Scotland in a Z06 - good roads and accommodation please
Discussion
Thinking of taking the Z06, and maybe the wife, to Scotland from the South Coast for about a week in July. I've never been further North than Dumfries so would appreciate suggestions on where to go - preferably wild and remote, probably Highlands and West Coast, but with adequate pubs every now and then. Also ideas on good accommodation - open to anything from small Inns to Fantastic Castles, but want to avoid golf(ers)and Americans if possible. I like Scotch though.
Do a quick search - there have been a number of threads on this subject. Off the top of my head I would recommend: Ullapool, Gairloch, Torridon, Applecross, Lochcarron, Plockton on the north west coast.
http://www.thetorridon.com/inn/
http://www.applecross.uk.com/
http://www.thetorridon.com/inn/
http://www.applecross.uk.com/
Some great roads up there! and also great roads on the way up to Scotland.
If you come up the east coast (a1) i would reccomend taking the A696/A68 into scotland, great road!
Here are a few ive driven:
http://www.drivingroads.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21
If you come up the east coast (a1) i would reccomend taking the A696/A68 into scotland, great road!
Here are a few ive driven:
http://www.drivingroads.co.uk/index.php?cPath=21
Edited by Jamz on Thursday 5th March 13:06
Start at Loch Lomond and drive all the way up the west coast and you can't go wrong. The roads start to get really good about 30 miles north of Fort William.
Loads of good places to stay up here - I completely agree with Whirligig on his two options.
Photos of this area (Torridon): http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/latesttorridon.h...
Loads of good places to stay up here - I completely agree with Whirligig on his two options.
Photos of this area (Torridon): http://www.stevecarter.com/latest/latesttorridon.h...
Edited by GetCarter on Thursday 5th March 17:47
do yourself a favour....make sure you drive on the B970 and then the A939. i think the a939 goes to tomintoul but can't remember exactly. the a939 is 60miles long, the majority of it is open mountain road. every year we go to scotland (we stay in aviemore, near inverness) and we ALWAYS drive this road. it's simply brilliant.
If you get as far up as Ullapool, then the Summer Isles Hotel is absolutely worth a splurge. Exceptional food.
Bit of a diversion, but if you get on to Lewis/Harris then Scarista House on Lewis is also fantastic (and overlooks possibly the best beach in the World).
Gastronomically yours etc...
Oh, and the roads mentioned by others are every bit as good as billed.
Bit of a diversion, but if you get on to Lewis/Harris then Scarista House on Lewis is also fantastic (and overlooks possibly the best beach in the World).
Gastronomically yours etc...
Oh, and the roads mentioned by others are every bit as good as billed.
Hi,
Last August four of us in 2 TVR's had a great time around Scotland, covering almost 2000 miles in 6 days. We stayed at Buccleuch B&B in Fort William for 2 nights, 2 nights at the Broadford Hotel on the Isle of Skye and then for our final night we stayed at Castlecroft B & B in Stirling.
One of the must do roads is the Western Ross Coastal Trail via "The Pass of Cattle" on the Applecross peninsular, it can only be classed as the Stelvio of Scotland. We also caught the ferry over to the Isle of Mull for a quick blast to Tobemory, drove round most of Skye taking in the Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle, drove the Western Ross Coastal trail all the way up to Ullapool and went through the Trossachs National Park before heading back down south via Edinburgh.
Hope that this is of some help to you
Looby Loo
Last August four of us in 2 TVR's had a great time around Scotland, covering almost 2000 miles in 6 days. We stayed at Buccleuch B&B in Fort William for 2 nights, 2 nights at the Broadford Hotel on the Isle of Skye and then for our final night we stayed at Castlecroft B & B in Stirling.
One of the must do roads is the Western Ross Coastal Trail via "The Pass of Cattle" on the Applecross peninsular, it can only be classed as the Stelvio of Scotland. We also caught the ferry over to the Isle of Mull for a quick blast to Tobemory, drove round most of Skye taking in the Talisker Distillery and Dunvegan Castle, drove the Western Ross Coastal trail all the way up to Ullapool and went through the Trossachs National Park before heading back down south via Edinburgh.
Hope that this is of some help to you
Looby Loo
Have a butchers at this - http://www.remote.org/frederik/roadhog/scotland/
It's pretty old, so some of the single-track A roads will have been upgraded to dual tracks (and bloody good dual tracks too!) since it was made.
I did Glasgow - Oban - Mull - Ardnamurchan - Mallaig - Skye - Kyle - Ullapool - Durness - Wick - Aviemore - Balmoral - Glasgow over 5 days in 2005. It was an incredible trip.
It's pretty old, so some of the single-track A roads will have been upgraded to dual tracks (and bloody good dual tracks too!) since it was made.
I did Glasgow - Oban - Mull - Ardnamurchan - Mallaig - Skye - Kyle - Ullapool - Durness - Wick - Aviemore - Balmoral - Glasgow over 5 days in 2005. It was an incredible trip.
Just so you know - the road along the top of the north coast has been upgraded, and the section between Bettyhill and Melvich is epic. The Nordburgring.
GetCarter is the man to speak to on the west coast. Promise to buy him drinks all night in the Torridon, and you might just get a free bed for the night!
GetCarter is the man to speak to on the west coast. Promise to buy him drinks all night in the Torridon, and you might just get a free bed for the night!
Aim for the Applecross Inn. The Bealach is well worth the effort, as is the Inn. For a fast mountain road, the A87 from Invergarry to Kyle is wide open, empty and plenty of fast corners to put your z06 through it's paces. There is a hotel with a petrol pump outside. I can't remember it's name but good food and good drink. Think deer antlers on the wall, real wood burning fires, leather wingback chairs etc.
The A82 from Glasgow to fort William is popular, but not all of it is fun and games. The best bit is from Tyndrum to Invergarry imho. This goes through Glencoe. The ford capri injection advert was filmed there (see youtube). Kings House hotel offers accomodation and food, but is a bit miserable.
The A82 along Loch lomond offers fantastic views of the loch, but the road gets very busy, and too many blind corners to pass tour buses etc. if you're coming up the west coast, head to Glasgow (roll the windows up) head for Bearsden and go along the A809 to Drymen. then head along the A81 to Aberfoyle. this road is very popular with glaswegian bikers. If you take a detour to balmaha, the hotel there does great grub. Aberfoyle has plenty of good pubs as well.
From Aberfoyle, head along the A821, fantastic trossach scenery which will look great in july. Then you're on the A84- heading towards Lochearnhead. Take a detour heaading east along the loch and you'll find yet another hotel. It has a fantastic view over the loch and great food. Then back west and head to Crianlarich, and on to Tyndrum.
Of course if you're a whiskey fan you could take the ferry over to Islay, or head North east to the speyside distillerys? Hope this provides you with a few ideas.
The A82 from Glasgow to fort William is popular, but not all of it is fun and games. The best bit is from Tyndrum to Invergarry imho. This goes through Glencoe. The ford capri injection advert was filmed there (see youtube). Kings House hotel offers accomodation and food, but is a bit miserable.
The A82 along Loch lomond offers fantastic views of the loch, but the road gets very busy, and too many blind corners to pass tour buses etc. if you're coming up the west coast, head to Glasgow (roll the windows up) head for Bearsden and go along the A809 to Drymen. then head along the A81 to Aberfoyle. this road is very popular with glaswegian bikers. If you take a detour to balmaha, the hotel there does great grub. Aberfoyle has plenty of good pubs as well.
From Aberfoyle, head along the A821, fantastic trossach scenery which will look great in july. Then you're on the A84- heading towards Lochearnhead. Take a detour heaading east along the loch and you'll find yet another hotel. It has a fantastic view over the loch and great food. Then back west and head to Crianlarich, and on to Tyndrum.
Of course if you're a whiskey fan you could take the ferry over to Islay, or head North east to the speyside distillerys? Hope this provides you with a few ideas.
You might not see a single midge in July, or you might get hounded by them. Sometimes they are so bad that people who have arrived on holiday just turn around and head home.
It's all down to the weather. check out this page http://www.ionalister.com/midge.htm
BTW - Avon Skin so Soft is the only thing that stops the buggers.
It's all down to the weather. check out this page http://www.ionalister.com/midge.htm
BTW - Avon Skin so Soft is the only thing that stops the buggers.
Midges - it is also worth checking whether the hotel you are in has a Midgeater - they do work on occasion. Midges hate wind, so stay somewhere windy and open. The good news is that midge weather tends to be the sort of weather that you won't want to sit out in. Still, warm, damp, overcast conditions. They don't really like bright sunshine.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNZrUMBBrYE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dNZrUMBBrYE
Gassing Station | Roads | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff