The road to Orkney: A9 or other route?
Discussion
Hi Kiltie,
More fantastic photos there.
That does look very busy at Skara. Is the tour guided and do you only have a set amount of time? Looking at it I feel I'd want to spend several hours just getting a feel of the place, soaking up the atmosphere. That sounds a bit "hippie" doesn't it! But then, we are getting married in the Ring of Brodgar, so you shouldn't be surprised
It's the Stag do that I'm focusing on at the moment. I'm hoping that one of the distilleries might prove a good venue.
As usual I'm leaving everything until he last minute to arrange.
Darren
More fantastic photos there.
That does look very busy at Skara. Is the tour guided and do you only have a set amount of time? Looking at it I feel I'd want to spend several hours just getting a feel of the place, soaking up the atmosphere. That sounds a bit "hippie" doesn't it! But then, we are getting married in the Ring of Brodgar, so you shouldn't be surprised
It's the Stag do that I'm focusing on at the moment. I'm hoping that one of the distilleries might prove a good venue.
As usual I'm leaving everything until he last minute to arrange.
Darren
Hiya Darren,
I think I mentioned the nice beach earlier. If I was going again (and / or as interested as you), I think I'd go at the beginning or the end of a day and take a picnic - have a look round the site and then hang out on the beach for a while and pop back to the site once I'd had time to think about it and / or there were no other people.
See the image below. That "Skaill Farm" is the visitor centre. I don't think you have to go through it or pay but I reckon it's worth it for the 5min video and the display (there's a decent café and shop too). It looked to me like there was free access to / from the beach to the site by stairs - hence my suggestion about hanging out on the beach and doing it at your leisure.
Sorry, can't help with stag plans or distilleries much.
I did notice the Highland Park distillery on the outskirts of Kirkwall. Looked walkable to the centre of Kirkwall as well so maybe a tour could be combined with a mini pub crawl.
TR5tar said:
That does look very busy at Skara. Is the tour guided and do you only have a set amount of time? Looking at it I feel I'd want to spend several hours just getting a feel of the place, soaking up the atmosphere.
We didn't do a guided tour (and I'm not sure one was even offered). We just went through the visitor centre, watched the video, walked round the display and then headed out to the site on our own.I think I mentioned the nice beach earlier. If I was going again (and / or as interested as you), I think I'd go at the beginning or the end of a day and take a picnic - have a look round the site and then hang out on the beach for a while and pop back to the site once I'd had time to think about it and / or there were no other people.
See the image below. That "Skaill Farm" is the visitor centre. I don't think you have to go through it or pay but I reckon it's worth it for the 5min video and the display (there's a decent café and shop too). It looked to me like there was free access to / from the beach to the site by stairs - hence my suggestion about hanging out on the beach and doing it at your leisure.
TR5tar said:
... we are getting married in the Ring of Brodgar ...
That's superb, good effort. Sorry, can't help with stag plans or distilleries much.
I did notice the Highland Park distillery on the outskirts of Kirkwall. Looked walkable to the centre of Kirkwall as well so maybe a tour could be combined with a mini pub crawl.
TR5tar said:
It's the Stag do that I'm focusing on at the moment. I'm hoping that one of the distilleries might prove a good venue.
As usual I'm leaving everything until he last minute to arrange.
Darren
Highland Park is on the edge of Kirkwall and do tours 7 days a week in summer I'm sure. As usual I'm leaving everything until he last minute to arrange.
Darren
Scapa is a little bit further out of town and I'm sure they do tours as well, but I've never done either tour.
The Orkney Hotel in Kirkwall has a good range of whisky in the bar.
TR5tar said:
I'll definitely post some picture Kiltie.
Thanks for the info Matchmaker. I try to keep my right foot under control, but I'm not always successful. It's useful to know where I need to be particularly watchful.
Darren
Just watch - they have cameras in some of the 40mph roadworks as well.Thanks for the info Matchmaker. I try to keep my right foot under control, but I'm not always successful. It's useful to know where I need to be particularly watchful.
Darren
I would rather take A822 just after Dunblane to Crieff, then follow the scenic route to Aberfeldy and Pitlochry and perhaps stop for a quick lunch in House of Bruar (a bit posh but their soups are excellent) before joining the A9.
It's no more than 15 minutes longer than the main road via Perth but much more engaging. Empty roads, plenty of corners and some really beautiful scenery. I take that route each time we go up North.
Enjoy and congratulations!
It's no more than 15 minutes longer than the main road via Perth but much more engaging. Empty roads, plenty of corners and some really beautiful scenery. I take that route each time we go up North.
Enjoy and congratulations!
PotatoSalad said:
I would rather take A822 just after Dunblane to Crieff, then follow the scenic route to Aberfeldy and Pitlochry and perhaps stop for a quick lunch in House of Bruar (a bit posh but their soups are excellent) before joining the A9.
It's no more than 15 minutes longer than the main road via Perth but much more engaging. Empty roads, plenty of corners and some really beautiful scenery. I take that route each time we go up North.
Enjoy and congratulations!
The Sma' Glen. Agreed - excellent road!It's no more than 15 minutes longer than the main road via Perth but much more engaging. Empty roads, plenty of corners and some really beautiful scenery. I take that route each time we go up North.
Enjoy and congratulations!
matchmaker said:
PotatoSalad said:
I would rather take A822 just after Dunblane to Crieff, then follow the scenic route to Aberfeldy and Pitlochry and perhaps stop for a quick lunch in House of Bruar (a bit posh but their soups are excellent) before joining the A9.
It's no more than 15 minutes longer than the main road via Perth but much more engaging. Empty roads, plenty of corners and some really beautiful scenery. I take that route each time we go up North.
Enjoy and congratulations!
The Sma' Glen. Agreed - excellent road!It's no more than 15 minutes longer than the main road via Perth but much more engaging. Empty roads, plenty of corners and some really beautiful scenery. I take that route each time we go up North.
Enjoy and congratulations!
The A82 via Glen Coe is a nice option but it adds at least 1h30m to the journey. Loch Lomond section is a narrow, busy road and it's not uncommon to get stuck behind a crawling caravan for 20 miles. Glen Coe is simply stunning albeit a bit crowded in the summer months. I'd recommend stopping for a snack in Drovers Inn if you choose that route, OK food but great atmosphere if you don't mind mangy stuffed bears kind of decor.
Thanks for the link Kiltie. No, I hadn't seen that news. What an incredible place Orkney is.
Good tip on the A822, PotatoSalad. I've had a look on Google maps and I'll take that road. As it'll be the middle of the night I guess I won't see much (unless the Northern Lights kindly put on a show for us), but a more interesting road might help keep me more alert. Does taking that road also avoid some of the average speed cameras?
As you might have read on my original post, I had thought about taken the A82 because it looks wonderful, but in the end the advice to take the quicker route won out. However, as I've not got any ferry deadline to meet on the way home and it'll be in daylight, that's the route I'll take. The Drovers Inn looks great.
Darren
Good tip on the A822, PotatoSalad. I've had a look on Google maps and I'll take that road. As it'll be the middle of the night I guess I won't see much (unless the Northern Lights kindly put on a show for us), but a more interesting road might help keep me more alert. Does taking that road also avoid some of the average speed cameras?
As you might have read on my original post, I had thought about taken the A82 because it looks wonderful, but in the end the advice to take the quicker route won out. However, as I've not got any ferry deadline to meet on the way home and it'll be in daylight, that's the route I'll take. The Drovers Inn looks great.
Darren
That's right, you'll see few average speed cameras after Stirling but nothing on the A822 route until Pitlochry. Just be careful when driving at night, you might see an odd sheep or a wild dear in those areas, but at least it will keep you alert unlike staring at the speedometer for 3 hours on the A9.
Sounds like you have this sorted. Trip up, A9, as can't see much of the splendour in the dark & basically, you just want to get there, with time to spare for the ferry. The return journey in daylight is the time to vary the route, of which there are so many options.
Done the journey from Kent to Orkney many times, about 5 over the past year and just pull over for a knapp as needed on the A9, where there are plenty of lay-bys.
Have a great time. It's a very special place for a very special occasion.
Done the journey from Kent to Orkney many times, about 5 over the past year and just pull over for a knapp as needed on the A9, where there are plenty of lay-bys.
Have a great time. It's a very special place for a very special occasion.
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