NC500 (north coast road)
Discussion
GetCarter said:
There are zero mossies or midges in March. (For other's info, there are actually 37 types of midge. They can start mid May and finish early Oct, but you generally won't see them until mid June and they die off mid Sept. July and August the worst months when the real b
ds turn up, but if it's sunny, dry or windy, you wont see them. Overcast damp days they are nasty!. SMIDGE works, sold locally, but don't get it in your eyes.
Rush hour (such as it is) is between 7 and 8 a.m.
8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m is quiet. Getting light here at 06:50 at the moment.
Many thanks for the local knowledge, will be put to good use. ds turn up, but if it's sunny, dry or windy, you wont see them. Overcast damp days they are nasty!. SMIDGE works, sold locally, but don't get it in your eyes.Rush hour (such as it is) is between 7 and 8 a.m.
8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m is quiet. Getting light here at 06:50 at the moment.
sambucket said:
Saw the NC500 episode of Grand Tour last night. I'm off again next month. Any thoughts on the "287" diversion?
Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
And one more question, any one offended by the Scot jokes?
I'm a Sassanach moved up to the Highlands, and have never, ever had a problem. I'd watch out in Glasgow mind!Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
And one more question, any one offended by the Scot jokes?
sambucket said:
Saw the NC500 episode of Grand Tour last night. I'm off again next month. Any thoughts on the "287" diversion?
Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
And one more question, any one offended by the Scot jokes?
I’m not offended by ‘scot’ jokes, as long as the joker isn’t offended by being called a southern softie. I lived in the south east for 11 years, and the only saying that ever annoyed me was being incessantly called a ‘sweat’ by a particularly annoying bloke in my local. Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
And one more question, any one offended by the Scot jokes?
sambucket said:
Saw the NC500 episode of Grand Tour last night. I'm off again next month. Any thoughts on the "287" diversion?
Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
I'm not sure what the "287 diversion" is...Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
But I was on the A838 on Saturday, it's decent enough, but seems long, longer than it actually is. You keep thinking, not far now, and you're still not there quarter of an hour later. (5th time on it in the last month or so, so know it reasonably well now, though Saturday was the first time without either snow or darkness (or both!))
Watch out for the fish lorries coming from Kinlochbervie they don't hang about and fill the single track road!
sambucket said:
Saw the NC500 episode of Grand Tour last night. I'm off again next month. Any thoughts on the "287" diversion?
Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
And one more question, any one offended by the Scot jokes?
Yes. They're tedious. There's not one I've not heard before. So don't.Must admit I took the A9 to Thurso last time and skipped the corner. But I've never tried the A838 before.
And one more question, any one offended by the Scot jokes?
Why anyone would visit a country or speak to natives of that country and make derogative (as they are invariably are) 'jokes' about their country based on aged sterotypes and think that no offence would be caused beggars belief in this day and age.
Really valuable thread guys, thanks.
A pal and I are planning to do the NC500 in May, Mustang and a 440i for some context.
We are both Edinburgh based... the plan is to drive to Inverness Thursday evening after work, and then have 3 days doing the route, before coming back either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
I see a lot of chat about the West being nicer than the East. We're open to the best routing, and just want the views and quieter roads... does anybody have a specific route they would take, and is 3 full days enough? We're there to drive and nice lunches, not much else!
A pal and I are planning to do the NC500 in May, Mustang and a 440i for some context.
We are both Edinburgh based... the plan is to drive to Inverness Thursday evening after work, and then have 3 days doing the route, before coming back either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
I see a lot of chat about the West being nicer than the East. We're open to the best routing, and just want the views and quieter roads... does anybody have a specific route they would take, and is 3 full days enough? We're there to drive and nice lunches, not much else!
carparkno1 said:
Really valuable thread guys, thanks.
A pal and I are planning to do the NC500 in May, Mustang and a 440i for some context.
We are both Edinburgh based... the plan is to drive to Inverness Thursday evening after work, and then have 3 days doing the route, before coming back either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
I see a lot of chat about the West being nicer than the East. We're open to the best routing, and just want the views and quieter roads... does anybody have a specific route they would take, and is 3 full days enough? We're there to drive and nice lunches, not much else!
A little bit of a contradiction in there. You are planning to do the NC500 but wonder of anyone has a "specific" route. A pal and I are planning to do the NC500 in May, Mustang and a 440i for some context.
We are both Edinburgh based... the plan is to drive to Inverness Thursday evening after work, and then have 3 days doing the route, before coming back either late Sunday night or early Monday morning.
I see a lot of chat about the West being nicer than the East. We're open to the best routing, and just want the views and quieter roads... does anybody have a specific route they would take, and is 3 full days enough? We're there to drive and nice lunches, not much else!
