Highlands

[Red Devil]

pb450 said:

That made me laugh... Spot on perfect for Mr Carter's previous image. You must know the highlands extremely well by now - or you have too much time on your hands.

At least once a year since I retired. Until 2020.

pb450 said:

And all from Dartford too IIRC.

Not all, but yes the year we met. I see you've got a different Tiv now.

pb450 said:

I'm only envious and am yearning to get back up there when easing occurs. Trouble is, as others have mentioned, it's likely to be rammed. That dispels much of the beauty of the place.

No idea about this year atm. I may well wait until 2022 when things may have settled down a bit.
The NC500 only began in 2015 but is something of a double-edged sword tbh.
Helps the Highlands economy but at what price?

GetCarter said:

The pic above is from Skye.

If I'm not mistaken that path on the right leads up to the Old Man of Storr.

ninepoint2 said:

Dr Jekyll said:

BrotherMouzone said:

I know that spot

Me too!

I vividly remember one year heading towards the A939/A944 junction near Corgarff.
The sun vanished and it began to snow! By the time I reached the spot in the pic the wind had really got up.
Almost a whiteout: the snow was drifting and already piling up in the left hand lane.
Made getting to the top of The Lecht 'interesting' to say the least.
The first time I had encountered such conditions in mid April.
A lesson in how quickly the weather can change in mountain country.

[mikey k]

GetCarter said:

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.



(Pic from The Scotsman)

That is just depressing

[ruggedscotty]

Some pictures from last year, Had work at the most northerly point in Scotland Dunnet Head one week and the next was down at the most southerly point in scotland - Mull of Galloway...







Mull of Galloway





Portpatrick harbour





Crown Inn Portpatrick



Traffic snarl ups a pain...



View from the hill overlooking the harbour.



The food in scotland can be very good... A hot seafood platter from The Crown in Portpatrick...

Edited by ruggedscotty on Saturday 20th February 22:02

Edited by ruggedscotty on Saturday 20th February 22:07

[monkfish1]

mikey k said:

GetCarter said:

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.



(Pic from The Scotsman)

That is just depressing

It is. The sooner they can all get back to their foreign holiddays, the better for the rest of us!

[Riley Blue]

monkfish1 said:

It is. The sooner they can all get back to their foreign holiddays, the better for the rest of us!

Some of them have, I can see at least two non-UK registrations.

[Chris944]

Dr Jekyll said:

I know that spot

So do I!

[pb450]

Red Devil said:

... I see you've got a different Tiv now.

Indeed. The T350 was an itch which needed scratching - before I get too old! A huge wrench to get rid of the old 450 Chimaera but it was time to move on. Bought it in July last year but I've only driven it a couple of hundred miles so far, due to lockdown. Boo... So far I'm VERY impressed. For now I just stare at it in the garage. Need a trip to Scotland in it, when everyone else has gone home, or gone abroad - whenever that might be...

[Red Devil]

pb450 said:

Need a trip to Scotland in it, when everyone else has gone home, or gone abroad - whenever that might be...

2020 was the first time for a decade that I haven't done a tour of Scotland.
Even assuming restrictions are lifted (and not reimposed!) there is every chance that 2021 is going to be a wash out as well.
I've checked and all my usual stopping places for my preferred dates are already booked solid.

YHPM

[pb450]

Yes I agree. A great shame as most of these people wouldn’t be heading north under ‘normal’ circumstances. I’m a great believer in UK holidays and have been for many years. I just don’t think now is the time though as it’s become second best for all those who normally travel abroad but HAVE to get away somewhere, anywhere! Humbug...

[daos]

I'm planning a trip to the west coast of Scotland this June, just wondering if this looks doable. I have never done this type of trip to Scotland before. I would like to do more of the NC500 but I think I will be tight for time, I'm predicting it will be busy as lock down will be ending. Hoping to do a bit of day hiking, so not a pure driving holiday.

Leg 1 - Lake district to Fort william through Trossachs National park staying in FW for 4 nights
2 - Fort William to Skye by Mallaig Ferry 2 nights
3 - Skye to Gairloch - NC500 route 1 night
4 - Gairloch to Loch Inver NC500 1 night
5 - Loch inver across to loch ness by either A837 or A838 and on to Cairngorms

[GetCarter]

daos said:

I'm planning a trip to the west coast of Scotland this June, just wondering if this looks doable. I have never done this type of trip to Scotland before. I would like to do more of the NC500 but I think I will be tight for time, I'm predicting it will be busy as lock down will be ending. Hoping to do a bit of day hiking, so not a pure driving holiday.

Leg 1 - Lake district to Fort william through Trossachs National park staying in FW for 4 nights
2 - Fort William to Skye by Mallaig Ferry 2 nights
3 - Skye to Gairloch - NC500 route 1 night
4 - Gairloch to Loch Inver NC500 1 night
5 - Loch inver across to loch ness by either A837 or A838 and on to Cairngorms

You're doing the right bits, but why 4 nights in FW? It's worth one night at best.

[daos]

We’re using it as a base for a couple of hikes.

[GetCarter]

daos said:

We’re using it as a base for a couple of hikes.

Okay, fair comment. Hikes are good from FW!

[cat220]

GetCarter said:

daos said:

We’re using it as a base for a couple of hikes.

Okay, fair comment. Hikes are good from FW!

Best thing about FW is the Hike out

[mikey k]

[sjabrown]

cat220 said:

Best thing about FW is the Hike out

I can't disagree with this, and FW is my nearest town!

[coppice]

I can remember calling in for lunch to Fort Bill , en route to Sutherland in mid Eighties . We could only find one place open and the least offensive thing on the very limited menu was cauliflower cheese . It was the most disgusting meal ever put in front of me . The town still had the look feel of an East German stadt .

Fast forward twenty years , and this time I am in my Seven , and sty at the wonderfully eccentric Tomdoun Hotel (near Invergarry ). I mention FW to mine hostess - cue eye roll , and the comment that it was the worst town she'd ever known . She had a point - but fab scenery, if not a patch on what is to come ..

[Peanut Gallery]

I hear you with the comments about Fort William, though, many moons ago we stopped somewhere in there for dinner and had the most amazing sticky toffee mess. Picture a proper sticky toffee pudding, very gently mixed together, it was brilliant.

That was about 9pm, and had work the next morning in Aberdeen, brilliant drive that one!

And watching Top Gear tonight, I'm missing my Highland fix of late. Keep safe up there, I will be back!

[ruggedscotty]

Through work we get to travel through scotland, it is simply stunning and has a lot going for it in terms of the scenery. The NC500 ? why did it take so long to be thought about ? it should have been done a long time before.



On the way to cape wrath some place on the west coast....

[coppice]

It didn't need a name . Some of us have been doing those roads for decades . In peace ...