Tour of Scotland - summer '09

[VerySideways]

Hi guys,

Just trying to guage interest in this trip i was planning last year.

The idea would be to go to Scotland for a week and do a variation on the "850 mile lap" sometime around the end of June or beginning of July, before the school holidays, or mid September after the school holidays.

Roughly:
Day 1 - drive to Edinburgh
Day 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 - do "the lap", finishing in Edinburgh
Day 7 - drive back

More info on "the lap" here: http://www.rioprestige.com/driving/the-lap-of-scot...

I'm going.

Edited by VerySideways on Tuesday 28th April 11:38

[VerySideways]

Robbie, you got the itn for the lap? Open it in TYRE and you'll see it... :-)

[VerySideways]

Robbie - YHM

[VerySideways]

john_r said:

The GT-R arrives in June, so late July onwards would suit me best... It'll be run-in by then!

John, i'd expect you to book the running in service for exactly a week after delivery

[VerySideways]

So, July it is.

Departure date: July 18th or 25th (Saturday)

Day 1: Drive to Edinburgh
Day 2/3/4/5 850 mile lap
Day 6: in Edinburgh
Day 7: drive home
Day 8 (Sunday): relax!

#	Name	Car	Departure date
1.	VerySideways	Chimaera	Either
2.

[VerySideways]

Since only one person has expressed an interest in a specific date let's use that.

JULY 25th ->

Go and book time off work!!

[VerySideways]

Right, i've sorted out an excel spreadsheet.
Assuming max of 250 miles between fuel stops, most are less than 200, all at Tesco or Shell.
Mileage per day: 460 / 170 / 180 / 190 / 190 / 0 / 405
I also have itn files for the six days where we do mileage, but i haven't checked these yet.
I will start looking into hotels asap as i suspect these will book up fast.

[VerySideways]

Hooning fuel stops are less than 200 miles, the only slightly longer ones are when we're doing motorway work up there and back again.

[VerySideways]

Kids will be out of school from mid july to the first week of september so we're not going to dodge it easily.
I don't think most of the route will be that busy because we're going on lots of "back roads", there will be plenty of overtaking available, and we're going so far north!

I'm aiming to check hotel availability this week and start booking rooms because i don't want to have to cancel due to a lack of accomodation and i don't fancy pitching tents every night!

[VerySideways]

I'm aiming for family run b&b's with not too many rooms, dining facilities, decent parking and decent prices, mostly in old stone-built country houses.

[VerySideways]

Glencoe is a highly likely lunch stop on day 2 actually...

[VerySideways]

Ok, some of the hotels i've called are already full and none of them are empty.

I'm happy to split a twin with someone but for one night there is the possibility of a room with 4 bunk beds (so 8 people)... :-)

[VerySideways]

Have you seen the route? Different place every night... i'll send it through.

[VerySideways]

Most of the places i'm looking at are around £35-£40pppn, the bunk house is £14pppn and is walking distance to the beach and the pub

[VerySideways]

Ok, i'd guess something like this:
6 nights accomodation, around £250pp
900 miles @ 28mpg = £150
700 miles @ 22mpg = £150
Plus lunches and dinners and drinks.

[VerySideways]

#	Name	Car	Room
1.	VerySideways	Chimaera	Single/Twin
2.	John D.	Clio Cup	?
3.	john_r	GT-R	Snoring
4.	Turbofun.	Bedroom lurker	?
5.	identti	Swift Sport	Single/Twin
6.	Black Sport 160	Lotus Elise Sport 160	?
7.	angrys3owner	Yellow Audi stbox	?
8.	NWVT	C4 VTS HDI	Single/Twin

[VerySideways]

And thanks to Fraser i've just added the Glen Morangie Distillery to the route for a lunchtime stop

[VerySideways]

john_r said:

I think this thread should be moved to the Scotland forum immediately.

That way we get to see Pete swear on PH twice in one day...

[VerySideways]

I've got the fuel stops sorted, no worries there
Got some local knowledge to assist me with hotels too, as well as my best mate "google"

Beer in Edinburgh sounds like a plan.

[VerySideways]

#	Name	Car	Room
1.	VerySideways	Chimaera	Single/Twin
2.	John D.	Clio Cup	Single/Twin
3.	john_r	GT-R	Snoring
4.	Turbofun.	Bedroom lurker	?
5.	identti	Swift Sport	Single/Twin
6.	Black Sport 160	Lotus Elise Sport 160	?
7.	angrys3owner	Yellow Audi stbox	Single/Twin - no weirdos
8.	NWVT	C4 VTS HDI	Single/Twin
9.	Kiwifraser	Monaro	Single/Twin

Edited by VerySideways on Thursday 26th February 11:32