Discussion
jamoor said:
Wow, this is true actually. Investment by No10 only seems to occur within the M25.
Hardly news. That London-centric attitude was skewered 35 years ago. 
- https://youtu.be/wcMA0MFdNZQ?t=380GetCarter said:
Re ferry and low cars... they usually have a bit of wood they use so that the journey from ferry to land (or vice versa) is less drastic. Talk to them beforehand.
You know I'm not sure a bit of wood would be enough TBH.
Glenelg Ferry
Oops! 
Enjoying Skye despite the rough weather this week. It’s an amazing place.
As far as driving goes some roads are newly surfaced but others like the single track past the Quiraing are wrecked and almost walking pace in places to avoid holes.
Still busy everywhere. I’m with my OH and therefore not driving that fast. Seems like 75% of the cars here are 18-plate hire cars which are still easily passed but I’m fair game for everyone local.
Was easily caught by a Renault Traffic van over a couple of open fast miles the other day, unfortunately just before a long twisty section where I couldn’t safely let him past. Was a masterclass in speed preservation from him.
Enjoying Skye despite the rough weather this week. It’s an amazing place.
As far as driving goes some roads are newly surfaced but others like the single track past the Quiraing are wrecked and almost walking pace in places to avoid holes.
Still busy everywhere. I’m with my OH and therefore not driving that fast. Seems like 75% of the cars here are 18-plate hire cars which are still easily passed but I’m fair game for everyone local.
Was easily caught by a Renault Traffic van over a couple of open fast miles the other day, unfortunately just before a long twisty section where I couldn’t safely let him past. Was a masterclass in speed preservation from him.
Peanut Gallery said:
I never knew it went that mental! - no wonder the roads cannot cope!
(Off to Mallaig early November, hope to find some decent roads down there, normally I spend my time further north.)
BTW, Mr Carter, just to say I really like your tweet of day from Saturday,
Before I start looking into it myself, how might I be able to obtain a print?
A familiar profile.
A896 viewpoint - https://goo.gl/maps/jpCNcY1mK572
Was your pic taken from the Ben Damph Estate?
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=185500&y=...
A896 viewpoint - https://goo.gl/maps/jpCNcY1mK572
Was your pic taken from the Ben Damph Estate?
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=185500&y=...
GetCarter said:
StanleyT said:
That An Tellach? Climbed it 4 times over 30 years in each of the four seasons and it has always been in mist!
Close... Beinn AlliginMind you, did the horns of Align fine in mist, snow and ice (and still have the crampon gouge in my calf from the day when my collegue slipped back and razored me on the way past saying "what belay").
Did Ben Eigie in mist and snow. Fine.
Half way along the nasty bit of (don't know how you pronounce it Liacathtch?) the mist cleared and I froze onto the narrow path like a frozen froe thing, took a few minutes, the safety rope and a poke with a walking pole to get me going again.
PS anyone staying in a hotel in Thurso that rhymes with "Brutha" on the main street don't, work colleagues up there last week report flea infestation.
GetCarter said:
The nearest to you would be https://www.ullapool-tyres.co.uk - though they won't even wake until 8 am tomorrow. Good luck.
Many thanks for this recommendation! They were able to order in a new Conti for the same day so I only lost a day of driving 
Red Devil said:
A familiar profile.
A896 viewpoint - https://goo.gl/maps/jpCNcY1mK572
Was your pic taken from the Ben Damph Estate?
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=185500&y=...
If I am correct, the viewpoint is bottom right of this pic, with Loch Damh stretching off a bit into the distance.A896 viewpoint - https://goo.gl/maps/jpCNcY1mK572
Was your pic taken from the Ben Damph Estate?
http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=185500&y=...
