Route suggestions heading up to the Highlands
Discussion
I'm going on a Highlands tour in May and will be travelling up from Surrey. I'm happy enough to bite the bullet for the first couple of hours to get up the M1 to Loughborough, and then plan on looping up through the Peaks via Buxton, through Huddersfield and then up the A629 to the Dales, through Hawes and then up to my overnight near Penrith.
So far so good.
I saw a thread from 2014 on here about routes to the Highlands, all of which said avoid the A9 and I think I have some decent routes up to Inverness after I get to Glasgow thanks to that.
The problem section is Penrith to Glasgow which looks like motorway the whole way. Is it better to go via Dumfries and the A76..? Are there any other routes that will get me to Dumbarton and the A82 that don't add huge amounts of extra time?
The ride from Penrith is currently going to be 6.5 hours and 300+ miles without stops so I'd prefer not to add extra hours if possible but 120 miles of motorway to Glasgow is not enticing me.
So far so good.
I saw a thread from 2014 on here about routes to the Highlands, all of which said avoid the A9 and I think I have some decent routes up to Inverness after I get to Glasgow thanks to that.
The problem section is Penrith to Glasgow which looks like motorway the whole way. Is it better to go via Dumfries and the A76..? Are there any other routes that will get me to Dumbarton and the A82 that don't add huge amounts of extra time?
The ride from Penrith is currently going to be 6.5 hours and 300+ miles without stops so I'd prefer not to add extra hours if possible but 120 miles of motorway to Glasgow is not enticing me.
As far as motorways go the M74 is reasonably scenic, but I like the A7 so if it were me I would probably take that from Carlisle to Selkirk then head west via Peebles and on to Carluke then last wee bit on the M8 into Glasgow.
Hawick, Selkirk and Peebles all offer decent towns for a stop and a bit of a rest and Galashiels too if you don’t mind the detour. Also a few nice villages en route eg Innerleithen. Not much between Carlisle and Hawick but that’s part of the appeal! According to Google would add about 1.5 hours to your journey but worth it if you want to avoid the motorway. I’m not so familiar with the road between Carnwath and Carluke, been a good few years since I’ve been on that section.
Hawick, Selkirk and Peebles all offer decent towns for a stop and a bit of a rest and Galashiels too if you don’t mind the detour. Also a few nice villages en route eg Innerleithen. Not much between Carlisle and Hawick but that’s part of the appeal! According to Google would add about 1.5 hours to your journey but worth it if you want to avoid the motorway. I’m not so familiar with the road between Carnwath and Carluke, been a good few years since I’ve been on that section.
Where are you headed beyond Glasgow? That has a bearing on routes, unless you’re stopping in Glasgow itself.
The motorway isn’t bad at all, it’s very scenic, and generally quiet, and climbs quite high before descending to Glasgow. If you do use the motorway, Cairn Lodge services on the outskirts of Glasgow are run by the crew who run Tebay, but it’s much much quieter. I enjoy stopping there.
You could instead head from Carlisle across the borders to Edinburgh, and head to the highlands via the Cairngorms - Perth, Glenshee, Ballater, Tomintoul and then head west in to the upper regions. Those roads are spectacular to drive and also stunning scenery.
The motorway isn’t bad at all, it’s very scenic, and generally quiet, and climbs quite high before descending to Glasgow. If you do use the motorway, Cairn Lodge services on the outskirts of Glasgow are run by the crew who run Tebay, but it’s much much quieter. I enjoy stopping there.
You could instead head from Carlisle across the borders to Edinburgh, and head to the highlands via the Cairngorms - Perth, Glenshee, Ballater, Tomintoul and then head west in to the upper regions. Those roads are spectacular to drive and also stunning scenery.
There's not another route that will get you to Dumbarton without adding extra time. Heading for Newton Stewart then Girvan is a nice run, you can wander up the coast from there and over the Erskine bridge.
Assuming you're going over Buttertubs from Hawes, head for Barnard Castle then Middleton in Teesdale, Alston, Brampton and Longtown. Pick somewhere along that route to overnight.
The M74 from the border to Abington is pretty chilled, nice scenery. If you leave at Lesmahagow head for Strathaven, East Kilbride and take the south orbital to the M77 you can use the loop onto the M8 and over the bridge missing out most of the boring motorway and Glasgow whilst adding minimal time. Or off at Abington, head for Douglas, Muirkirk, Strathaven, EK etc.
