Highlands

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Discussion

JM

3,170 posts

205 months

Monday 25th June 2012
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Red Devil said:
Having driven them I would dispute your 30 minutes longer. Both routes are single track and although the B roads are not quite as wide they can still be negotiated at a decent rate of knots. It is also 6 miles shorter from Bettyhill to Altnaharra via Syre than via Tongue. Fewer passing places are counterbalanced by less traffic. It makes a nice alterative and, personally, I find the run beside Loch Naver more attractive than the A836 beside Loch Loyal.
Yea, maybe 30 mins is a slight exageration, but anytime I've driven it is definitly longer than going via Tongue. And the locals say the same thing.
As the OP is going from Tongue, it probably will be at least 30mins longer though. wink
If he hadn't said he was going from Achmelvich to Glencoe via Tnogue then I would maybe not have been so hard on the Navar road. For similar reasons, longer journey time, poorer road, more likely to get held up by sheep or cattle, I'd avoid the Loch Hope route too.


Loch Loyal to some extents is a bit bleak along its side, but I always enjoy heading over the pass after the loch side, in either direction.


Red Devil said:
That said it depends to an extent on the time of year. We go before the main tourist season begins and the road are all but deserted.
Last year, Easter Bank holiday weekend, on the Friday pm I went from Bonar Bridge to Tongue in the evening 'rush hour' I passed/overtook one car and met 3 cars and two vans on the complete journey. Whilst listening to 'Sally Traffic' on the radio going on about bank holiday traffic jams and motorways being grid-locked.

drivingcool

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Monday 25th June 2012
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JM said:
Yea, maybe 30 mins is a slight exageration, but anytime I've driven it is definitly longer than going via Tongue. And the locals say the same thing.
Ah, but how many of them are PHers..... smile

JM said:
As the OP is going from Tongue, it probably will be at least 30mins longer though. wink
Point taken. Still worth it though unless time is an issue.

JM said:
Last year, Easter Bank holiday weekend, on the Friday pm I went from Bonar Bridge to Tongue in the evening 'rush hour' I passed/overtook one car and met 3 cars and two vans on the complete journey. Whilst listening to 'Sally Traffic' on the radio going on about bank holiday traffic jams and motorways being grid-locked.

drivingcool
You may recognise these. Picture quality isn't brilliant. A combination of pointing and shooting through a dusty windscreen/side window and censored focussing! We had the road entirely to ourselves all afternoon. thumbup




JM

3,170 posts

205 months

Wednesday 27th June 2012
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Red Devil said:
You may recognise these. Picture quality isn't brilliant. A combination of pointing and shooting through a dusty windscreen/side window and censored focussing! We had the road entirely to ourselves all afternoon. thumbup

Yes, certainly do recognise that.

Quite near where I took this in similar circumstances.



Some of the locals who blend into the scenery rather well and who could really spoil your trip.
I doubt any of those are PH members.

Burbleboy

220 posts

209 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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My and my pals had a roadtrip in May this year near Poolewe and loved it!

Were from Glasgow and travelled past Fort William, then through Mull Of Ord (avoiding Inverness) then joined A832 and headed to Gairloch onto our secret campsite! ssssh! Dont tell the Laird!

There was 5 of us in our own cars with walkie talkies to help with the overtaking (on blind bends when it was 100% confirmed there was no traffic by car in front). Made the roadtrip better as our cars weren't stuck behind lorries etc for long periods...kept the roadtrip exciting.

Were heading there again in August this year but after Fort William we will head via A87 towards Dornie, then past Strathcarron on way to join the A832. Less traffic and looks great roads on Google Street View.

Planning a 4 day trip in summer 2013, to Thurso via Fort William then head the next day the west coast road past Tongue and Durness to our campsite in Poolewe again. So we can take in the roads and take our time by stopping off alot!

Happy days!

Link to our May 2012 roadtrip below;

http://youtu.be/rz8I7OfXuD8





Edited by Burbleboy on Thursday 28th June 06:43

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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I think you meant Muir of Ord. wink

We normally have around 15 cars on our trips. Walkie talkies are an indispensable tool.

I'm guessing from your post that you haven't done the A87 from Invergarry to Dornie before. You're in for a treat.

It's the first section of this route - http://www.stevecarter.com/bestuk.htm - perfect if you're heading for Gairloch.

As you will see if you visit his site, those roads are his playground. Jammy censored! smile
Takes me a good 12 hours with a lunch break to get to Fort Augustus. rolleyes

Edited by Red Devil on Thursday 28th June 13:06

Burbleboy

220 posts

209 months

Thursday 28th June 2012
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Red Devil said:
I think you meant Muir of Ord. wink

We normally have around 15 cars on our trips. Walkie talkies are an indispensable tool.

I'm guessing from your post that you haven't done the A87 from Invergarry to Dornie before. You're in for a treat.

It's the first section of this route - http://www.stevecarter.com/bestuk.htm - perfect if you're heading for Gairloch.

