2 and a bit days in Scotland
Discussion
I would normally use the search function but as that is still down I thought id start a new thread.
In September im flying from Bristol to Inverness for 2 and a bit days of driving in what ever hatchback Europcar give me! Il be getting there at 1.30pm and once ive got my bag and car (I dont know how long this will take as ive never flown!) il be on my way.
Im thinking of visiting the Isle of Skye and also doing the Applecross Pass, but after that im not sure where the best roads are. Looking at google earth it seems despite being A roads a lot of them are single track, which I dont mind if you can see a good distance ahead, but I would prefer wider roads.
Soo whats the best roue to be taking?
Cheers in advance for any help
In September im flying from Bristol to Inverness for 2 and a bit days of driving in what ever hatchback Europcar give me! Il be getting there at 1.30pm and once ive got my bag and car (I dont know how long this will take as ive never flown!) il be on my way.
Im thinking of visiting the Isle of Skye and also doing the Applecross Pass, but after that im not sure where the best roads are. Looking at google earth it seems despite being A roads a lot of them are single track, which I dont mind if you can see a good distance ahead, but I would prefer wider roads.
Soo whats the best roue to be taking?
Cheers in advance for any help
Interestingly, I'm looking at doing exactly the same thing next April. I suspect we've both been reading too many of The Crack Fox's posts
I was looking at doing Applecross and then heading right up to the north west of the mainland via Ullapool and back down through Lairg. Will bookmark this for future reference though
I was looking at doing Applecross and then heading right up to the north west of the mainland via Ullapool and back down through Lairg. Will bookmark this for future reference though
Edited by Rallye James on Tuesday 23 August 07:33
Allyc85 said:
Soo whats the best roue to be taking?
Some/all of the following.A82 Inverness-Fort Augustus-Invergarry
A87 Invergarry-Shiel Bridge (one of the best driving roads in Scotland)
Turn left in Shiel Bridge and get to Skye via the ferry at Glenelg
On Skye don't miss the road from Uig to Brogaig past the Quiraing
Return to the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh via the Skye Bridge
A890 Kyle-Strathcarron
A896 Strathcarron-Tornapress
Bealach-na-Ba (Applecross pass)
Coast road Applecross via Kenmore to rejoin A896
A896 Shieldaig-Kinlochewe
A832/A835 Kinlochewe-Gairloch-Ullapool
Just before you reach the point where these roads meet at Braemore I recommend you take time out to visit this
Assuming you need to return whence you started.
A835 Ullapool-Garve
From there take the direct route (A835) to the A9 at Tore or loop via Dingwall, Muir of Ord and the southern shore of Beauly Firth to Inverness.
Alternatively if you have sufficient time
A835 Ullapool-Ledmore
A837/A839 Ledmore-Lairg
A836 Lairg-Bonar Bridge
A949/A9 Bonar-Bridge-Inverness (north side of Dornoch Firth)
or
A836/A9 Bonar Bridge-Inverness (south side of Dornoch Firth)
Note that single track roads will inevitably come into play on any decent road trip in the Western Highlands. Unlike those south of the border passing places are plentiful, the locals have decent road manners, and the sight lines are usually very good. It's only the non-PH tourists you need to watch out for as they frequently don't have a clue about the correct etiqutte.
Hope you will be taking some videos. Yours of the A4069 mountain road gave me and some friends the impetus to give it a go a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it had received a good soaking before we arrived, so although the sun was out it was too risky to attack it properly.
Excellent advice there from Red Devil - I too rate the Invergarry to Kyle of Lochalsh road as one of the very best driving roads in the highlands. A good mixture of driving roads and scenic routes. I personally prefer the south of Skye to the north but that's just a preference of mine.
Maybe aim to overnight in say Plockton one night (after doing Skye) then Ullapool the next.
Maybe aim to overnight in say Plockton one night (after doing Skye) then Ullapool the next.
GetCarter said:
Here's a map of some of it (my fav bits). http://www.stevecarter.com/bestuk.htm
Wow - stunning photos!How could I forget to mention Glen Docherty?
Turn right instead of left in Kinlochewe and head up to the car park and viewpoint at the head of the pass.
The road as it used to be (2004) and on our club drive (April 2009).
As you say on your site the roads are empty - almost...
