Longest continuous fun road(s) in Britain?

[Chris71]

What's the longest road (or collection of interconnected) driving roads in Britain? In other words, how far is it possible to go on top quality hooning routes before you innevitably end up on an averagely boring A-to-B road (or drive into the sea)?

I'm guessing the really epic driver's roads will be somewhere you can drive a long way in either direction without encountering, well, much of anything. Scottish Highlands somewhere?

[whirligig]

Scottish Highlands for sure - North of Glasgow, say Crianlarich for a starting point. Up to Rannoch Moor, Fort William, Invergarry, to just before Kyle, over to Lochcarron, then Garve, over to Ullapool, down to Gairloch then Kinlochewe then Achnasheen and back to Garve.

Sheer driving heaven!

[sherman]

The A9 above Inverness is also good to add to that list.

[Chris71]

MUST. GO. TO. SCOTLAND.

Never driven north of the border; continuously reminded how much I'm missing out.

Ireland sounds good too.

[croyde]

Once had to leave Swansea early Saturday evening to get to another location near Abersoch and had a cracking drive.

Has stayed in my memory for years.

[Don]

Chris71 said:

MUST. GO. TO. SCOTLAND.

Never driven north of the border; continuously reminded how much I'm missing out.

Ireland sounds good too.

Ireland is beautiful but, my God, the roads are dire. Except occasionally. You'll have been driving for miles on potholed, narrow, crappy roads and, suddenly, you'll come across two miles of arrow straight fresh tarmac funded by the EU. Hammer time. Then it's back to the pootle.

Or at least - that was how I found it a few years back. Could be a different story by now.

[jaf01uk]

whirligig said:

Scottish Highlands for sure - North of Glasgow, say Crianlarich for a starting point. Up to Rannoch Moor, Fort William, Invergarry, to just before Kyle, over to Lochcarron, then Garve, over to Ullapool, down to Gairloch then Kinlochewe then Achnasheen and back to Garve.

Sheer driving heaven!

SShhhh don't tell everybody!
Gary

[Einion Yrth]

Don said:

Chris71 said:

MUST. GO. TO. SCOTLAND.

Never driven north of the border; continuously reminded how much I'm missing out.

Ireland sounds good too.

Ireland is beautiful but, my God, the roads are dire. Except occasionally. You'll have been driving for miles on potholed, narrow, crappy roads and, suddenly, you'll come across two miles of arrow straight fresh tarmac funded by the EU. Hammer time. Then it's back to the pootle.

Or at least - that was how I found it a few years back. Could be a different story by now.

And then there's the strange Irish driving culture. Drive as far to the right as you can until it looks like someone wants to overtake, then drive straight into the hedge, whether the overtaker needs the room or not. Weird.

[goffahsez]

That's it, my next road trip is going to be in Scotland!

Don't think I've ever got further north of Birmingham, I got scared just how much worse things could get

[sherman]

Once you pass Birmingham it actually starts to get a bit better and then once you get near the border and beyond the scenery is even better.

[Chris71]

goffahsez said:

That's it, my next road trip is going to be in Scotland!

Don't think I've ever got further north of Birmingham, I got scared just how much worse things could get

No, don't worry Birmingham is the Zenith of scabiness. Head in any direction and it improves.

[fpsasm]

North of leeds is good,

I've been on the butter tub pass ( which was voted as the best road in the UK tones of times)..(north of hawes). genius road, and you have awesome roads leading up to it as well.

north of england has epic roads.

[Chris71]

fpsasm said:

I've been on the butter tub pass ( which was voted as the best road in the UK tones of times)..(north of hawes). genius road, and you have awesome roads leading up to it as well.

I'm really not convinced by the Butter Tubs. I thought the Ingleton-Hawes road (B6255?) was more fun. The Butter Tubs is undoubtedly spectacular, but there are a lot of steep/narrow/blind bits on one side (would be great fun with better visibility or more space to play though) and the other side is quite open so you'd have to be going really quick to make it interesting. Plus it's really not that long a road - there must be routes in Scotland and (possibly) North Wales where you can drive for ages without coming across a boring bit.

[r129sl]

As someone above has said, start north of Leeds and you can drive fabulous roads all the way to Edinburgh. Something like this:

Leeds
Bolton Abbey
Hawes
Buttertups Pass
Kirkby Stephen
Middleton in Teesdale
Corbridge
Stamfordham
Belsay
A696
A68
Edinburgh

[Red Devil]

whirligig said:

Scottish Highlands for sure - North of Glasgow, say Crianlarich for a starting point. Up to Rannoch Moor, Fort William, Invergarry, to just before Kyle, over to Lochcarron, then Garve, over to Ullapool, down to Gairloch then Kinlochewe then Achnasheen and back to Garve.

Sheer driving heaven!

+1

If you have time head north from Ullapool to Ledmore, Laxford Bridge, Durness, Tongue, Torroble, back to Ledmore and Ullapool.

Spent 4 days starting at Crianlarich then doing all of the above plus
Kyle, Portree, Uig, Brogaig, Portree
Up and over Bealach na Ba to Applecross then the coast road back to Shieldaig

Don said:

Chris71 said:

Ireland is beautiful but, my God, the roads are dire. Except occasionally. You'll have been driving for miles on potholed, narrow, crappy roads and, suddenly, you'll come across two miles of arrow straight fresh tarmac funded by the EU. Hammer time. Then it's back to the pootle.

Or at least - that was how I found it a few years back. Could be a different story by now.

Nope. Was in Eire (Donegal, Leitrim, Sligo, Mayo, Galway, Roscommon, West Meath, Longford, Cavan, Monaghan ) last September and it was exactly like that especially on the western side.

[billybskoda]

A272 in Hampshire, West Sussex, East Sussex. According to 'the people who say true stuff', its the longest country lane in the world...

Great drive, and well known, but due to that, relatively closely monitored by the road policing units...
Nick

[GetCarter]

Chris71 said:

MUST. GO. TO. SCOTLAND.

Nah... roads are crap here.

http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm

here's a route you'd love: http://www.stevecarter.com/bestuk.htm

[Red Devil]

GetCarter said:

Chris71 said:

MUST. GO. TO. SCOTLAND.

Nah... roads are crap here.

http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm

here's a route you'd love: http://www.stevecarter.com/bestuk.htm

+1

Spirited progress from Strathcarron Station to Achnasheen then a full on blat to Garve. Didn't see a single vehicle coming the other way on the latter section.

2009.
Looking north with Loch Broom in the background


The run down from the layby at the top of the hill to Kinlochewe.


2010
Coast road from Applecross to Shieldaig


4 days & 800+ miles of superb traffic free roads. There is nowhere better in the UK than the Western Highlands.

Edited by Red Devil on Monday 2nd August 04:18

[sherman]

Red Devil said:

GetCarter said:

Chris71 said:

MUST. GO. TO. SCOTLAND.

Nah... roads are crap here.

http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm

here's a route you'd love: http://www.stevecarter.com/bestuk.htm

+1

Spirited progress from Strathcarron Station to Achnasheen then a full on blat to Garve. Didn't see a single vehicle coming the other way on the latter section.

2009.
Looking north with Loch Broom in the background


The run down from the layby at the top of the hill to Kinlochewe.


2010
Coast road from Applecross to Shieldaig


4 days & 800+ miles of superb traffic free roads. There is nowhere better in the UK than the Western Highlands.