As you will see if you visit his site, those roads are his playground. Jammy censored! smile
Takes me a good 12 hours with a lunch break to get to Fort Augustus. rolleyes

Edited by Red Devil on Thursday 28th June 13:06
Yes Muir of Ord indeed!
redcard

Heading to Gairloch via Dornie in August..just hope the weather is kind!

Great thread this...really helps people get a feel for the trip...video footage gold as well! beer

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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Burbleboy said:
Yes Muir of Ord indeed!
redcard

Heading to Gairloch via Dornie in August..just hope the weather is kind!

Great thread this...really helps people get a feel for the trip...video footage gold as well! beer
In case you hadn't seen this page, most of the pics were taken around here (Torridon/Applecross) and towards Gairloch http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm

vrsmxtb

Original Poster:

2,002 posts

155 months

Friday 29th June 2012
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GetCarter said:
In case you hadn't seen this page, most of the pics were taken around here (Torridon/Applecross) and towards Gairloch http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm
Wow, incredible pictures Steve!!

Really getting excited about next week now, shame about the weather forecast but I guess as they say in Scotland, wait 20 minutes....

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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GetCarter said:
In case you hadn't seen this page, most of the pics were taken around here (Torridon/Applecross) and towards Gairloch http://www.stevecarter.com/picaday/roads.htm
Stunning!

Been having fun pinpointing some of the locations
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.53223,-5.156364&am...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.417597,-5.706925&a...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.773785,-5.150528&a...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.411033,-5.701389&a...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.54172,-5.721045&am...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.582418,-5.166836&a...
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.854915,-5.289855&a...

The one with the wooden bridge is bugging me as I can't find the road. The hills in the background make it Torridon?

Glen Docherty before the road was upgraded.
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/19125080....



Edited by Red Devil on Saturday 30th June 16:46

GetCarter

29,358 posts

278 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
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Red Devil said:
Stunning!

The one with the wooden bridge is bugging me as I can't find the road. The hills in the background make it Torridon?
Yep. Glen Torridon - but It's down the side of Loch Clair on the Coulin Estate (not *normally* open to public)

Edited by GetCarter on Saturday 30th June 16:46

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Saturday 30th June 2012
quotequote all
GetCarter said:
It's down the side of Loch Clair on the Coulin Estate (not *normally* open to public)
That explains it - thanks. I knew I had seen those hills before!
http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=57.565056,-5.374042&a...

Ninjajim76

46 posts

171 months

Tuesday 3rd July 2012
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Don't forget about the roads south of Glencoe though - when I lived up there we used to go out on the bikes of a summer's evening, often clocking up a couple of hundred miles on the finest tarmac you could ever hope to ride/drive. If you're ever in the area, my recommendations for an epic diversion before heading further north are:

From Edinburgh:

Head NW towards Stirling, then along the A84, A873 and A81 to Aberfoyle.

From Glasgow:

Head North along the A82 to Balloch, then East along the A811, A81 and A821 to Aberfoyle.

From Aberfoyle, prepare for some alpine style driving - drive over Duke's Pass (A821), up the switch backs to the top and then over the whoops and bends until you hit the A84. Turn left and carry on until you hit the A85. Turn left again, heading towards Crianlarich. Carry on through Crianlarich, towards Tyndrum and the Green Welly. Stop here to top up on fuel and get a coffee down your neck. About 500 yards after the Green Welly the road splits. DON'T go straight on and slightly right, you will be heading towards Glencoe and Fort William - beautiful scenery, but uninspiring roads.

Turn left on to the A85 towards Oban. Initially this will be big straights, but after about 5 miles it goes into the finest twisties on God's big green planet (constant radius flick-flack corners which can be taken at speed). Continue along the road, through Dalmally and on towards Loch Awe - beautiful big roads and incredible backdrops. Keep going as the road turns South, heading down towards Oban.

Stop in Oban, pop into the chippy and sit with your fish and chips on the seafront fending off killer seagulls.

Back on it, heading South along the A816 towards Lochgilphead, passing close by the Crinan Canal (well worth going off the beaten track here - really beautiful little villages around this neck of the woods). Roads here are a little less predictable, with decreasing radius corners, blind spots and the occasional spot of gravel (I've almost lost the front end here a few times, but the roads are generally so grippy you can pull it back easily enough). At Lochgilphead you have the option of turning right towards Campbeltown (lovely roads, but even more of a detour), or left towards Inverary on the A83. I'd recommend Inverary - the road here is slightly bigger, but no less interesting. Being more of a main road it does mean more traffic, but this being Scotland, traffic is normally just the Black's delivery lorry doing his rounds, and easy enough to get past.

Stop in Inverary for an ice-cream. Laugh at the chip holding people fending off killer seagulls.