Assuming you're going over Buttertubs from Hawes, head for Barnard Castle then Middleton in Teesdale, Alston, Brampton and Longtown. Pick somewhere along that route to overnight.
The M74 from the border to Abington is pretty chilled, nice scenery. If you leave at Lesmahagow head for Strathaven, East Kilbride and take the south orbital to the M77 you can use the loop onto the M8 and over the bridge missing out most of the boring motorway and Glasgow whilst adding minimal time. Or off at Abington, head for Douglas, Muirkirk, Strathaven, EK etc.
If doing the Ayr coast, there is the ferry from Gourock to Hunters Quay (Dunoon), saves going all the way up to the Erskine bridge, it's short, cheap and the ride from Dunoon to the top of Loch of Lomond is nice, taking in an obligatory photo stop at the Rest & Be Thankful. Gives the option to come back down the side of Loch Lomond on the return route from Inverness.
While not familiar with with area, there must be a nice route cutting through the Galloway Forrest Park.
Agreed on avoiding the A9. Soul destroying. I would always go Crainlarich - Fort William - Inverness.
Some other roads worth doing if you get close to them.
A702 - Dalveen Pass. Amazing road.
A817 - Haul road. Short and sweet. Great view out over Faslane.
A819 - Inverary to Dalmally. Often missed when heading for the west coast but flows along lovely.
A830 - Fort William to Maillaig is a favourite of mine but it does mean turning around and coming back the same way.
A823 - Glendevon pass. Good in either direction.
A821 - Dukes Pass - Aberfoyle to Callander. Rollercoaster in either direction.
While not familiar with with area, there must be a nice route cutting through the Galloway Forrest Park.
Agreed on avoiding the A9. Soul destroying. I would always go Crainlarich - Fort William - Inverness.
Some other roads worth doing if you get close to them.
A702 - Dalveen Pass. Amazing road.
A817 - Haul road. Short and sweet. Great view out over Faslane.
A819 - Inverary to Dalmally. Often missed when heading for the west coast but flows along lovely.
A830 - Fort William to Maillaig is a favourite of mine but it does mean turning around and coming back the same way.
A823 - Glendevon pass. Good in either direction.
A821 - Dukes Pass - Aberfoyle to Callander. Rollercoaster in either direction.
SteelerSE said:
The problem section is Penrith to Glasgow which looks like motorway the whole way. Is it better to go via Dumfries and the A76..? Are there any other routes that will get me to Dumbarton and the A82 that don't add huge amounts of extra time?
The ride from Penrith is currently going to be 6.5 hours and 300+ miles without stops so I'd prefer not to add extra hours if possible but 120 miles of motorway to Glasgow is not enticing me.
B7076 and B7078 probably as far as Lesmahagow and then cut across to Lanark and then work your way through the middle sThe ride from Penrith is currently going to be 6.5 hours and 300+ miles without stops so I'd prefer not to add extra hours if possible but 120 miles of motorway to Glasgow is not enticing me.
tty bit to the hillspick up at Gretna
staying in Dumbarton? or just a way point?
if i was going north i'd go to Stirling then Callander then onto Crianlarich
avoids the s
tty bit past L LomandRode back through the Borders week before last from Newcastle to Glasgow. Lots of farm crap on the roads, lots of roadworks, and lots of potholes on an A867 - A68 - Hawick - Selkirk - Peebles - A73 route.
I would come off the M6 and stop in Kendal for a change of scene. A6 from there to Carlisle is a decent run. Then west through Dumfries and Galloway and up the A714 (A76 isn't all that tbh), or parallel the M74 on B7078 / B7076.
The thing that really buggers it up for everything is the M62 corridor, there's no decent route through it (and I've tried a lot of them. Gisburn Road and the A59 used to be the best, but now average speed cameras everywhere and some bad pensioner driving).
I would come off the M6 and stop in Kendal for a change of scene. A6 from there to Carlisle is a decent run. Then west through Dumfries and Galloway and up the A714 (A76 isn't all that tbh), or parallel the M74 on B7078 / B7076.
The thing that really buggers it up for everything is the M62 corridor, there's no decent route through it (and I've tried a lot of them. Gisburn Road and the A59 used to be the best, but now average speed cameras everywhere and some bad pensioner driving).
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