Rallye James said:
Interestingly, I'm looking at doing exactly the same thing next April. I suspect we've both been reading too many of The Crack Fox's posts
I was looking at doing Applecross and then heading right up to the north west of the mainland via Ullapool and back down through Lairg. Will bookmark this for future reference though
I think we have! I was hoping to go to the south of France and do the Col de Turini but it started getting a bit expensive, and my grap of foreign languages isnt great which wouldn't be ideal going on my own!I was looking at doing Applecross and then heading right up to the north west of the mainland via Ullapool and back down through Lairg. Will bookmark this for future reference though
Edited by Rallye James on Tuesday 23 August 07:33
Red Devil said:
Some/all of the following.
A82 Inverness-Fort Augustus-Invergarry
A87 Invergarry-Shiel Bridge (one of the best driving roads in Scotland)
Turn left in Shiel Bridge and get to Skye via the ferry at Glenelg
On Skye don't miss the road from Uig to Brogaig past the Quiraing
Return to the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh via the Skye Bridge
A890 Kyle-Strathcarron
A896 Strathcarron-Tornapress
Bealach-na-Ba (Applecross pass)
Coast road Applecross via Kenmore to rejoin A896
A896 Shieldaig-Kinlochewe
A832/A835 Kinlochewe-Gairloch-Ullapool
Just before you reach the point where these roads meet at Braemore I recommend you take time out to visit this
Assuming you need to return whence you started.
A835 Ullapool-Garve
From there take the direct route (A835) to the A9 at Tore or loop via Dingwall, Muir of Ord and the southern shore of Beauly Firth to Inverness.
Alternatively if you have sufficient time
A835 Ullapool-Ledmore
A837/A839 Ledmore-Lairg
A836 Lairg-Bonar Bridge
A949/A9 Bonar-Bridge-Inverness (north side of Dornoch Firth)
or
A836/A9 Bonar Bridge-Inverness (south side of Dornoch Firth)
Note that single track roads will inevitably come into play on any decent road trip in the Western Highlands. Unlike those south of the border passing places are plentiful, the locals have decent road manners, and the sight lines are usually very good. It's only the non-PH tourists you need to watch out for as they frequently don't have a clue about the correct etiqutte.
Hope you will be taking some videos. Yours of the A4069 mountain road gave me and some friends the impetus to give it a go a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it had received a good soaking before we arrived, so although the sun was out it was too risky to attack it properly.
Thats brilliant cheers A82 Inverness-Fort Augustus-Invergarry
A87 Invergarry-Shiel Bridge (one of the best driving roads in Scotland)
Turn left in Shiel Bridge and get to Skye via the ferry at Glenelg
On Skye don't miss the road from Uig to Brogaig past the Quiraing
Return to the mainland at Kyle of Lochalsh via the Skye Bridge
A890 Kyle-Strathcarron
A896 Strathcarron-Tornapress
Bealach-na-Ba (Applecross pass)
Coast road Applecross via Kenmore to rejoin A896
A896 Shieldaig-Kinlochewe
A832/A835 Kinlochewe-Gairloch-Ullapool
Just before you reach the point where these roads meet at Braemore I recommend you take time out to visit this
Assuming you need to return whence you started.
A835 Ullapool-Garve
From there take the direct route (A835) to the A9 at Tore or loop via Dingwall, Muir of Ord and the southern shore of Beauly Firth to Inverness.
Alternatively if you have sufficient time
A835 Ullapool-Ledmore
A837/A839 Ledmore-Lairg
A836 Lairg-Bonar Bridge
A949/A9 Bonar-Bridge-Inverness (north side of Dornoch Firth)
or
A836/A9 Bonar Bridge-Inverness (south side of Dornoch Firth)
Note that single track roads will inevitably come into play on any decent road trip in the Western Highlands. Unlike those south of the border passing places are plentiful, the locals have decent road manners, and the sight lines are usually very good. It's only the non-PH tourists you need to watch out for as they frequently don't have a clue about the correct etiqutte.
Hope you will be taking some videos. Yours of the A4069 mountain road gave me and some friends the impetus to give it a go a couple of weeks ago. Unfortunately it had received a good soaking before we arrived, so although the sun was out it was too risky to attack it properly.
Ive just bought myself a Drift HD170 video camera for the trip so there will be plenty of videos uploaded once I get back
Happy to see I gave you the inspiration to do the A4069 which remains one of my favourite roads any where in the world! The first time I did it it was foggy until I got down to that hairpin and I nearly ended up chucking my Focus off the road it was so, so slippery! At least youve got a good excuse to go again
GetCarter said:
I was hoping you would post, I have to do that bit of road with "slow" painted on it!Theres so many options and so little time its hard to know where to start with this trip. I have thought about going straight to Applecross pass going around the coast road there and then doing the Isle of Skye the next day and anything else I can squeeze in on the third.
Allyc85 said:
I have thought about going straight to Applecross pass going around the coast road there and then doing the Isle of Skye the next day and anything else I can squeeze in on the third.
I reckon it depends on which way round you want to do Bealach-na-Ba. Having done it both ways I prefer going clockwise.If so, I would do Skye first. It gives you more options of where to go from here. I would be interested in what GetCarter thinks as this is more or less in his backyard.
Yip... I live on the coast road between Applecross & Shieldaig.
Clockwise is more fun to drive (Going UP the Bealach you can give it the beans, going DOWN, you need balls the size of mellons / and a death wish) better views clockwise also... but it's really WHEN you do it that counts. I do the 42 mile circuit on Sunday mornings at about 06.30 and never see a car... do it on a Sunday lunchtime in August and it's a caravan park!
If you need more info on specific roads - feel free to PM me.
Clockwise is more fun to drive (Going UP the Bealach you can give it the beans, going DOWN, you need balls the size of mellons / and a death wish) better views clockwise also... but it's really WHEN you do it that counts. I do the 42 mile circuit on Sunday mornings at about 06.30 and never see a car... do it on a Sunday lunchtime in August and it's a caravan park!
If you need more info on specific roads - feel free to PM me.
I will definitely be going clockwise then as ive never been that great on downhill sections where I seem to be good at cooking brakes...
My thinking with doing the Bealach and the coast road first is that I can do that area with the remainder of the afternoon I have on day 1 before concentrating on other areas on day 2 and 3. Il be driving from Monday September 19th till the 22nd so hopefully I wont be as unlucky as I seem to be with caravans etc! Either way I need to get a route sorted soon and get the accomodation booked!
My thinking with doing the Bealach and the coast road first is that I can do that area with the remainder of the afternoon I have on day 1 before concentrating on other areas on day 2 and 3. Il be driving from Monday September 19th till the 22nd so hopefully I wont be as unlucky as I seem to be with caravans etc! Either way I need to get a route sorted soon and get the accomodation booked!
OP.. FYI... me running in the new R500 up the Bealach... (running at legal speed) - gives you an idea of the road.
http://www.stevecarter.com/R5005.wmv
ETA... turn speakers to 11
http://www.stevecarter.com/R5005.wmv
ETA... turn speakers to 11
Edited by GetCarter on Wednesday 24th August 20:00
Allyc85 said:
That video is fantastic! I cant wait to get up there, I just hope I get some dry weather!
Does anyone know of any cheap'ish B&Bs in the Kinlochewe area as im struggling to find anything at the moment.
Shieldaig is 20 mins from Kinlochewe and much nicer... I'm biased, but I'm right! Does anyone know of any cheap'ish B&Bs in the Kinlochewe area as im struggling to find anything at the moment.
List of B&Bs here http://www.stevecarter.com/ansh/ansh7.htm
I am just in the middle of two weeks of doing this, it's F'n epic. Take Steve's advice, everything to the left of Inverness is awesome. Uig down to the southern tip of Skye and then ferry to Mallaig, Fort William....... I would imagine you could reach 150 easily in a suitable car ;-)
Awesome thread 
I to am planning a hoon/trip up there next week as it happens and these threads are a huge help! Never been before so I know nothing of the areas. Love all the stunning photos, video's and the guide you have on your site GetCarter, I am taking notes
I have been recomended to go over to the Isle of Skye, but having looked at GetCarter's route I am tempted to drop that in favour of your route
just plotting your route into google maps for a look now
I'll be doing it in my slightly track biast MX5, and I'm quite keen with the photos too so fingers crossed it doesnt rain all week!
I to am planning a hoon/trip up there next week as it happens and these threads are a huge help! Never been before so I know nothing of the areas. Love all the stunning photos, video's and the guide you have on your site GetCarter, I am taking notes
I have been recomended to go over to the Isle of Skye, but having looked at GetCarter's route I am tempted to drop that in favour of your route
just plotting your route into google maps for a look nowI'll be doing it in my slightly track biast MX5, and I'm quite keen with the photos too so fingers crossed it doesnt rain all week!
Edited by PGD5 on Wednesday 31st August 14:11
Heading down myself, with girlfriend and friend in tow.
Great advice in this thread, and for reference this is our route. Fingers crossed for dryness!
Great advice in this thread, and for reference this is our route. Fingers crossed for dryness!
and here's me thinking it was far starting from Yorkshire!Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff