Discussion
I'm not looking forward to this summer/autumn. Suspect the usual locations will be rammed full. One problem seems to be that many lack imagination and just go to wherever everyone else goes to as they see on facebook: NC500 but not the few roads across/inbetween, or Glencoe/Fort William/Morar/Loch Ness but not Ardnamurchan nor the many other bits of the west and north that I'd say are equally beautiful but much much quieter.
GetCarter said:
C70R said:
And what a wonderful road that is too.
I, like many other I suspect, am chatting with a group of friends about heading up in Sept/Oct. The hope is that we'll have beaten the staycationers, and the weather-gambling will work in our favour.
Sept/Oct are dryer than July/August in the NW. It'll still be busy though as most of England seemed to arrive after the last lockdown. Never known anything like it.I, like many other I suspect, am chatting with a group of friends about heading up in Sept/Oct. The hope is that we'll have beaten the staycationers, and the weather-gambling will work in our favour.
(Pic from The Scotsman)
sjabrown said:
I'm not looking forward to this summer/autumn. Suspect the usual locations will be rammed full. One problem seems to be that many lack imagination and just go to wherever everyone else goes to as they see on facebook: NC500 but not the few roads across/inbetween, or Glencoe/Fort William/Morar/Loch Ness but not Ardnamurchan nor the many other bits of the west and north that I'd say are equally beautiful but much much quieter.
Yep folks/sheep tourists particular following the usual tick list locations in sequence lack imagination and most vehicle tourists cannot read maps and rely on sat nav and the usual crappy noddy type guidebooks.But net result like the Lake District is a win win for those of us who prefer reading proper maps and discovering quiet places off the beaten track where the masses fear to tread leaving these usual hoards of 'ice cream suckers' lol to the rammed and often totally spoilt tourist hotspots.
Long may they wallow in their own mire.
:starting to get worried about our trip up end of May. We've had it booked since last Summer. Previously I was just worried we wouldn't be able to go, and now I am more worried that we might be able to, and so will everyone else!! I think we'll be fine on Lewis, but Skye probably not so much. Of course when you are in traffic then you are the traffic, i do get that.
C70R said:
It's my hope that there will be fewer families if we're there out of school holidays, and fewer oldies/retirees if we're there in October (due to incorrect, but accepted wisdom around visiting Scotland in autumn).
Oldies tend to avoid school holidays so you may find swarms of them in October if the weather is warm.Blown2CV said:
starting to get worried about our trip up end of May. We've had it booked since last Summer. Previously I was just worried we wouldn't be able to go, and now I am more worried that we might be able to, and so will everyone else!! I think we'll be fine on Lewis, but Skye probably not so much. Of course when you are in traffic then you are the traffic, i do get that.
Agreed, you'll be fine on Lewis, the ferries dictate/limit the amount of traffic. Skye however is a big problem. There were signs up on the bridge at Kyle last year saying 'Skye is closed', and that if you didn't have a booked room, turn back.The pic above is from Skye.
The good news (I'm sure you know, but some don't) ... May - it's light at 4 a.m. - and tourists get out after 9 a.m. ...so you'll have 5 hours of bliss. (If you're in my neck of the woods, I'm the one out at 5 a.m. with the dog and the camera, confined to barracks after 10 a.m!)
Riley Blue said:
C70R said:
It's my hope that there will be fewer families if we're there out of school holidays, and fewer oldies/retirees if we're there in October (due to incorrect, but accepted wisdom around visiting Scotland in autumn).
Oldies tend to avoid school holidays so you may find swarms of them in October if the weather is warm.We went last year in mid October in between lockdowns and it was really quiet.
The Old Military Road was the quietest we had ever seen, having visited many times. We got to Durness / Tongue before heading back down. Dinners were a bit of an issue as on that very Friday when we arrived, it was the start of the introduction of 6pm closing time, so takeaway pizza on one night when we couldn’t find anywhere opened.
Rained every day but that was to be expected.
Overall we had a great time and I had my first fried Mars Bar!
Nothing planned for this year though. My friends and I are all just going to ‘wait and see’.
The Old Military Road was the quietest we had ever seen, having visited many times. We got to Durness / Tongue before heading back down. Dinners were a bit of an issue as on that very Friday when we arrived, it was the start of the introduction of 6pm closing time, so takeaway pizza on one night when we couldn’t find anywhere opened.
Rained every day but that was to be expected.
Overall we had a great time and I had my first fried Mars Bar!
Nothing planned for this year though. My friends and I are all just going to ‘wait and see’.
GetCarter said:
Blown2CV said:
starting to get worried about our trip up end of May. We've had it booked since last Summer. Previously I was just worried we wouldn't be able to go, and now I am more worried that we might be able to, and so will everyone else!! I think we'll be fine on Lewis, but Skye probably not so much. Of course when you are in traffic then you are the traffic, i do get that.