Do you mean one other than the NC500 route that you are planning doing?
The only real option is clock-wise or anti clock-wise.
There are plenty of great roads/routes not on the NC500, as there are great sections of the NC500.
Do you want other routes/roads or to cut out sections of the NC500 you are planning to do?...
Anyway, three days is enough time. I'd head up the east on Friday morning and head along the north to stay in Tongue or Durness for the night. Then down the west coast maybe staying near Applecross or Torridon for the night before returning to Inverness and if time allows heading back to Edinburgh via the A939~A93 etc.
That's just a rough guideline, and missing the east coast section would allow more time to explore roads in the west not on the NC route.
Taking the B9176 to the A836 then going direct to Tongue would be one way of doing that.
Riley Blue said:
I've read quite a lot about the A9 being not nice to drive but I may have to in a couple of months' time en route to Peebles after driving LeJog. (see link in profile). What's so very bad about it?
From Perth to Inverness it's about 110 miles long, much of which is single carriageway, when it does go to duel carriageway lorries spend miles trying to overtake each other (preventing cars from doing so). It's very busy and to top it all off you have not only lots of speed cameras, but average speed cameras and police cars hiding behind trees with mobile cameras.You just have to accept that it'll take a long time and not be in a rush.
Riley Blue said:
I've read quite a lot about the A9 being not nice to drive but I may have to in a couple of months' time en route to Peebles after driving LeJog. (see link in profile). What's so very bad about it?
I use it weekly as a commute back home from central Scotland....it's a drag of a road, but to be honest I put cruise control on and just drift up the road keeping my eye open for the usual impatient idiots.As the main north / south arterial road in Scotland it's shamefully dangerous and has been for decades.
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highland...
Riley Blue said:
What a grim picture you paint! As we'll be in our '63 Riley I guess we'll just have potter along with the rest of the traffic. Dual carriageways usually give us a good chance to overtake but if HGVs use them in the way described, we'll be like a dinghy against a super tanker.
I know there is a load of pain on the A9, however, I must say that the road is smooth, flowing, has amazing views, and can be fairly clear, time dependant. If you want to get a hurry on, then it can be an incredible pain in the derrière, but just sitting with the flow of traffic can get you to your destination fairly smoothly!
Just reserve a place in hell for the idiots that drive slowly in the sections that you cannot overtake, but then speed up when they get to a bit, although these people are in the minority!
(But I would still recommend swopping the A9 for the A93 if you can)
In case it's of interest, our local hotel is now offering a (2018) Morgan daily hire.
https://www.thetorridon.com/experiences/morgan-car...
https://www.thetorridon.com/experiences/morgan-car...
GetCarter said:
In case it's of interest, our local hotel is now offering a (2018) Morgan daily hire.
https://www.thetorridon.com/experiences/morgan-car...
pretty sure that car was delivered when i was there in September (and picture taken then too given the car's position and it being covered in rain and sunshine. actually, those last 2 points don't exclusively relate it to my time there!).https://www.thetorridon.com/experiences/morgan-car...
I was in a Morgan too. Anyone up there in a hard top would do well hiring that car to do Applecross, great price to experience a morgan on ideal roads.
Found this cracker on twitter- https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D1j4WQYWwAA9TL0.jpg:la...
Peanut Gallery said:
Riley Blue said:
What a grim picture you paint! As we'll be in our '63 Riley I guess we'll just have potter along with the rest of the traffic. Dual carriageways usually give us a good chance to overtake but if HGVs use them in the way described, we'll be like a dinghy against a super tanker.
I know there is a load of pain on the A9, however, I must say that the road is smooth, flowing, has amazing views, and can be fairly clear, time dependant. If you want to get a hurry on, then it can be an incredible pain in the derrière, but just sitting with the flow of traffic can get you to your destination fairly smoothly!
Just reserve a place in hell for the idiots that drive slowly in the sections that you cannot overtake, but then speed up when they get to a bit, although these people are in the minority!
(But I would still recommend swopping the A9 for the A93 if you can)
The road itself is decent and goes through some great countryside.
Lorries overtaking each other aren't that much of a problem I've encountered.
I'd also say that overall journey-time since the introduction of the average speed cameras hasn't increased by much compared to before.
Now I use cruise control and average speed on the trip computer to maintain a 60(ish) between each set of cameras and overtake if I want. Using average speed on the trip computer means an overspeed during an overtake can be accounted for, but usually makes no difference to the average, especially if you have been held behind a 50mph vehicle for a few minutes.
Obviously time of day and day of the week (and time of year!) can make a (big) difference to the journey time.
For 'entertainment' and not in a rush I would consider the A93~A939 etc.
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