I've read a few folk say the road from JoG to Inverness isn't as good as the west side and I wouldn't disagree with that but it's only because of the improvements that have been done over the past 30 years. The majority of the population lives on the East side so that's where the investment went. It used to be a terrible road which caused a lot of very bad accidents and produced some amazing survival stories in winter. Now it's a great flowing road but you need to be going illegally fast for it to be really enjoyable. I know which version the locals prefer!
The solution is to stop along the way and check out some of the bonnie villages and towns en-route.
cheers.
I will be doing a business trip up to Scotland shortly and have one day free where I don't have actual work to do. I have accommodation booked in Killin about 90 minutes out from Glasgow.
I will have the whole day free, but then have to be at a hotel in Grangemouth by that evening ready for a meeting early the next day. Because time is limited, and I don't know this area at all, are there any roads in that area people can suggest to try or avoid. I don't mind being on the road up to 8 hours that day.
I will have the whole day free, but then have to be at a hotel in Grangemouth by that evening ready for a meeting early the next day. Because time is limited, and I don't know this area at all, are there any roads in that area people can suggest to try or avoid. I don't mind being on the road up to 8 hours that day.
At Killin you are in a good place for good drives.
You are centrally placed so a choice of heading west through Glencoe to the Loch Leven 'loop' etc.
Or stay central for Loch Rannoch and maybe a trip up the A93 to Braemar. Sommething like this https://goo.gl/maps/iBkTZNaoADJ2
That takes a run up through Glenshee to Braemar and back the same way, but well worth the visit. I've also added a circuit round Loch Rannoch. And avoided the main road (A9) as much as possible. A quick check of a map will show you there are several bits that you could cut out to shorten the driving time if required, and there are also several more interesting (single track) bits close by that I've not included.
You are centrally placed so a choice of heading west through Glencoe to the Loch Leven 'loop' etc.
Or stay central for Loch Rannoch and maybe a trip up the A93 to Braemar. Sommething like this https://goo.gl/maps/iBkTZNaoADJ2
That takes a run up through Glenshee to Braemar and back the same way, but well worth the visit. I've also added a circuit round Loch Rannoch. And avoided the main road (A9) as much as possible. A quick check of a map will show you there are several bits that you could cut out to shorten the driving time if required, and there are also several more interesting (single track) bits close by that I've not included.
Dingle Dell said:
I will have the whole day free, but then have to be at a hotel in Grangemouth by that evening ready for a meeting early the next day. Because time is limited, and I don't know this area at all, are there any roads in that area people can suggest to try or avoid. I don't mind being on the road up to 8 hours that day.
If you fancy an early start, and I wouldn't do Glencoe without an early start in August.Head to Crianlarich, A82 Glencoe (you could take in the Scotsburg-ring if you wish), Spean Bridge. Take the turn to Kingussie at Spean Bridge (A86). Catch about 10 miles of A9 and turn off to Grantown on Spey (A95), road to Braemar via Tomintoul and Cockbridge (A939) and then link up with the route above at Braemar. It's about 300 miles door to door and Google estimates 7 hours but with a fair wind and an early start you'll have plenty of time. If you find yourself getting short on time then just jump back on the A9 or M90 at Perth for the last run into Grangemouth.
I'd always wanted to do a west coast trip since around 2011, finally got round to doing it the first time in 2014 and never looked back. I now plan on doing some form of road trip every year. Excuse all the photos, but there are from a 6 day trip last year from Aberdeen to Kylesku to Applecross to Isle of Skye to Isle of Harris, back to Skye then back to Aberdeen via Glen Coe.
Just did Isle of Uist last month, Isle of Arran last September and doing a small 3 day trip back to Kylesku then Applecross at the end of August. 3rd year in a row I've stayed at the Kylesku Hotel and Applecross Inn, both highly recommended. I'll be taking the A836 up to Tongue as I missed it last year and it's one of the best I've driven.
Just did Isle of Uist last month, Isle of Arran last September and doing a small 3 day trip back to Kylesku then Applecross at the end of August. 3rd year in a row I've stayed at the Kylesku Hotel and Applecross Inn, both highly recommended. I'll be taking the A836 up to Tongue as I missed it last year and it's one of the best I've driven.
Thanks to JM & Jock for the suggestions. I quite fancy the loop through the Cairngorms using the A9, A95, A939, A93, A924 or similar. I'm bound to have a few stop-off's so that will probably keep me busy until I need to head off to Grangemouth.
Sometimes it's better to go clockwise or anti-clockwise on these circular routes because of the views, etc, so would be good to know if there's a preference.
Sometimes it's better to go clockwise or anti-clockwise on these circular routes because of the views, etc, so would be good to know if there's a preference.
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