Land's End to John O'Groats
Discussion
A few of us have decided that a trip from Land’s End to John O’Groats is in order. There’ll be about 5/6 of us leaving from South Wales at the beginning of October.
The plan is not to do it in the fastest way possible, but to hit as many of the best driving roads Britain has to offer.
The Route.
Day 1 – Leaving from South Wales, we’ll head to Land’s End first thing in the morning, via the fastest route possible, meaning Motorways, Duals and A roads. Once there, we’ll take some obligatory photos with the signage and then set back off, aiming for Hope Valley in the Peak district, again, via the fastest route possible. This is about 11 hours of driving covering about 620 miles. Here we’ll pitch our tents (oo ahhh) and sink a few beers.
Day 2 – Leaving from Hope Valley, we aim to cover the Snake Pass (A57) towards Glossop and head up to Penrith via the M6 (time doesn’t allow us more of the nicer roads in the Lake District). From Penrith, we’ll take the scenic route to Haydon Bridge via the A686. Then from Haydon Bridge, we’ll head over towards Stranraer, through Ballantrae and Ayr finishing up in Fort William. That’s about 10.5 hours driving and about 490 miles. Another night in the tent, and some more beers.
Day 3 – Leaving from Fort William, the goal is to complete half of the NC500 to John O’Groats. Stops will include Strathcarron, the Applecross Path, Laide, Ullapool, Stoer, Durness and finally end in John O’Groats. This is the day I’m most looking forward to. Having rented a Caterham here back in July last year, some of these roads were simply fantastic and I was gutted I only had one day in it! So cannot wait to complete the NC500. We’ll camp again in John O’Groats, obligatory signage photos and, yup, you guessed it, a few more beers! This leg is about 11 hours driving and circa 400 miles.
Day 4 – Leaving John O’Groats, we’ll do the remaining leg of the NC500 (well, technical we’ve misses the Inverness starting point, so I’d say it’s 5/6s of the NC500
) down to inverness via Wick and Tain etc. (perhaps a sneaky stop off at Glenmorangie to pick up a tipple) and leg it down towards Llyn Brenig in North Wales as fast as possible. Virtual pint if you’ve already guessed the next destination 
. We’ll stop off at Llyn Brenig for the night and, maybe, just maybe, have a few more beers. This leg is about 10.5 hours driving and circa 550 miles.
Day 5 – Waking up at a, no doubt, beautiful Llyn Brenig, we’ll do a few laps of the Evo Triangle first thing. Then head down towards Tregaron to do the Abergwesyn Pass (B4343) towards, well, Abergwesyn. Then from there onto the Black Mountain pass ending in Upper Brynamman. Then from there, home. This final day is the shortest day and, depending on how many laps of the Evo Triangle we end up doing, should only take about 6 hours covering circa 200 miles.
Below is a rough Google Maps look at the view (not spot on for the NC500 there, but you get the idea) and a table of the destinations and mileage etc. We’re pretty flexible on the route, so if anyone has any suggestions for destinations to visit on the way, I’m all ears! ?
The Cars.
A couple of the boys are in on the “less than £150” challenge they’ve set themselves. Which will turn out interesting
. One of them has already made his purchase. In his own words, he was looking for something that packs a punch, but is known for reliability. So, inevitably, he ended up with a Renault Megane 1.6 16v Fidji Coupe 
. He hasn’t yet disclosed the full amount of what he paid for it, but knowing him, it wasn’t much more than £80. So hats off there. He plans on stripping it, chucking it on some semi decent suspension and fitting it with race seats and harness. Should be interesting.
The rest of us are still yet to make our purchases. However, I’m in the market for the only car I think this trip was made for. A Mk1 MX5 (or a Eunos, to be precise) 1.6. I was going to buy one anyway, so this trip made it even more worthwhile. I’m on the lookout now, but won’t have the money until end of July, so taking the time to research and assess the market. I’ll have about a £1k budget and either looking for something partly track prepped (i.e. suspension, brakes and rollbar) or something cheap enough I can track prep it myself. Myself and another mate will be 2 ups in this (oohhh errr) for the journey as we both like beer
We’ll be staying in as cheap as possible campsites for all of the 4 nights so the only thing to do is plan which they’ll be and make the bookings.