(Taken from the top of Ben Alligin)
So my wife and I returned from our two week trip of the highlands last week.... 2500 miles in total, from Edinburgh to Durness via my uncle in Inverness, back via Lochinver, Skye. Also managed a few days on Harris and Lewis. This is such a great thread and really helped plan our trip so many thanks to all the contributors. A quick summary:
Scenery:
Truly breathtaking at times! Especially the coastal, lunar landscapes north of Ullapool which will long live in the memory. Harris was also a highlight (golden road etc). We will definitely be back! Weather was typically Scottish
Driving:
If I'm honest, for me, Europe is far better for driving roads, both in quality and the stunning road architecture. Scotland wouldn't be top of my list if I was just going for the driving ... yes there are a few nice roads with a good surface, but there are a lot of poor surfaces which really don't help the experience. There's also a lot of single track to negotiate if you want to see the best scenery... not a problem for me as we were happy to pootle around and just take it all in, but with all the blind crests/corners and oncoming traffic it's definitely not the place to push on. Traffic was fairly light north of Ullapool but as you get further south towards Fort William it gets increasingly busy with all the associated frustrations. I have no problem with all the motorhomes etc. Yes, most people don't know how to drive properly and have no regard/observation to pull over and let you overtake safely, but there's not much you can really do and it's best not to get worked up by it.
Car:
The C63 performed faultlessly (apart from the puncture
). I agree with the poster a few pages back who hired the Fiat 500. The C63 was truly in it's element on our euro trip last year - stunning, smooth roads, tunnels galore etc. I found it a bit too wide for the Scottish roads and the roads are quite harsh on the car. If I went back, I think a small hot hatch or similar would be perfect (you don't really need more than 150bhp there), ideally a hire car so I'm not too precious about it.
A few pics from the trip. We kept bumping in to some chaps who were on a tour with their Mclarens.
Scenery:
Truly breathtaking at times! Especially the coastal, lunar landscapes north of Ullapool which will long live in the memory. Harris was also a highlight (golden road etc). We will definitely be back! Weather was typically Scottish
Driving:
If I'm honest, for me, Europe is far better for driving roads, both in quality and the stunning road architecture. Scotland wouldn't be top of my list if I was just going for the driving ... yes there are a few nice roads with a good surface, but there are a lot of poor surfaces which really don't help the experience. There's also a lot of single track to negotiate if you want to see the best scenery... not a problem for me as we were happy to pootle around and just take it all in, but with all the blind crests/corners and oncoming traffic it's definitely not the place to push on. Traffic was fairly light north of Ullapool but as you get further south towards Fort William it gets increasingly busy with all the associated frustrations. I have no problem with all the motorhomes etc. Yes, most people don't know how to drive properly and have no regard/observation to pull over and let you overtake safely, but there's not much you can really do and it's best not to get worked up by it.
Car:
The C63 performed faultlessly (apart from the puncture
). I agree with the poster a few pages back who hired the Fiat 500. The C63 was truly in it's element on our euro trip last year - stunning, smooth roads, tunnels galore etc. I found it a bit too wide for the Scottish roads and the roads are quite harsh on the car. If I went back, I think a small hot hatch or similar would be perfect (you don't really need more than 150bhp there), ideally a hire car so I'm not too precious about it. A few pics from the trip. We kept bumping in to some chaps who were on a tour with their Mclarens.
logit said:
So my wife and I returned from our two week trip of the highlands last week.... 2500 miles in total, from Edinburgh to Durness via my uncle in Inverness, back via Lochinver, Skye. Also managed a few days on Harris and Lewis. This is such a great thread and really helped plan our trip so many thanks to all the contributors. A quick summary:
Scenery:
Truly breathtaking at times! Especially the coastal, lunar landscapes north of Ullapool which will long live in the memory. Harris was also a highlight (golden road etc). We will definitely be back! Weather was typically Scottish
Driving:
If I'm honest, for me, Europe is far better for driving roads, both in quality and the stunning road architecture. Scotland wouldn't be top of my list if I was just going for the driving ... yes there are a few nice roads with a good surface, but there are a lot of poor surfaces which really don't help the experience. There's also a lot of single track to negotiate if you want to see the best scenery... not a problem for me as we were happy to pootle around and just take it all in, but with all the blind crests/corners and oncoming traffic it's definitely not the place to push on. Traffic was fairly light north of Ullapool but as you get further south towards Fort William it gets increasingly busy with all the associated frustrations. I have no problem with all the motorhomes etc. Yes, most people don't know how to drive properly and have no regard/observation to pull over and let you overtake safely, but there's not much you can really do and it's best not to get worked up by it.