Agreed, you'll be fine on Lewis, the ferries dictate/limit the amount of traffic. Skye however is a big problem. There were signs up on the bridge at Kyle last year saying 'Skye is closed', and that if you didn't have a booked room, turn back.The pic above is from Skye.
The good news (I'm sure you know, but some don't) ... May - it's light at 4 a.m. - and tourists get out after 9 a.m. ...so you'll have 5 hours of bliss. (If you're in my neck of the woods, I'm the one out at 5 a.m. with the dog and the camera, confined to barracks after 10 a.m!)
I’m considering my second flying trip north of the border, this time in my French hot hatch. The first visit was in a minibus while attempting the 3 peaks so I was only in-country for a matter of hours (lots of them, mind).
I’m heading up from south of Oxford, travelling alone, and believe I’ll have a 4 day window, which as we all know isn’t long enough but I plan to return on a longer trip with the family at a later date.
I’ve read the past few years of posts on this thread, I’ve seen Steve’s fantastic contributions and the wise words, guidance and warnings of others, but the change in tone since a year ago is saddening. It’s a complex balancing act that seems to have swung the wrong way in recent times, and it concerns me about planning my first experience of the north west, but I have nothing scheduled - I’ll come when the time is right.
My outline plan is to head north on day 1 and cover the 500 mile journey to Fort William as efficiently as possible.
Day 2 is an early start to leverage the quieter roads and the daylight hours, ending up in Ullapool via Applecross and Gairloch.
On Day 3 I’d like to continue north to Achmelvich, Scourie, Durness and Tongue before heading down to Lairg and beyond, although I’m not sure where I should aim for a stop-over so any advice would be gratefully received - anywhere between Lairg and Inverness or that kind of region.
Day 4 will be a trip through the Cairngorms before setting off for the long slog home.
I’m comfortable with long days driving and as much as I’d like to soak up all that the area has to offer I’ll have to save that for subsequent, less time-pressured visits.
If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations they’d be very much appreciated. My route is completely flexible, I’m not bound to stop in those places I just figured they’d have plenty of options for accommodation, food and entertainment (?). I’m a simple man with simple means so Michelin stars and boutique hotels are out of my grasp, I’m more of a budget B&B and local cafe kind of chap.
TIA
I’m heading up from south of Oxford, travelling alone, and believe I’ll have a 4 day window, which as we all know isn’t long enough but I plan to return on a longer trip with the family at a later date.
I’ve read the past few years of posts on this thread, I’ve seen Steve’s fantastic contributions and the wise words, guidance and warnings of others, but the change in tone since a year ago is saddening. It’s a complex balancing act that seems to have swung the wrong way in recent times, and it concerns me about planning my first experience of the north west, but I have nothing scheduled - I’ll come when the time is right.
My outline plan is to head north on day 1 and cover the 500 mile journey to Fort William as efficiently as possible.
Day 2 is an early start to leverage the quieter roads and the daylight hours, ending up in Ullapool via Applecross and Gairloch.
On Day 3 I’d like to continue north to Achmelvich, Scourie, Durness and Tongue before heading down to Lairg and beyond, although I’m not sure where I should aim for a stop-over so any advice would be gratefully received - anywhere between Lairg and Inverness or that kind of region.
Day 4 will be a trip through the Cairngorms before setting off for the long slog home.
I’m comfortable with long days driving and as much as I’d like to soak up all that the area has to offer I’ll have to save that for subsequent, less time-pressured visits.
If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations they’d be very much appreciated. My route is completely flexible, I’m not bound to stop in those places I just figured they’d have plenty of options for accommodation, food and entertainment (?). I’m a simple man with simple means so Michelin stars and boutique hotels are out of my grasp, I’m more of a budget B&B and local cafe kind of chap.
TIA
Claude455 said:
I’m not bound to stop in those places I just figured they’d have plenty of options for accommodation, food and entertainment (?).
With limited time and if your primary goal is to drive then build your stops around the route, not the other way round.The driving route you are considering via Fort William, Durness, Tongue and the Cairngorms is pretty much fixed - there really aren't any variations on or alternatives to the route other than the choice of clockwise versus anti-clockwise. From your start point on Day 2 work out approximately where you need to stop on the basis of 250-300 miles on Days 2-3 each. Any less and you won't get far enough, and much more than 300 isn't feasible in a day.
Once you've worked out roughly where you need to stop, find the nearest place that looks halfway decent. Bear in mind accommodation in the northwest can be spread many miles apart - the difference between Hotels 1 and 2 could be a 250 mile day versus a 350 mile day.
You'll be doing 8-10 hours behind the wheel each day on continuous sensory overload and most likely will crash hard in the evening, ruling out "entertainment" not that you'll find much anyway.
If you can get away in the evening of Day 0 then try to do that and stop over somewhere at the top of the M6 like Lancaster as this head start will make the whole thing more pleasant and you'll benefit from less traffic after dark.