Can’t Wait
ETA: I've posted later on, but I've decided to try and raise some money for charity whilst doing this. I've chosent he Welsh Children's Cancer Charity called LATCH. They have done some fantastic work and have helped a very close friend of mine through a very difficult time.
Just Giving Page
LATCH Website
The plan is not to do it in the fastest way possible, but to hit as many of the best driving roads Britain has to offer.
The Route.
Day 1 – Leaving from South Wales, we’ll head to Land’s End first thing in the morning, via the fastest route possible, meaning Motorways, Duals and A roads. Once there, we’ll take some obligatory photos with the signage and then set back off, aiming for Hope Valley in the Peak district, again, via the fastest route possible. This is about 11 hours of driving covering about 620 miles. Here we’ll pitch our tents (oo ahhh) and sink a few beers.
Day 2 – Leaving from Hope Valley, we aim to cover the Snake Pass (A57) towards Glossop and head up to Penrith via the M6 (time doesn’t allow us more of the nicer roads in the Lake District). From Penrith, we’ll take the scenic route to Haydon Bridge via the A686. Then from Haydon Bridge, we’ll head over towards Stranraer, through Ballantrae and Ayr finishing up in Fort William. That’s about 10.5 hours driving and about 490 miles. Another night in the tent, and some more beers.
Day 3 – Leaving from Fort William, the goal is to complete half of the NC500 to John O’Groats. Stops will include Strathcarron, the Applecross Path, Laide, Ullapool, Stoer, Durness and finally end in John O’Groats. This is the day I’m most looking forward to. Having rented a Caterham here back in July last year, some of these roads were simply fantastic and I was gutted I only had one day in it! So cannot wait to complete the NC500. We’ll camp again in John O’Groats, obligatory signage photos and, yup, you guessed it, a few more beers! This leg is about 11 hours driving and circa 400 miles.
Day 4 – Leaving John O’Groats, we’ll do the remaining leg of the NC500 (well, technical we’ve misses the Inverness starting point, so I’d say it’s 5/6s of the NC500
) down to inverness via Wick and Tain etc. (perhaps a sneaky stop off at Glenmorangie to pick up a tipple) and leg it down towards Llyn Brenig in North Wales as fast as possible. Virtual pint if you’ve already guessed the next destination . We’ll stop off at Llyn Brenig for the night and, maybe, just maybe, have a few more beers. This leg is about 10.5 hours driving and circa 550 miles. Day 5 – Waking up at a, no doubt, beautiful Llyn Brenig, we’ll do a few laps of the Evo Triangle first thing. Then head down towards Tregaron to do the Abergwesyn Pass (B4343) towards, well, Abergwesyn. Then from there onto the Black Mountain pass ending in Upper Brynamman. Then from there, home. This final day is the shortest day and, depending on how many laps of the Evo Triangle we end up doing, should only take about 6 hours covering circa 200 miles.
Below is a rough Google Maps look at the view (not spot on for the NC500 there, but you get the idea) and a table of the destinations and mileage etc. We’re pretty flexible on the route, so if anyone has any suggestions for destinations to visit on the way, I’m all ears! ?
The Cars.
A couple of the boys are in on the “less than £150” challenge they’ve set themselves. Which will turn out interesting
. One of them has already made his purchase. In his own words, he was looking for something that packs a punch, but is known for reliability. So, inevitably, he ended up with a Renault Megane 1.6 16v Fidji Coupe . He hasn’t yet disclosed the full amount of what he paid for it, but knowing him, it wasn’t much more than £80. So hats off there. He plans on stripping it, chucking it on some semi decent suspension and fitting it with race seats and harness. Should be interesting. The rest of us are still yet to make our purchases. However, I’m in the market for the only car I think this trip was made for. A Mk1 MX5 (or a Eunos, to be precise) 1.6. I was going to buy one anyway, so this trip made it even more worthwhile. I’m on the lookout now, but won’t have the money until end of July, so taking the time to research and assess the market. I’ll have about a £1k budget and either looking for something partly track prepped (i.e. suspension, brakes and rollbar) or something cheap enough I can track prep it myself. Myself and another mate will be 2 ups in this (oohhh errr) for the journey as we both like beer
We’ll be staying in as cheap as possible campsites for all of the 4 nights so the only thing to do is plan which they’ll be and make the bookings.
