Critique / suggestions for a Scottish road trip

[Nigel_O]

After our very enjoyable run round most of the NC500 last September, my son and I are taking my V8 Vantage around Scotland again in early October. We were blessed with good weather for most of last year's trip, but we're under no illusions that going in early October could be somewhat less favourable.

Anyway - we're looking for suggestions on what to see / do, places to go, from people who've done it a lot, and of course any local PH'ers

Requirements:

• The trip is predominantly about driving - we're aiming for 1,500 miles in 6 days and we have some fairly hefty mileage targets for some days.
• We're looking for excellent driving roads and epic scenery
• We're both into photography, so we like a decent landscape, although we're not going to hike for hours to get a picture of a hill or a lake...
• We're thinking ahead about stopping points and decent places to stop for lunch (although we're not 'foodies', so we don't need Michelin-starred stuff)
• All the hotels are already booked, so the start/end points of the day are non-negotiable. All the bits in between are up for grabs and flexible.

Here's the draft itinerary:

Day 1 - Staffordshire to Dunoon, via the Hunter's Quay ferry - 300 miles / 6 hours

Day 2 - Dunoon to Tyndrum via Inveraray and Oban - 170 miles / 4.5 hours



Possible stops:

• Inveraray
• McCaig's Tower & Battery Hill
• Castle Stalker
• Cruachan Hydro Station (closed?)
• Loch Awe . Kilchurn Castle

Day 3, Part 1 - Tyndrum to Glenfinnan via the 'Scotburgring' - 88 Miles / 2.5 hours



Overnight in Tyndrum purely to have an early blat through Glencoe - one of the highlights of an earlier trip I did on my own

Stops:

• Corpach shipwreck
• Glenfinnan viaduct in time for the cheesy tourist shot of the Jacobite Express

Day 3, Part 2 - Glenfinnan to Balmacara, via the Mallaig ferry and a loop of Skye - 160 miles / 5 hours



This feels like a huge day's driving with little time for much else (not a problem) but I'd like to see:

• Old man of Storr (might have to send my drone up if hiking takes more than half an hour)
• Kilt Rock waterfall

Day 4 - Balmacara to Kylesku, via the Applecross Loop - 185 miles / 5.5 hours



We didn't do the Applecross Loop last year, so I'd like to do it this time, especially now it has been resurfaced.

Stops:

• Bealach na Ba
• Applecross
• Torridon / fly-past of Get Carter's house ;-)
• Possible dolphin-sighting boat trip from Ullapool?

Day 5 - Kylesku to Nethy Bridge, via Lairg & Tongue - 250 miles / 6.5 hours



Another big driving day, but we can always cut out the northern-most loop if required and go from Syre to Kinbrace on the B871

Stops:

• Not much really, other than the obligatory play on the Kylescu Bridge, which we did last year

Day 6 - Nethy Bridge to home, via the Old Military Road over the Cairngorms, with a possible stop at the Kelpies if we're not too jaded by then - 410 miles, 8 hours

All suggestions / amendments / warnings welcome

Edited by Nigel_O on Wednesday 17th September 18:47

[hidetheelephants]

Auchindrain township - as visited by Queen Victoria!
Kilmartin museum
Inveraray gaol

Edited by hidetheelephants on Wednesday 17th September 19:46

[Mr Tidy]

That looks like a wonderful trip.

I've only been home a fortnight after an 800+ mile trip around Argyll and the Highlands deliberately not using the NC500. It was my 6th Scottish trip and I'm already planning to return next year.

I did the NC500 in May 2023 including Applecross which is well worth doing for the spectacular scenery but progress can be very slow so you are right not to try to cover too many miles the day you do that.

I didn't do a boat trip but did spend a night in Ullapool with a stunning view from my room.



Have a great time!

[Leggerly]

I’m not sure why’d you want to go from Lairg to Bettyhill on day 5. It’s all single-track road and in places the surface is terrible. Especially at Naver Bridge which is in process of being replaced. Strath Halladale is another 40 miles of single-track and the added bonus of suicidal wind farm workers attempting to break the sound barrier in Jacks Rental vans.