As you come out of Inverary you can continue along the coast on the A83 towards the Rest-and-be-thankful to Arrochar which is a phenomenal road with top speed testing straights and the sort of high speed corners you'd expect of a test track (but heavily populated by police with serious kit - try an unmarked ZZR1400 we saw one day! (as well as a number of seriously quick marked cars)). You could, however, turn left onto the A819, heading inland a bit, towards Dalmally. This section of road is a real gem - lovely scenery and corners which, while lovely and fast, aren't too taxing after the workout you've already had. Continue along the road until you get to the junction at the end (this one's a bit of a surprise, so when you see an old castle on the left by a beautiful loch you've only got a few hundred yards until you stop for the A85). Turn right onto the A85, following the road back up the way you came down earlier, through those lovely flick flack twisties before turning left on to the A82 at Tyndrum (probably worth topping up with fuel again at the Green Welly) heading to Glencoe.

This is a fairly hefty detour, but anyone who's done these roads should agree - they are some of the finest anywhere, and proof you don't need to go right up North for the best ones.

Take a look - as above, but we came back down the side of Loch Lomond, across to Arrochar and then tested our shocks with the whoops along the side of Loch Long (you can get airborne off most of them - a few years ago I got the 5 door terrano I was driving completely off all four wheels at only 40mph (talk about 5p, 50p!)): http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?saddr=Helensburgh&am...

Edited by Ninjajim76 on Friday 13th July 10:11

Burbleboy

220 posts

209 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
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Nice write up there! Sounds like you had a ball!

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
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Ninjajim76 said:
As you come out of Inverary you can continue along the coast on the A83 towards the Rest-and-be-thankful to Arrochar which is a phenomenal road with top speed testing straights and the sort of high speed corners you'd expect of a test track (but heavily populated by police with serious kit - try an unmarked ZZR1400 we saw one day! (as well as a number of seriously quick marked cars)). You could, however, turn left onto the A819, heading inland a bit, towards Dalmally. This section of road is a real gem - lovely scenery and corners which, while lovely and fast, aren't too taxing after the workout you've already had. Continue along the road until you get to the junction at the end (this one's a bit of a surprise, so when you see an old castle on the left by a beautiful loch you've only got a few hundred yards until you stop for the A85). Turn right onto the A85, following the road back up the way you came down earlier, through those lovely flick flack twisties before turning left on to the A82 at Tyndrum (probably worth topping up with fuel again at the Green Welly) heading to Glencoe.
We used all of these roads in April this year. Starting in Dumbarton - A82/A83/A819/A85/A82 to the Green Welly.

Rest-and-be-Thankful



Inverary.
Our group had a long chat with the owner who ended up with a sizeable addition to his collection box. smile





Ninjajim76 said:
Stop in Inverary for an ice-cream. Laugh at the chip holding people fending off killer seagulls.
Target acquired: ready for attack.....!



The castle you mentioned is Kilchurn on the shore of Loch Awe.
https://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=56.40013,-5.023842&a...

Ninjajim76 said:
About 500 yards after the Green Welly the road splits. DON'T go straight on and slightly right, you will be heading towards Glencoe and Fort William - beautiful scenery, but uninspiring roads.
Our destination was well north of Fort William so we stayed on the A82.

Heading for Glencoe.











Edited by Red Devil on Wednesday 4th July 09:13

Ninjajim76

46 posts

171 months

Wednesday 4th July 2012
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Red D - I'm gently crying at my screen.... weeping lovin' the phots

but I'm going back up next year to live there! The midges (never open the visor, even when the smear gets so bad you can't see out - it hurts), the rain, the wind and the cold are more than mitigated for by the incredible roads..... I'll just have to persuade the wife that the ride home from work occassionally requires a slight shortcut (and that a bicycle does not constitute an acceptable 2 wheeled vehicle for that part of the world!)

CardShark

4,190 posts

178 months

Saturday 7th July 2012
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I'm taking my 'Liz up to Scotland next month, came in here to ask about some "must drive" roads and found this thread.

Already had a few roads in mind, I think that with these routes I'll be spoilt for choice. I'll be based in Alness but will have a couple of days to get out and about and make the most of it, I'm just hoping that I dodge most of the holiday crowd... winkdriving

Cheers smile

Edited by CardShark on Saturday 7th July 16:45

CapriV6S

421 posts

141 months

Saturday 7th July 2012
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Skye is an absolute must. Cant believe others say otherwise. Got married there. Been goin there for 25 yrs. Scenery north of Portree up east side to top of island is just absolutely stunning. Yes, there will be caravans and vans on narrow roads with passing-places but plenty opportunity for good driving in a tidy-handling car (I manage great with Ford Connect van). Very good basic campsite at Torvaig, Portree, our choice always. U will go back again. Your choice, all the best.

Red Devil

13,055 posts

207 months

Saturday 7th July 2012
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I can think of one road on Skye which is unlikely to have any caravans. Uig to Brogaig - stunning. smile



If time allows it's well worth stopping to explore the Quirang and climb to the summit of Meall na Suiramach.


CapriV6S

421 posts

141 months

Saturday 7th July 2012
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Know that scene extremely well Red Devil, lookin back towards Staffin, and then The Quiraing!!! Will be there in 3 weeks.

Allyc85

7,225 posts

185 months

Saturday 7th July 2012
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Couldnt agree more with the last 2 posts, Skye is well worth visiting. Last year I would loved to have seen even more of it, but with bad weather coming in I hadto get a move on to Applecross!