Car:
The C63 performed faultlessly (apart from the puncture). I agree with the poster a few pages back who hired the Fiat 500. The C63 was truly in it's element on our euro trip last year - stunning, smooth roads, tunnels galore etc. I found it a bit too wide for the Scottish roads and the roads are quite harsh on the car. If I went back, I think a small hot hatch or similar would be perfect (you don't really need more than 150bhp there), ideally a hire car so I'm not too precious about it.
A few pics from the trip. We kept bumping in to some chaps who were on a tour with their Mclarens.
Agree with your summary. Scenery:
Truly breathtaking at times! Especially the coastal, lunar landscapes north of Ullapool which will long live in the memory. Harris was also a highlight (golden road etc). We will definitely be back! Weather was typically Scottish
Driving:
If I'm honest, for me, Europe is far better for driving roads, both in quality and the stunning road architecture. Scotland wouldn't be top of my list if I was just going for the driving ... yes there are a few nice roads with a good surface, but there are a lot of poor surfaces which really don't help the experience. There's also a lot of single track to negotiate if you want to see the best scenery... not a problem for me as we were happy to pootle around and just take it all in, but with all the blind crests/corners and oncoming traffic it's definitely not the place to push on. Traffic was fairly light north of Ullapool but as you get further south towards Fort William it gets increasingly busy with all the associated frustrations. I have no problem with all the motorhomes etc. Yes, most people don't know how to drive properly and have no regard/observation to pull over and let you overtake safely, but there's not much you can really do and it's best not to get worked up by it.
Car:
The C63 performed faultlessly (apart from the puncture
). I agree with the poster a few pages back who hired the Fiat 500. The C63 was truly in it's element on our euro trip last year - stunning, smooth roads, tunnels galore etc. I found it a bit too wide for the Scottish roads and the roads are quite harsh on the car. If I went back, I think a small hot hatch or similar would be perfect (you don't really need more than 150bhp there), ideally a hire car so I'm not too precious about it. A few pics from the trip. We kept bumping in to some chaps who were on a tour with their Mclarens.
A narrow car is better and excess horsepower redundant. (Less so at 6am maybe)
Really enjoyed our Sept tour and will be back. I think alps roads are far better for driving but the scenery, walking and food in the highlands were great combination. Discussing with oh about lessons learnt, our favourite stops were Cromlix, Thurso hotel and kylesku hotel. Uig was basic but the walks stunning.
Thurso was so good we want to def include that next time and ferry up north.
The day before yesterday, I motored up from Edinburgh into the Highlands in my boat, errm car. I have never seen a landscape so wet. I have also not seen Glencoe, the Five Sisters or whatever else lay on the way. Traffic was easy enough, so totally unremarkable except for the absence of scenery.
Yesterday, Season 2 Episode 1 of the Highland Quest began. Under conditions that only in the beginning were not as appaling as in Wellingtons army, the A832 was busy with motorhomes at first. Going clockwise, the scenery and the road became absolutely magnificient after Poolewe along the western and northern coast. A835 was deserted and allowed for good progress, as did the A832 and A890. Nobody was travelling so you could enjoy your motorcar, if not the scenery which was again absent. At Lochcarron, the rain started descending again and I retreated into the Kishorn Seafood bar for Oysters. A good run of 5 hours. If the Highlands had been there, it would have been even more enjoyable. Roads were very wet and sometimes quite unpleasant to negotiate.
Here is yesterday's catch for you to enjoy.
Yesterday, Season 2 Episode 1 of the Highland Quest began. Under conditions that only in the beginning were not as appaling as in Wellingtons army, the A832 was busy with motorhomes at first. Going clockwise, the scenery and the road became absolutely magnificient after Poolewe along the western and northern coast. A835 was deserted and allowed for good progress, as did the A832 and A890. Nobody was travelling so you could enjoy your motorcar, if not the scenery which was again absent. At Lochcarron, the rain started descending again and I retreated into the Kishorn Seafood bar for Oysters. A good run of 5 hours. If the Highlands had been there, it would have been even more enjoyable. Roads were very wet and sometimes quite unpleasant to negotiate.
Here is yesterday's catch for you to enjoy.
Today, the Highland Quest continued with Season 2 Episode 2. Overnight, flooding caused quite some concern in parts of Scotland, where Gairloch was hit where I passed yesterday still without concerns. As the rain continued and with fog added, I decided only to do a short drive for a fish supper.
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff