Schotland sightseeing/roadtrip plan: please advise me
Discussion
Hello,
I'm from Belgium and new to this board.
I'm planning a roadtrip to schotland this summer ( probably september ) with my recently bought BMW M3 E46.
It's not a pure driving holiday, I want to visit stuff too.
As I have no idea about the condition of the roads in Schotland and how fast we will drive from point to point I was wondering if you could advise me a bit.
I visited some sites and made some kind of my own route:
Day 1: From Calais to Folkestone, using the Eurotunnel. Then From Folkestone to Edinburgh (someone told me to visit this city)
Day 2: From EdinBurgh to Blairgowrie to Cairngorms National Park (part of the old military road) and the day end in Aviemore
Day 3: From Aviemore to Skye
Day 4: Isle of SKye and neigborhoud tour: Coral Beach, Isle Of Harris, Quiraing, Neist Point
Day 5: Isle of Sky to Loch Ness
Day 6: Loch Ness to Loch Lomond (visiting Fort William), through to the A82.
Day 7: Loch Lomond to Conic Hill , GlenFinnan, Ben A'am
Day 8: All the way back home, to folkestone
Can You advise me?
Am I making huge mistakes here? Is my schedule realistic or complete madness? Things like that
Thanks in advance guys
Kind regards
Matthew
I'm from Belgium and new to this board.
I'm planning a roadtrip to schotland this summer ( probably september ) with my recently bought BMW M3 E46.
It's not a pure driving holiday, I want to visit stuff too.
As I have no idea about the condition of the roads in Schotland and how fast we will drive from point to point I was wondering if you could advise me a bit.
I visited some sites and made some kind of my own route:
Day 1: From Calais to Folkestone, using the Eurotunnel. Then From Folkestone to Edinburgh (someone told me to visit this city)
Day 2: From EdinBurgh to Blairgowrie to Cairngorms National Park (part of the old military road) and the day end in Aviemore
Day 3: From Aviemore to Skye
Day 4: Isle of SKye and neigborhoud tour: Coral Beach, Isle Of Harris, Quiraing, Neist Point
Day 5: Isle of Sky to Loch Ness
Day 6: Loch Ness to Loch Lomond (visiting Fort William), through to the A82.
Day 7: Loch Lomond to Conic Hill , GlenFinnan, Ben A'am
Day 8: All the way back home, to folkestone
Can You advise me?
Am I making huge mistakes here? Is my schedule realistic or complete madness? Things like that
Thanks in advance guys
Kind regards
Matthew
Mr MXT said:
Get the ferry to Newcastle and start your trip from there.
Folks time to Edinburgh will be a major trek.
Why would you do that? What advantage does it have ? newcastle Ireland, you mean ?Folks time to Edinburgh will be a major trek.
The eurotunnel saves me a lot of time in comparison with any ferry. Not mentioning the fact that I will have to drive to IJmuiden, Netherlands, to take a ferry to Newcastle Ireland, which takes me another 2 hours.
Thank you for the quick response already !
Edited by rabbit1986 on Tuesday 20th January 21:19
Edited by rabbit1986 on Tuesday 20th January 21:20
Janluke said:
Think about staying on the outskirts of Edinburgh, the centre isnt great for car parking and the public transport links from the outskirts are quite good, tram, trains, park and ride etc.
Assuming Blairgowrie to Aviemore is via Glenshee, Braemar Tomintoul etc rather than back onto A9
Yes, it is via Brudge of calli, Glenshee ski centre,...Assuming Blairgowrie to Aviemore is via Glenshee, Braemar Tomintoul etc rather than back onto A9
rabbit1986 said:
Mr MXT said:
Folkstoneto Edinburgh is an 8 hr drive, not a great way to stands and end the trip IMO!
Yes I know, it is a bit dull indeed. Any suggestions ? It's still a long way to schotland from folkestone snd vice versa, so we might as well rake the quick boring route, no ?
rabbit1986 said:
Hello,
Day 2: From EdinBurgh to Blairgowrie to Cairngorms National Park (part of the old military road) and the day end in Aviemore
Day 3: From Aviemore to Skye
Day 4: Isle of SKye and neigborhoud tour: Coral Beach, Isle Of Harris, Quiraing, Neist Point
Day 5: Isle of Sky to Loch Ness
Day 6: Loch Ness to Loch Lomond (visiting Fort William), through to the A82.
Day 7: Loch Lomond to Conic Hill , GlenFinnan, Ben A'am
Aside from the South of England to Scotland trip which, although I have never done it, like others mention above, would not wish to do if at all avoidable, the day to day timing looks fine.Day 2: From EdinBurgh to Blairgowrie to Cairngorms National Park (part of the old military road) and the day end in Aviemore
Day 3: From Aviemore to Skye
Day 4: Isle of SKye and neigborhoud tour: Coral Beach, Isle Of Harris, Quiraing, Neist Point
Day 5: Isle of Sky to Loch Ness
Day 6: Loch Ness to Loch Lomond (visiting Fort William), through to the A82.
Day 7: Loch Lomond to Conic Hill , GlenFinnan, Ben A'am
Day 2 route the suggestion above re Braemar and Tomintoul is best.
Day 3 - how were you planning to get from Aviemore to Skye? I would suggest either A9 to Inverness then via Garve and Achnasheen (drop into Plockton maybe, fit in a run over the Bealach na Ba to Applecross if you have time. Alternatively, up A9 but turn left at Tomatin or Moy and head down to Fort Augustus, then down to Invergarry, then West to Shiel Bridge and over Ratagan to Glenelg and Kylerhea ferry and on to Skye.
Where on Skye did you plan to stay?
Neist, Quiraing all good on Skye (Isle of Harris is a whole different island and not doable in your timetable unless you meant something else). Skye is a big island and due to its geography and roads it can take longer than you would think to get from A to B, so pick the places you want to visit carefully.
Did you plan to come back from Skye via the Armadale-Mallaig ferry at the south east end of the Island?
Ok... Here's some options:
Day 1 is a hell of a drive - if you can break it up with an extra day, let us know, there's some cracking roads in the North of England you could explore if you break the drive up.
https://goo.gl/maps/iM6eu - I've routed you via the Devil's Beef Tub, if you're too knackered by the time you get to that junction, just take the A702 from the next junction.
Day 2. Some interesting sights on your way. This route takes you over the Forth Road Bridge, you can stop at either end & walk over it to get pictures of the parallel rail bridge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Bridge with any luck, Network Rail might have opened their Bridge Climb experience by the time you visit. Your route also takes in Perth, which is a nice enough place, Scone Palace and Balmoral, unfortunately it seems Balmoral's gardens won't be open to the public when you visit. http://www.balmoralcastle.com/admissions.htm This route also takes in the Glenshee & Lecht ski centres. https://goo.gl/maps/P0Xf6
Day 3. This one's not particularly long, but some parts are fairly challenging. Leaving Aviemore, you could potentially back-track towards Grantown & head for the B roads towards Nairn, then head for Inverness, but I've left your route set to the A9. You might want to visit Culloden Battlefield on the way up & the city of Inverness. Leaving Inverness, you head over the Kessock bridge & onwards towards Tore interchange. If you want, detour via Dingwall & Strathpeffer (nice little spa town) but I wouldn't bother. After Kinlochewe, you might want to stay on the A832 towards the shores of Loch Maree, the scenery here is stunning & there's some walks in the forest. The route then takes you via Torridon, Applecross (you'll get some stunning views of Skye from here) and the Bealach Na Ba. This is a very challenging road. When you reach the A87, you might want to head east for a few minutes to visit Eilean Donan Castle. Head over the A87 Skye bridge onto the island. I've set the end point as Portree, the main town, but don't feel that you have to stay there - https://goo.gl/maps/bqCTU
Day 4. Getting to the Isle of Harris is a bit much. If you're desperate to go, here's the ferry timetable - http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summer-timetabl... - I've never been to the outer isles, so can't comment on what to see. Skye itself is lovely & it's well worth a drive round the top of the island to Uig etc.
Day 5. I've taken you off Skye via the Armadale ferry - http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summer-timetabl... - if you do decide to go to Harris, enquire about a Hopscotch ticket rather than buying individual tickets for the ferries.
Once you reach the mainland, you're on the A830, this has been vastly upgraded in the last 10 years, but it still tricky in sections. It's dual track throughout, but carries a lot of HGV traffic heading for Mallaig. You can stop at Glenfinnan for the Jacobite memorial & the Glenfinnan viaduct that appears in the Harry Potter films (you've got this down as day 7, did you mean somewhere else around the bottom of Loch Lomond for that day?) . I'd be tempted to do your Ft. William stop on this day, unless you're determined to climb Ben Nevis or something. Maybe stop today to get your bearings & re-visit the stuff you want to see on day 6. https://goo.gl/maps/CRcSE
Day 6. Straightforward drive via the A82 - https://goo.gl/maps/jLX3i - if you want to re-create the scene in Skyfall, look for signs to Glen Etive shortly after passing through Glencoe. I've included the "Scotsburgring" - the old road via Kinlochleven on this one. An interesting detour off this route takes you via the A828, Oban & Inverary - Oban's a nice town, again, worth a visit, so's Inverary. The driving is good between these places. https://goo.gl/maps/o9lEw - I've entered Balloch as the end point for both of these as it's the nearest big town, but there's loads of nice hotels on the banks of the Loch itself.
Day 7. Again, assuming Balloch, but it's up to yourself where to stay. This route takes you out of Balloch & up towards Queen Elizabeth Forest, Ben A'an and the Duke's Pass. If you've got time, consider a detour to Loch Katrine & take a trip on the Sir Walter Scott steam ship. http://www.lochkatrine.com/about/steamship-sir-wal... continue on to Callander, Lochearnhead, Crieff then back towards Stirling (if time is getting on, just use the A84 towards Stirling). You could visit Stirling Castle & the Wallace Monument while here. Head back via the A811 - https://goo.gl/maps/e6t88
Day 8. As per day 1, break this up if you can, but I'd be tempted to stick to the motorway all the way - https://goo.gl/maps/EO8Lu
Hope this is of some use to you - can anyone else suggest alterations, things I've obviously missed?
Day 1 is a hell of a drive - if you can break it up with an extra day, let us know, there's some cracking roads in the North of England you could explore if you break the drive up.
https://goo.gl/maps/iM6eu - I've routed you via the Devil's Beef Tub, if you're too knackered by the time you get to that junction, just take the A702 from the next junction.
Day 2. Some interesting sights on your way. This route takes you over the Forth Road Bridge, you can stop at either end & walk over it to get pictures of the parallel rail bridge. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forth_Bridge with any luck, Network Rail might have opened their Bridge Climb experience by the time you visit. Your route also takes in Perth, which is a nice enough place, Scone Palace and Balmoral, unfortunately it seems Balmoral's gardens won't be open to the public when you visit. http://www.balmoralcastle.com/admissions.htm This route also takes in the Glenshee & Lecht ski centres. https://goo.gl/maps/P0Xf6
Day 3. This one's not particularly long, but some parts are fairly challenging. Leaving Aviemore, you could potentially back-track towards Grantown & head for the B roads towards Nairn, then head for Inverness, but I've left your route set to the A9. You might want to visit Culloden Battlefield on the way up & the city of Inverness. Leaving Inverness, you head over the Kessock bridge & onwards towards Tore interchange. If you want, detour via Dingwall & Strathpeffer (nice little spa town) but I wouldn't bother. After Kinlochewe, you might want to stay on the A832 towards the shores of Loch Maree, the scenery here is stunning & there's some walks in the forest. The route then takes you via Torridon, Applecross (you'll get some stunning views of Skye from here) and the Bealach Na Ba. This is a very challenging road. When you reach the A87, you might want to head east for a few minutes to visit Eilean Donan Castle. Head over the A87 Skye bridge onto the island. I've set the end point as Portree, the main town, but don't feel that you have to stay there - https://goo.gl/maps/bqCTU
Day 4. Getting to the Isle of Harris is a bit much. If you're desperate to go, here's the ferry timetable - http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summer-timetabl... - I've never been to the outer isles, so can't comment on what to see. Skye itself is lovely & it's well worth a drive round the top of the island to Uig etc.