Can’t Wait
ETA: I've posted later on, but I've decided to try and raise some money for charity whilst doing this. I've chosent he Welsh Children's Cancer Charity called LATCH. They have done some fantastic work and have helped a very close friend of mine through a very difficult time.
Just Giving Page
LATCH Website
Edited by MikeDrop on Friday 30th June 13:58
A small detail, if you have time - take more minor roads in the flow country. This is the triangle between Wick, Thurso and John O Groats. The landscape up there is quite flat and barren, so you can see the tiny twisted roads for miles ahead. A great place to have a bit of fun driving without the risks of blind corner roads. The ground next to the roads is mostly flat, sometimes a small ditch, so not too big a deal if you end up off.
The rest of North Scotland you can't really go wrong anywhere. All roads are decent and amazing to go along. I've heard recently the NC500 route has got quite busy, so cutting away from that now and again is worth considering. The NC500 hasn't been chosen because it's the 'best' specific roads, it's just a marketing exercise with a couple of the classic sections included.
For a 'cool' photo of your cars lined up with a nice backdrop, a stop at Dun robin castle works well - nice large parking area at the rear of the house and a long classic driveway.
For Whisky, the best selection for a dram on your route will be the bar in Dronoch - cant remember the exact name, but it's famous enough when searching. For a distillery I recommend the Old Pulteney distillery in Wick - nice visitor's centre, less busy than the brand name places.
The North West often takes the headlines for driving trips, but personally I get a lot more actual driving enjoyment from the north east! Watch out for the infamous hairpin at Berriedale!
The rest of North Scotland you can't really go wrong anywhere. All roads are decent and amazing to go along. I've heard recently the NC500 route has got quite busy, so cutting away from that now and again is worth considering. The NC500 hasn't been chosen because it's the 'best' specific roads, it's just a marketing exercise with a couple of the classic sections included.
For a 'cool' photo of your cars lined up with a nice backdrop, a stop at Dun robin castle works well - nice large parking area at the rear of the house and a long classic driveway.
For Whisky, the best selection for a dram on your route will be the bar in Dronoch - cant remember the exact name, but it's famous enough when searching. For a distillery I recommend the Old Pulteney distillery in Wick - nice visitor's centre, less busy than the brand name places.
The North West often takes the headlines for driving trips, but personally I get a lot more actual driving enjoyment from the north east! Watch out for the infamous hairpin at Berriedale!
Good effort but you need to really think about allowing loads of time / throw away what Google maps / sat nav quotes.
I have friends in Cornwall so one year went to Lands End and then decided to go to John O Groats, not in one go but just get there eventually. Had a stop off at home (Edinburgh) and then opted to do John O Groats and back in a day... how hard could it be? The reality was it was a serious slog, around 550 miles and 12hrs give or take on the map but it took us about 16hrs to do it and I was ruined. The A9 is a slow road and beyond Inverness, even slower...
So aye, allow more time I think.
I have friends in Cornwall so one year went to Lands End and then decided to go to John O Groats, not in one go but just get there eventually. Had a stop off at home (Edinburgh) and then opted to do John O Groats and back in a day... how hard could it be? The reality was it was a serious slog, around 550 miles and 12hrs give or take on the map but it took us about 16hrs to do it and I was ruined. The A9 is a slow road and beyond Inverness, even slower...
Mikeyplum said:
Day 4 – Leaving John O’Groats... we’ll stop off at Llyn Brenig
552 miles in 10hrs... with a stop for some whiskey? That's going to be a miracle sir... that's an average of 52mph, more time you factor in fuel stops etc and as said John O Groats to say Perth when you pick up the dual carriageway A9 to Glasgow then the M74 south, will be a slow arsed road especially with caravans and wagons to impede progress. So aye, allow more time I think.
Edited by Davie on Monday 19th June 13:51
eein said:
A small detail, if you have time - take more minor roads in the flow country. This is the triangle between Wick, Thurso and John O Groats. The landscape up there is quite flat and barren, so you can see the tiny twisted roads for miles ahead. A great place to have a bit of fun driving without the risks of blind corner roads. The ground next to the roads is mostly flat, sometimes a small ditch, so not too big a deal if you end up off.
The rest of North Scotland you can't really go wrong anywhere. All roads are decent and amazing to go along. I've heard recently the NC500 route has got quite busy, so cutting away from that now and again is worth considering. The NC500 hasn't been chosen because it's the 'best' specific roads, it's just a marketing exercise with a couple of the classic sections included.
For a 'cool' photo of your cars lined up with a nice backdrop, a stop at Dun robin castle works well - nice large parking area at the rear of the house and a long classic driveway.
For Whisky, the best selection for a dram on your route will be the bar in Dronoch - cant remember the exact name, but it's famous enough when searching. For a distillery I recommend the Old Pulteney distillery in Wick - nice visitor's centre, less busy than the brand name places.
The North West often takes the headlines for driving trips, but personally I get a lot more actual driving enjoyment from the north east! Watch out for the infamous hairpin at Berriedale!
Some good advice there, thanks The rest of North Scotland you can't really go wrong anywhere. All roads are decent and amazing to go along. I've heard recently the NC500 route has got quite busy, so cutting away from that now and again is worth considering. The NC500 hasn't been chosen because it's the 'best' specific roads, it's just a marketing exercise with a couple of the classic sections included.
For a 'cool' photo of your cars lined up with a nice backdrop, a stop at Dun robin castle works well - nice large parking area at the rear of the house and a long classic driveway.
For Whisky, the best selection for a dram on your route will be the bar in Dronoch - cant remember the exact name, but it's famous enough when searching. For a distillery I recommend the Old Pulteney distillery in Wick - nice visitor's centre, less busy than the brand name places.
The North West often takes the headlines for driving trips, but personally I get a lot more actual driving enjoyment from the north east! Watch out for the infamous hairpin at Berriedale!
I like the idea of the triangle between Thurso, Wick and JOG, but can't see a way to fit it into our timescale. Will have a play about with the plan.
Davie said:
552 miles in 10hrs... with a stop for some whiskey? That's going to be a miracle sir... that's an average of 52mph, more time you factor in fuel stops etc and as said John O Groats to say Perth when you pick up the dual carriageway A9 to Glasgow then the M74 south, will be a slow arsed road especially with caravans and wagons to impede progress.
So aye, allow more time I think.
Thanks Davie. I think You're right. We are only using Google as a guide but completely appreciate we may need to factor in some additional time on top. One of the thing we might do to mitigate this, is not to actually book and pay for any campsites upfront. That way, if we're flagging one day, we can just find the closest place and stop...So aye, allow more time I think.
Edited by Davie on Monday 19th June 13:51
MikeDrop said:
Thanks Davie. I think You're right. We are only using Google as a guide but completely appreciate we may need to factor in some additional time on top. One of the thing we might do to mitigate this, is not to actually book and pay for any campsites upfront. That way, if we're flagging one day, we can just find the closest place and stop...
You may be OK using Google maps for the faster roads south of the border, bar any accidents or delays but once you clear the Central Belt... pretty much throw the book away. Progress can be quite swift on the clear stretches but be ready for everything including a herd of Highland cows having a sit down protest in the middle of the road and refusing to budge. Plus, as has been said you don't want to spend all day every day, pressing on and missing the good bits... and being stressed to the max. Up here you can wild camp (within reason) and there's always plenty wee sites tucked away that will have space, even in the height of summer. I spent a week doing the Outer Hebrides.... left myself loads of extra time for getting between the planned stops and it wasn't enough and I was only doing 100 miles a day at the most. Tis a different way of life up north! MikeDrop said:
akirk said:
agree with others - if you can spare the time - double what you have allowed and actually enjoy the drives - otherwise I don't see the point of doing this you are going flat out to just be able to say you have done it!
This is the point neither fun from a driving point of view, or from a been there / seen the scenery point of view...
but hey, if that is the goal, enjoy it - don't crash
eein said:
A small detail, if you have time - take more minor roads in the flow country. This is the triangle between Wick, Thurso and John O Groats. The landscape up there is quite flat and barren, so you can see the tiny twisted roads for miles ahead. A great place to have a bit of fun driving without the risks of blind corner roads. The ground next to the roads is mostly flat, sometimes a small ditch, so not too big a deal if you end up off.
The rest of North Scotland you can't really go wrong anywhere. All roads are decent and amazing to go along. I've heard recently the NC500 route has got quite busy, so cutting away from that now and again is worth considering. The NC500 hasn't been chosen because it's the 'best' specific roads, it's just a marketing exercise with a couple of the classic sections included.
For a 'cool' photo of your cars lined up with a nice backdrop, a stop at Dun robin castle works well - nice large parking area at the rear of the house and a long classic driveway.
For Whisky, the best selection for a dram on your route will be the bar in Dronoch - cant remember the exact name, but it's famous enough when searching. For a distillery I recommend the Old Pulteney distillery in Wick - nice visitor's centre, less busy than the brand name places.
The North West often takes the headlines for driving trips, but personally I get a lot more actual driving enjoyment from the north east! Watch out for the infamous hairpin at Berriedale!
My folks are in Berriedale, The rest of North Scotland you can't really go wrong anywhere. All roads are decent and amazing to go along. I've heard recently the NC500 route has got quite busy, so cutting away from that now and again is worth considering. The NC500 hasn't been chosen because it's the 'best' specific roads, it's just a marketing exercise with a couple of the classic sections included.
For a 'cool' photo of your cars lined up with a nice backdrop, a stop at Dun robin castle works well - nice large parking area at the rear of the house and a long classic driveway.
For Whisky, the best selection for a dram on your route will be the bar in Dronoch - cant remember the exact name, but it's famous enough when searching. For a distillery I recommend the Old Pulteney distillery in Wick - nice visitor's centre, less busy than the brand name places.
The North West often takes the headlines for driving trips, but personally I get a lot more actual driving enjoyment from the north east! Watch out for the infamous hairpin at Berriedale!
although the sighting can be good, the roads can be atrocious, not a year went by at my highschool without a driving fatality. I lost several close friends over the years, so take it easy.
i'd advise a night stop in inverness, Las vegas of the highlands, or Aviemore. both an excellent night out.
Dunrobin castle is a good shout, Dornoch beach is another.
Just back from North West Scotland, there is one single track section of NC500 that passes through Drumbeg, the B869. I averaged about 15 mph.
I did not stop at all the photo opportunities, or I would still be up there!
(Yes, off peak and ignoring photos a lot better average could be achieved, but that is not the aim of the drive.)
Also on your return down through Scotland, avoid the A9, instead head east a bit and come down the A93.
Some reading -
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Also take your time to enjoy some of the other roads in that area! -
(They really did paint that - though it only lasted a month - maybe 'cos they saw my alt version)
I did not stop at all the photo opportunities, or I would still be up there!
(Yes, off peak and ignoring photos a lot better average could be achieved, but that is not the aim of the drive.)
Also on your return down through Scotland, avoid the A9, instead head east a bit and come down the A93.
Some reading -
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Also take your time to enjoy some of the other roads in that area! -
MX5_Nuts said:
GetCarter said:
(They really did paint that - though it only lasted a month - maybe 'cos they saw my alt version)
The Crack Fox said:
I don't want to put a dampener on your trip, but 2000+ miles on UK roads isn't my idea of fun. Huge chunks of what you're doing are really dull bits of road and some of the destinations, as pretty as they are, will have crowds, speed cameras and congestion. If you've not been before, no problem, but you could do the Nurburgring, and back, in half the mileage and cover the Eiffel mountains, Brugges, Reims, etc etc, instead. In fact, you could drive to Monaco (via Col de Turini, Reims, Paris etc) in the same distance as you'll be trundling round the UK. Not knocking your idea, I love roadtrips, but you could have way more fun if you point the cars in a slightly different direction. Fixed cameras on the continent won't bother UK plated cars, better food and drink, some genuinely iconic bits of road (Route Napoleon - Col de la Bonnette etc), cheap accommodation, far less congestion on the roads and, in my humble opinion, a lot more fun.
Have great trip, wherever you end up, and post up some pics for those of us stuck at a desk
I can see the logic but there's some pretty depressing roads between any of the above iconic locations which will involve roadworks, traffic jams, mental lorry drivers and bumbling Brits with caravans... sadly like most places that are nice to visit, you have to suck up some pretty grim time / distance to get there. Couple of years back I was barreling round Paris, crossing the Alps, wafting round Rome and parked up in the marina in Monte Carlo... however none of that happening until I'd suffered staring at the back of a Currie European artic for an hour on the M8 near Armadale and had sat on the M25 in the rain, wishing I'd never bloody started. But yes, the continent is definitely more of an adventure but with it comes it's own challenges... least in the UK it's home turf and the AA will always come and get you! Have great trip, wherever you end up, and post up some pics for those of us stuck at a desk
I don't understand the attraction of the fastest route. Whichever one taken isn't going to be the fastest ever, maybe not even that week given the impact of traffic and road works. I'm planning a LeJog in the next year or two, by B roads, though this isn't quite possible so where A roads have to be used they'll be minor A roads with three or more numbers.
I'll be doing it in this (yesterday, through Tissington Ford in the Peak District)
I'll be doing it in this (yesterday, through Tissington Ford in the Peak District)
Riley Blue said:
I don't understand the attraction of the fastest route. Whichever one taken isn't going to be the fastest ever, maybe not even that week given the impact of traffic and road works. I'm planning a LeJog in the next year or two, by B roads, though this isn't quite possible so where A roads have to be used they'll be minor A roads with three or more numbers.
I'll be doing it in this (yesterday, through Tissington Ford in the Peak District)
Seconded, which is why I asked about routes through Peak District, not to mention just a 100m or so from Tissington Ford you get onto one of the better driving roads through the Peaks that can be used to get to Hope Valley.I'll be doing it in this (yesterday, through Tissington Ford in the Peak District)
Also agree with another poster, maybe time limits things but Day 1 get to LE, day 2 to Hope Valley by anything other than fastest route.
FiF said:
Seconded, which is why I asked about routes through Peak District, not to mention just a 100m or so from Tissington Ford you get onto one of the better driving roads through the Peaks that can be used to get to Hope Valley.
Also agree with another poster, maybe time limits things but Day 1 get to LE, day 2 to Hope Valley by anything other than fastest route.
Thanks chaps. Also agree with another poster, maybe time limits things but Day 1 get to LE, day 2 to Hope Valley by anything other than fastest route.
I guess for us, the attraction is the Scottish roads. It's not very often we'll have the chance to do a Scottish road trip, so we're trying to make the most of the time for the Scottish roads, hence trying to get to Fort William ASAP (Starting the NC500 from there is quicker than from Inverness). We've got 5 days (lot of us have work/family commitments etc.) to get to JOG and we could easily do that via M6 etc. but want to try and spice it up. Like others have said, have to get through the crap bits to make way to the good bits
In regards to Hope Valley - we've heard the Snake Pass is a good bit of road, so I literally just found the start and finish and looked for campsites around there on Google Maps. No more scientific than that
Got any road names/places we should be trying to shoehorn in?
ETA: Excellent pic there Riley!
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