Claude455 said:
Day 2 is an early start to leverage the quieter roads and the daylight hours, ending up in Ullapool via Applecross and Gairloch.
On Day 3 I’d like to continue north to Achmelvich, Scourie, Durness and Tongue before heading down to Lairg and beyond, although I’m not sure where I should aim for a stop-over so any advice would be gratefully received - anywhere between Lairg and Inverness or that kind of region.
Day 4 will be a trip through the Cairngorms before setting off for the long slog home.
TIA
We pretty much did your day 3 & 4 last year on our final two days last year.On Day 3 I’d like to continue north to Achmelvich, Scourie, Durness and Tongue before heading down to Lairg and beyond, although I’m not sure where I should aim for a stop-over so any advice would be gratefully received - anywhere between Lairg and Inverness or that kind of region.
Day 4 will be a trip through the Cairngorms before setting off for the long slog home.
TIA
Stop at Inverness. There are three Premier Inns there.
I like ‘plenty’s’ idea of day 0 too. Stop at Penrith or something, then on day 1 you can head up to Fort Williams via Galloway Forest Park.
You can miss out the little triangle at the end if you are too tired.
Don’t forget to stop at Struie Hill viewpoint and take some photos and post it here. Nice little hill climb B9176
Claude455 said:
I’m considering my second flying trip north of the border, this time in my French hot hatch. The first visit was in a minibus while attempting the 3 peaks so I was only in-country for a matter of hours (lots of them, mind).
I’m heading up from south of Oxford, travelling alone, and believe I’ll have a 4 day window, which as we all know isn’t long enough but I plan to return on a longer trip with the family at a later date.
I’ve read the past few years of posts on this thread, I’ve seen Steve’s fantastic contributions and the wise words, guidance and warnings of others, but the change in tone since a year ago is saddening. It’s a complex balancing act that seems to have swung the wrong way in recent times, and it concerns me about planning my first experience of the north west, but I have nothing scheduled - I’ll come when the time is right.
My outline plan is to head north on day 1 and cover the 500 mile journey to Fort William as efficiently as possible.
Day 2 is an early start to leverage the quieter roads and the daylight hours, ending up in Ullapool via Applecross and Gairloch.
On Day 3 I’d like to continue north to Achmelvich, Scourie, Durness and Tongue before heading down to Lairg and beyond, although I’m not sure where I should aim for a stop-over so any advice would be gratefully received - anywhere between Lairg and Inverness or that kind of region.
Day 4 will be a trip through the Cairngorms before setting off for the long slog home.
I’m comfortable with long days driving and as much as I’d like to soak up all that the area has to offer I’ll have to save that for subsequent, less time-pressured visits.
If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations they’d be very much appreciated. My route is completely flexible, I’m not bound to stop in those places I just figured they’d have plenty of options for accommodation, food and entertainment (?). I’m a simple man with simple means so Michelin stars and boutique hotels are out of my grasp, I’m more of a budget B&B and local cafe kind of chap.
TIA
I wouldn’t bother travelling all the way up to Inverness on your first day as the road to Fort William and beyond is much nicer and you can pick up the road to Applecross just after Eilean Donan Castle on the Skye Road. I always tried to hit the bottom end of Loch Lomond around or just before sunrise. This gets you through Glencoe before the traffic starts building.I’m heading up from south of Oxford, travelling alone, and believe I’ll have a 4 day window, which as we all know isn’t long enough but I plan to return on a longer trip with the family at a later date.
I’ve read the past few years of posts on this thread, I’ve seen Steve’s fantastic contributions and the wise words, guidance and warnings of others, but the change in tone since a year ago is saddening. It’s a complex balancing act that seems to have swung the wrong way in recent times, and it concerns me about planning my first experience of the north west, but I have nothing scheduled - I’ll come when the time is right.
My outline plan is to head north on day 1 and cover the 500 mile journey to Fort William as efficiently as possible.
Day 2 is an early start to leverage the quieter roads and the daylight hours, ending up in Ullapool via Applecross and Gairloch.
On Day 3 I’d like to continue north to Achmelvich, Scourie, Durness and Tongue before heading down to Lairg and beyond, although I’m not sure where I should aim for a stop-over so any advice would be gratefully received - anywhere between Lairg and Inverness or that kind of region.
Day 4 will be a trip through the Cairngorms before setting off for the long slog home.
I’m comfortable with long days driving and as much as I’d like to soak up all that the area has to offer I’ll have to save that for subsequent, less time-pressured visits.
If anyone has any suggestions or recommendations they’d be very much appreciated. My route is completely flexible, I’m not bound to stop in those places I just figured they’d have plenty of options for accommodation, food and entertainment (?). I’m a simple man with simple means so Michelin stars and boutique hotels are out of my grasp, I’m more of a budget B&B and local cafe kind of chap.
TIA
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