Day 5. I've taken you off Skye via the Armadale ferry - http://www.calmac.co.uk/timetables/summer-timetabl... - if you do decide to go to Harris, enquire about a Hopscotch ticket rather than buying individual tickets for the ferries.
Once you reach the mainland, you're on the A830, this has been vastly upgraded in the last 10 years, but it still tricky in sections. It's dual track throughout, but carries a lot of HGV traffic heading for Mallaig. You can stop at Glenfinnan for the Jacobite memorial & the Glenfinnan viaduct that appears in the Harry Potter films (you've got this down as day 7, did you mean somewhere else around the bottom of Loch Lomond for that day?) . I'd be tempted to do your Ft. William stop on this day, unless you're determined to climb Ben Nevis or something. Maybe stop today to get your bearings & re-visit the stuff you want to see on day 6. https://goo.gl/maps/CRcSE
Day 6. Straightforward drive via the A82 - https://goo.gl/maps/jLX3i - if you want to re-create the scene in Skyfall, look for signs to Glen Etive shortly after passing through Glencoe. I've included the "Scotsburgring" - the old road via Kinlochleven on this one. An interesting detour off this route takes you via the A828, Oban & Inverary - Oban's a nice town, again, worth a visit, so's Inverary. The driving is good between these places. https://goo.gl/maps/o9lEw - I've entered Balloch as the end point for both of these as it's the nearest big town, but there's loads of nice hotels on the banks of the Loch itself.
Day 7. Again, assuming Balloch, but it's up to yourself where to stay. This route takes you out of Balloch & up towards Queen Elizabeth Forest, Ben A'an and the Duke's Pass. If you've got time, consider a detour to Loch Katrine & take a trip on the Sir Walter Scott steam ship. http://www.lochkatrine.com/about/steamship-sir-wal... continue on to Callander, Lochearnhead, Crieff then back towards Stirling (if time is getting on, just use the A84 towards Stirling). You could visit Stirling Castle & the Wallace Monument while here. Head back via the A811 - https://goo.gl/maps/e6t88
Day 8. As per day 1, break this up if you can, but I'd be tempted to stick to the motorway all the way - https://goo.gl/maps/EO8Lu
Hope this is of some use to you - can anyone else suggest alterations, things I've obviously missed?
Edited by alangla on Wednesday 21st January 13:21
rabbit1986 said:
Mr MXT said:
Get the ferry to Newcastle and start your trip from there.
Folks time to Edinburgh will be a major trek.
Why would you do that? What advantage does it have ? newcastle Ireland, you mean ?Folks time to Edinburgh will be a major trek.
The eurotunnel saves me a lot of time in comparison with any ferry. Not mentioning the fact that I will have to drive to IJmuiden, Netherlands, to take a ferry to Newcastle Ireland, which takes me another 2 hours.
Thank you for the quick response already !
Edited by rabbit1986 on Tuesday 20th January 21:19
Edited by rabbit1986 on Tuesday 20th January 21:20
It means you can avoid the drive up from the south of England, which regardless of the route you take will be tedious.
From Newcastle you can get on to interesting roads north, e.g. A68.
ianrb said:
Newcastle Upon Tyne, it's on the east coast on England, about 80Km south of the Scottish border.
It means you can avoid the drive up from the south of England, which regardless of the route you take will be tedious.
From Newcastle you can get on to interesting roads north, e.g. A68.
Damn, I already investigated that option. There was a ferry from ijmuiden (nl) to newcastle. But as the websites never mentioned 'upon thyne', I thought we would arrive in Ireland. If it really is upon thyne, that would be bloody great ! It means you can avoid the drive up from the south of England, which regardless of the route you take will be tedious.
From Newcastle you can get on to interesting roads north, e.g. A68.
As for the other reactions, thanks a lot ! I will read them tomorrow and reroute where needed. Did not have too much time this evening.
You guys are a great help!
rabbit1986 said:
ianrb said:
Newcastle Upon Tyne, it's on the east coast on England, about 80Km south of the Scottish border.
It means you can avoid the drive up from the south of England, which regardless of the route you take will be tedious.
From Newcastle you can get on to interesting roads north, e.g. A68.
Damn, I already investigated that option. There was a ferry from ijmuiden (nl) to newcastle. But as the websites never mentioned 'upon thyne', I thought we would arrive in Ireland. If it really is upon thyne, that would be bloody great ! It means you can avoid the drive up from the south of England, which regardless of the route you take will be tedious.
From Newcastle you can get on to interesting roads north, e.g. A68.
As for the other reactions, thanks a lot ! I will read them tomorrow and reroute where needed. Did not have too much time this evening.
You guys are a great help!
Edited by marshalla on Wednesday 21st January 22:44
A few suggestions:
From Skye to Harris is a 2 hour ferry journey, it is possible to get back on the same day, but the ferries don't run every 2 hours, they tend to sit in port for a few hours between sailings, so that part of your trip would take up most of the day.
You don't have to stick to the bridge to get to and from Skye, there is a ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, which will put you on the A830, so you can go past Glenfinnan on your way back to Fort William. Alternatively there is a small ferry from Kylerhea to Bernera which runs in the summer months, which puts you on the A87, which is a better driving road.
I would really try to include a trip along the far north coast of Scotland on the A836/838 from Thurso to Durness. That part of Scotland really is remote and special.
Avemore and Fort William are nothing special, so don't configure you journey to include them.
From Skye to Harris is a 2 hour ferry journey, it is possible to get back on the same day, but the ferries don't run every 2 hours, they tend to sit in port for a few hours between sailings, so that part of your trip would take up most of the day.
You don't have to stick to the bridge to get to and from Skye, there is a ferry from Armadale to Mallaig, which will put you on the A830, so you can go past Glenfinnan on your way back to Fort William. Alternatively there is a small ferry from Kylerhea to Bernera which runs in the summer months, which puts you on the A87, which is a better driving road.
I would really try to include a trip along the far north coast of Scotland on the A836/838 from Thurso to Durness. That part of Scotland really is remote and special.
Avemore and Fort William are nothing special, so don't configure you journey to include them.
ianrb said:
Alternatively there is a small ferry from Kylerhea to Bernera which runs in the summer months, which puts you on the A87, which is a better driving road.
Point of order. He won't find a ferry listed as running to/from Bernera.The mainland embarkation/landing point is Glenelg.
http://www.lochalsh.co.uk/skye_ferry_glenelg.shtml
http://www.skyeferry.co.uk/
The Mam Ratagan pass is by far the most scenic route to/from Skye.
On a fine day the view of the 5 sisters of Kintail is superb.
The road from Kylerhea to the A87 isn't too shabby either.
ianrb said:
I would really try to include a trip along the far north coast of Scotland on the A836/838 from Thurso to Durness. That part of Scotland really is remote and special.
Avemore and Fort William are nothing special, so don't configure you journey to include them.
Seconded.Avemore and Fort William are nothing special, so don't configure you journey to include them.
I'm planning day 2, but it's getting too long, as I still have to get the ferry in Glenelsh 
Anyone has better suggestions? Or points that I can safely avoid?
https://www.google.be/maps/dir/Aviemore,+Highland+...
Anyone has better suggestions? Or points that I can safely avoid?
https://www.google.be/maps/dir/Aviemore,+Highland+...
rabbit1986 said:
I'm planning day 2, but it's getting too long, as I still have to get the ferry in Glenelsh
Anyone has better suggestions? Or points that I can safely avoid?
Give Nairn a miss, it's a nice enough little town, but not worth a detour.Anyone has better suggestions? Or points that I can safely avoid?
Edited by ianrb on Friday 23 January 20:52
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